If you see your business profile on a site you don’t recognize as one on which you placed your business information, chances are it was collected by a data aggregator or added by a user. Data aggregators provide dynamic profile data to many of the leading websites and web applications, including mapping/navigation services, business directories and voice-activated search applications, like Siri, Alexa and Google Home. There are currently three primary data aggregators, including: DataAxle, Neustar/Localeze, and Foursquare that compile and disseminate information collected from online and offline sources.
Strengthen the online visibility of your business. Improve your rankings on Google’s search results, map results, voice-activated services and more. Protect your listings from unwanted changes.
Why it is important to claim your online business listings
If you have inaccurate information on the web, it can very easily spread like a virus across multiple sites through data aggregators. Incorrect listings confuse customers and search engines, hurt your SEO, and ultimately may cost you business. Claiming your online business listings enables you to make corrections and prevent others from making inaccurate changes.When it comes to your online listing data, especially your name, address and phone number (NAP), it’s critical that your data be:
Current
Complete
Consistent
If your NAP is out of date or includes other errors, then customers are getting the wrong information when they search for your business online. This could lead to a customer going to the wrong location or contacting the wrong business.If your NAP is inconsistent, this will confuse your customers, as they will be unsure of which information they should trust. You get only one chance to make a good first impression. It’s not likely that a prospective customer would do further research to determine your correct information when simply hopping to a competitor is so much easier.
Either way, you’d be starting your interaction with a customer on the wrong foot. To build a better customer experience, it’s important to keep your NAP current, complete, and consistent.
“Search Engines love listings too!”
Search engines value popularity and accurate information just as much as your customers do. Search engines reward these things with greater visibility and higher search ranking, which means more traffic to your website.
Incorrect listings are problematic for search engines and negatively impact your SEO because it confuses the search algorithms about which source to trust. When there is conflicting NAP data, Google has no way of determining which data is correct. It is important for your NAP data to be consistent across all of your business listings for Google to know what information to promote.
Don’t let inconsistent or out-of-date data negatively impact your business. Learn how to manage your local listings to take control of your online presence with Praqtical Marketing Works’ Listings Management. Once you have ownership of your business listings you can protect your name, address and phone number from unwanted changes and make sure that your business information is up to date across all of your listings.
How to manage your online business listings
Managing your business listings is as easy as following these three steps: Step 1 - Audit your business information online. This helps you know where and how your NAP data is listed so that you can evaluate its accuracy. Step 2 - Fix any incorrect NAP data. Step 3 - Track your listings periodically to make sure that they are current, complete, and consistent.
Audit your online presence
Praqtical Marketing Works’ Online Performance Review is a comprehensive free tool to conduct an audit of your online presence. In addition to your online business listings, the Online Performance Review will highlight opportunities in SEO, online reputation management, website performance, and paid advertising – all the necessary activities to help your business be found and chosen by customers.
Correct any inaccurate NAP data
After you conduct your audit, make sure to update any inconsistencies with your listings. Google makes it fairly easy to update your Google business listing. However, in addition to Google, there are hundreds of websites where your NAP data could be listed. So, if your data is in many places, correcting it has the potential to take a lot of time.
Track your listings
Just because you’ve corrected your listings once does not mean you are finished. New business listings are added every day, and if your business ever changes addresses, phone numbers, its website, or operating hours, it’s imperative that this information be updated quickly across all listings. Consistently track your listings so that you know your NAP data is correct across the web.
Key elements of a managed online business listings service
Whether you choose Praqtical Marketing Works’ Listings Management or another provider, the right business listing management service offers the following features:
An automatic listings finder. You shouldn't have to hunt for your listings, the right service provider will collect them all for you.
The ability to quickly identify NAP inconsistencies.
The ability to update all listings from a single place.
Regular scans of your listings to identify irregularities on an ongoing basis.
In addition to these basic qualities, Praqtical Marketing Works provides:
Review management - be notified of each new review, respond within the dashboard, and even automate the review request process.
Analytics - these insights help you understand your own customer feedback and keep an eye on the competition so that your business can get ahead.
SEO and online reputation management are two of the tools that work together with online listings management to help your business be found and chosen by customers.