Consistent business directory listings are important. There are many directories where you can publish your details which will help attract customers and improve your reputation with Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.
What is NAP?
NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone Number. It's a critical factor in SEO (search engine optimisation) and influences which companies Google and other search engines show for searches. Occurrences of NAP data around the web are known as citations. A citation is when your NAP data shows up on directory sites like Yell, Cylex, Hotfrog etc.
Citations
A citation is a mention of the name, address and phone number for a business. These can occur on various platforms including local business directories, websites and on social media. Citations help users to discover local businesses and are beneficial to search engine rankings.
A citation can have a positive or negative impact on search engine rankings. This is calculated from:
1) The number of citations a business has
2) The accuracy of the citation
3) The reputation of where the citation is made
The search engines collate data about the business – if this data is accurate then the search engine trusts the validity and this is believed to strengthen the chance of ranking well. On the other side of the coin – if the data is found to be inconsistent then ranking opportunities will lessen.
Business listings are for your business. If it matters to search engines – you should be doing it. Search traffic is incredibly valuable to your business and the visibility you will get with accurate business listings can bring in great results from online marketing. Over 70% of Internet searches are for local business services and products, so it’s critical not to lose out on this traffic.
Where To Start
An obvious place to start if you wish to rank well on Google is Google’s own Google My Business. Other business directory listings that are important are Scoot, Central Index & Yell. You’ll find that once you are featured on Scoot & Central Index your listing is then featured on many other websites that take their information from their databases.
Check Your Online Presence
Here is a free tool that I have found very useful. Simply enter your details into the search fields and the site compares this against important business directory listings. Inconsistent entries are highlighted along with directories where you are not included. It is quite likely that you will find directories that you did not know existed and now you can make the first steps to get included. Visit Check Your Online Presence.
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