Boosting sales by getting listed will increase your profit over time. Have you heard of the story about the Small Business owners who are always looking for ways to get more customers, both online and in person?
The Small Business Owners knew that getting listed on relevant local or niche directories allows search engines to learn more about their business and increases the odds of their business appearing in search results. They've noticed the more specific the directory's focus, the more it helps the business target the right audience for its product, service, or location.
You see that is why we at Girlfridayz developed the Business Card directory listing for the London Small Businesses community to get listed because it is mighty important to come up in searches and you can increase your ROI by 35% should the prospect like your ad and listing info. They were the smart ones because now some of these Small Business owners have changed their status and are now hosting under their roof more than 250 staff.
Girlfridayz knows of one of the most powerful ways you can reach a wider audience is to get involved with local directory site listings. When your business appears there, you increase the chances and the number of ways that potential customers can discover you.
What Are Local Business Directory Websites?
Local directories are trusted listing sites and social communities that specialize in indexing small businesses, according to category and geography. Yelp, Foursquare, TripAdvisor, Google Local and Girlfridayz Business Card are among the most famous of these sites, but there are many more.
People looking for places to eat, shop, sleep and commission services often refer to the content on local directory sites to see what the communities of users there have to say in the comments and ratings.
But perhaps more importantly, Google search holds many of these sites in high regard, so when you’re listed on good local directory websites, your business will quickly receive a dramatic boost in search rankings.
Search engine optimization (SEO), the hunt for the top results on Google for the search terms relevant to your business, is a tricky discipline that’s constantly evolving. But listing on local directories remains one of the SEO tactics that are easiest and offers the most impact.
Why You Need to Rank in Local Search Results
Because people search regularly for businesses and other services on the web local, regional or international searches are made daily by billion users. Therefore your business is visible and people can access it. It's wise to get listed in your local newspaper or place an ad there about your business.
Advertising in the newspaper or a magazine is costly compared to the online version but it is worth doing because plenty of people read newspapers and magazines which are better for your eyes and general health than behind a computer screen daily, it has been scientifically proven that reading physical books, business books, newspaper or magazine can increase your memory and helps you to recall information easily.
Participate in our Poll asking how many of you search the web for these specific businesses: Coffee shops, student accommodation, Ironing and cleaning services, website design services, business courses, business and marketing books, startup business services and gift cards. It's just for our record and if many participate we will update this post with the result.
How many of you search the web for these businesses?
0%Coffee shop
0%Student accommodation
0%Ironing and Cleaning services
0% Website Design Services
Thanks to the rising popularity and usefulness of smartphones, people are increasingly interested in finding businesses that offer what they want nearby. Searching the web for local information is considered to be the activity that people use their smartphones for more than any other medium.
Search engines are paying close attention to this trend and are changing the way they display results accordingly, with “geo-targeted” content receiving more of an emphasis – especially when the searcher uses keywords that suggest “local intent.”
That's why Local Business Directory Websites Are Your Saviors.
Back in the old days, an integral part of any SEO strategy was submitting your website to web and article directories. Google would view these links as evidence that your business is respected and deserving of promotion. But these directory sites started to attract more spam than valuable information, and Google gradually stopped recognizing their authority.
However, many local business directories still have great reputations, and Google uses these as “citations,” or trusted sources for information when deciding how to rank your website. Local search optimization is, therefore, the only remaining valuable SEO tactic that relies heavily on directory submissions.
How to Get Started with Marketing on Local Directories
With Google penalizing websites with links to shady directories, how do you know which ones are legit?
A great starting point is this big list published by Hubspot. And here you can see a handy comparison of the capabilities and limitations of the 50 leading ones. Oh, we are not part of the list but we don't need to be because Local London business owners know our Business Card Style Directory Listing is for them and the prospects and customers are aware that Girlfridayz Business Directory Listing is for them only.
Submitting your business website and your offline shop to Girlfridayz Business Listing Directory is easy: all you have to do is fill out your business information in our short form. Once you’ve been verified, your listings will go live. With your business appearing all over strong local directories, Google’s algorithms for local search will be sure to recognize you for the legitimate business you are.
Within weeks, search results pages will be more likely to even display your five-star user ratings, map location and other key information that will encourage users to visit your website or shop if you registered your business on Google Business Listing and you even get a website page with your posts, reviews and more. You can add a link to your website for people to view your profile on Google.
Hubspot recommends this complete SEO Guide titled 10 ways to boost your SEO.
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