What is Directory Submission and How it Helps Ranking?
Directory submission is the process of creating backlinks by sending the URL of your website to various web directories. It is an off-page SEO study to increase page credibility.
Your Local Business:
Not many of us still remember the days of phone books, and if you do then you probably look back on them fondly… If we needed a plumber or a florist, or a seam taken in on a dress we would simply flip through those paper-thin yellow pages as we searched through the list.
Did you know? The internet has something remarkably similar -directories. With 200 new websites being launched every single day around the world, directory submissions have never been more important.
So, you might be wondering -how will directory submissions help my local business?
Let me assure you, despite phone books dying a sudden death, the days of local directories are far from over.
Even though having a comprehensive online presence is important, and marketing through social media is undoubtedly key, it may not be enough to really see the increase in revenue you’re dreaming of.
Read on to discover the benefits directory submissions can bring to your local business.
How Do Directory Submissions Work?
You may not have even known online directories existed. Or, maybe you’ve heard of them but never realized the true power they hold in growing your business.
So, how do they work?
Let’s start by defining what a local business directory is: A local business directory is a website composed of listings for businesses within a certain town, or industry. Your listing will include information such as your name, address, telephone number, and website.
The most infamous of all local business directories is Yelp. Simply search for “hair stylists near me” and you’ll receive a list of every barber within 25 miles.
Other examples of business directories are local magazine websites. So, if you live in Minneapolis and you’re looking for a kid-friendly indoor park, you can head over to Minneapolis’ local family magazine site and scroll through their local business directory for indoor jungle gyms in the Twin Cities area.
Make sense?
How Local Directory Submissions Will Help Grow Your Business:
1. Increases Your Visibility:
When your company is listed in one or more local directories, this greatly increases the chance of potential customers finding your business.
This is one of the most obvious benefits of using a local directory and the most effective in growing your customer base. With 1.8 billion websites online, your business can easily get lost with the many options out there.
Showing up on a local businesses directory, it gives your customers the ease of finding you without wading through the murkiness of the web.
2. Shows Your Business Has Authority:
Many people in our society automatically feel just a little uncomfortable about visiting a business with no online presence.
In this day and age, there is no reason a business looking to thrive shouldn’t have some sort of internet identity established.
However, it’s not always enough to merely show up on a google search. When your business is listed in a local directory, it’s establishing credibility and presenting the trust the community has in you and your services. This leads to a reputation of authority and professionalism.
3. Optimizes Your Search Engine Rankings:
When your business is listed in various local directories, it signals to web crawlers that your business is not only active and reliable, but legitimate.
Search engines like Google love businesses with established credibility.
They’re running a company too, and their main goal is to only recommend the most trustworthy businesses to their users.
If your company is listed throughout the web, this will influence Google’s rankings, and the benefits trickle all the way down into your pocket.
4. Increases Phone Calls To Your Business:
In a major way, local directories are like phone books. Decades ago, people would search through a phone book to find all the information they needed to know about a particular business. In the same way, when a user is searching through a local directory, they want to find all relevant, up-to-date information.
It’s been proven through years of psychological research that customers are 86% more likely to call a business if they find them through a local search.
For mobile users, if your number is listed with an easy to use link, they’re much more likely to call rather than visit your website. A phone call with a potential customer can open up a world of possibility.
5. Boosts Revenue:
Increasing your profits is just the result of all benefits listed above.
When you list your business in local directories, not only are you enabling potential customers to find you easily, you’re building credibility and a reputation of trust within your community.
These two things alone will increase your customer base, but providing a phone number with an access link to call can alone boost the number of customers your store sees on a daily basis.
When customers feel as though they can trust their needs to be taken care of, their business will follow.
Get Started In Your Local Business Directory Today:
Submitting your business to your local directory isn’t the most fun or entertaining task in the world but it’s one of the most underrated methods to increase your SEO and ultimately your sales.
Improving business awareness, establishing your brand, and attracting new customers are just a few ways in which a local business directory can help your store not only grow but thrive.
While many business directories allow free listings, any business owner looking to take their profits to the top will pay for an enhanced or sponsored spot. This ensures your business is coming up first and catching a potential customer’s eye before any other listing can.
Many cities have local directories, some even have apps. No matter what platform it is, not utilizing a local business directory is a big mistake.
Don’t hesitate to get your business headed where you want it to go.
