Website Business Directories – Citations

Citation/Directory Audits

Business Online Directories
Business online directories

Directories and Citations for your business’ name address and phone number are the essentially same thing.  It is the modern version of yellow pages.

Physical address in a virtual world.

Why is a business’s physical address important when doing business for a website on the internet? Google figured out that real businesses, even when they don’t have a physical store need to be registered with local, state, and federal authorities to do real business.  Hence a physical address is the best indicator that your virtual presence or website is that of a real business and not a scam.

Why would you as a business owner take a chance that an online directory listed your name, address, and phone number incorrectly?

Accuracy & Consistency of your Business name address and phone number is essential for search ranking on Google.  We ensure your business is listed on top authoritative directories accurately.  The Brightlocal software is utilized to submit the business information to key directories, monitor and report the following.

  • Organic, maps and mobile search rankings
  • Audit and track citations and NAP
  • Review monitoring with review alerts
  • Google Local audit and competitor benchmark
  • Google Analytics integration
  • Facebook and Twitter integration
  • Google My Business Insight

It is very important that the business information matches you federal, state, and local information on your company.  We ensure that all of this information is aligned correctly and an effective business description utilized. Many businesses over time change phone numbers and even physical addresses.

Do you know what directories have your business listing and if they are accurate?  Are the directories best suited for your business?  When a prospect is searching for your business what type of computing device are they using?  The type of device or browser used for search matters.  A quick review of where your business is listed and the accuracy of the information is a good first step.

Once you know where you are listed and the accuracy of those listings it is time to consider other directories.  The more, the merrier?  Not exactly. We recommend at least 30 – 35 of the top authority directories.  It also helps when a business listing shows up in more places than the competition.

Do you know how you measure up to your competition?  It is important if you want to compete in search.  Competitors may be ranking higher than your business just because they are in more directories.

Reviews submitted to online directories can have an impact on your search rankings and prospects perspective of your business.  A recent survey found that prospective customers are being influenced by online review more than any other information about your business.  We track all online reviews and brand mentions to ensure you are aware of both positive and negative reviews.  An instant alert provides you with the details for you to respond directly to negative reviews.  We also provide services to handle the responses for your business.

I often find posts that do a much better job than myself explaining the importance of good SEO. 

Here is a post that summarizes 12 trends you can’t ignore 2019 

Complements of Cardinal Digital Marketing.