What are other directories?
Aside from providing basic contact information, your website and/or landing page is your main content location. It is a place for visitors to gain trust and see your business firsthand through copy, photos, and videos.
It is also a centralized resource for promoting your brand. Customers can run a web search and find you organically. Ad campaigns can be sent here to build trust and generate interest in your brand.
Many other digital tools (especially those from Google) also require you to have a website before access is granted. Owning a website can help confirm you are the verified manager of your business’s digital presence.
Why is it important?
With hundreds of local and national business directories online, there are endless opportunities to expand visibility for your business.
The more directories you list your business on, the more people you can potentially reach. More importantly, many of today’s search engines utilize these directories to better understand your authority online and accurately display information about your business.
How do I start?
To begin, it’s just a matter of submitting your site to these directories in the same way you would Google My Business or Yelp. Some directories only allow input of contact information, while others include options for uploading photos and other media. Both Search Engine Journal and Advice Local have collected relevant lists to use.
Best Practices
As with all directories and local submission sites, it’s important to complete all available fields and to make sure the information provided matches all information on your website.
Not all directories have the same verification process. Some require an active phone call or an email or even written consent. Having a team member available to handle all processes and check in on submission requests is crucial to getting listed.
While you can certainly submit to most of these directories manually, there are a variety of local submission (local SEO-Search Engine Optimization) services available for a nominal fee.
Both Moz Local and Yext are industry-standard platforms that not only allow you to check your business listings but also mass submit to them. This creates better transparency across directories and consistency in the information provided.
