SEO Tips for Making The Most of Your Local Listings
You want customers. Your customers want information. Bring in more sales by creating and optimizing your local business listings online.
In the infographic below, we give you some specific guidelines to follow while representing your business on Yelp, Google, and Facebook. However, no matter the platform, you can start optimizing your local listings by doing the following:
- Claiming your business
- Adding your complete address
- Filling in all available information fields
- Using relevant keywords everywhere you can
- Adding high-quality photos
Once you’ve followed through with those steps, you should bolster your listing with reviews. 85% of consumers report that they read up to 10 reviews before trusting a business. Thankfully, you don’t have to sit around waiting for someone to appreciate your service enough to comment on it (although great reviews do start with great service!). You can encourage your customers to leave positive reviews and save face by combating negative reviews.
But how? Follow the infographic to find all the tips you need.
Source: https://www.kendall.edu/blog/how-to-get-the-most-from-your-local-business-listings/
39% of people read reviews online. I think that is accurate, but man is it such an important number!!! I am not one of those people that typically searches for reviews unless it is a major purchase that I already feel unsure about. Assuming that the average person reading reviews also begins their journey from an unsure point, having your reviews available, responding to reviews (good or bad), and being found on a variety of well-known review sites is so important!!!!! Get listed on Google Maps, Apple Maps, Yelp… everything!
Some of this stuff I had no idea about like the demographics of people who leave reviews. I also think reviews are huge- it seems they are as trusted as “word of mouth” reviews. Got to maintain reviews just like you would your website.
Great post Caz! It is amazing what a little optimization of these profile sites can do! For small and local businesses this can make a big difference in the traffic and conversions they receive. Who knew that reviews would be so important for business and conversions.
Anytime I am looking for something new in my area, I will first ask my family for referrals, THEN I will look up those companies online to see what kind of reviews they have.
So often, I see reviews and I wonder if the businesses realize these online reviews even exist. I’ve even brought it up to a few companies that I already give business to. Most of them have said, “Well, I didn’t pay for any online stuff, so I shouldn’t have any reviews there.”
It makes me sad to see businesses that I KNOW have good service or products having really “negative” looking online presence simply because they don’t realize they actually HAVE an online presence.
Unfortunately, the world these days is mainly digital. And if you aren’t prepared to look at how your business is seen through the “digital lens” then you may be going out of business sooner than you think.
Although I can easily look things up online these days, I prefer to ask people. For one, I think as a society we run out of things to talk about when we choose the Internet as the answer to all things. But mostly I will get “better results” if I just ask what people would recommend.