As a small business owner, do you still use the Yellow Pages to advertise your product and service offerings in your local market? If you do, be assured that you are referring to an obsolete directory because it stopped printing two years ago in many areas!
When it comes to improving their findability, local listings are the ‘new normal’ for small businesses like yours.
Getting listed in online directories is essential because the internet is where today’s consumers are researching, shortlisting, and finalizing businesses they want to buy from. Therefore, you must ensure that your business’s local listings are accurate and updated in as many online business directories as possible.
What is local Chicago online listing management?
Chicago online local listing management is the process of continuously reviewing and updating information pertaining to your business location, store hours, website, and other necessary details on online business directories such as Google, Yelp, Yahoo!, and Foursquare.
It is not just brick-and-mortar and multi-location companies that need to stay on top of their local listings. Considering the current technology-dominated landscape, you need to manage your listings even if you run a completely online business. Any information about your business website and social media channels, as well as your business reviews, should be readily available online.
Why is Chicago local listing management important?
1. It improves visibility.
Improving your brand’s visibility is one of the main reasons you must get on board the local listing management bandwagon and partner with a reputable listing management agency in Chicago, Illinois. It stands to reason that the more online directories you can list your Chicago business on, the higher the odds of a customer finding it.
The next time you do a Google search about ‘coffee shops near me,’ try mapping your customer journey through the lens of a local business. As a customer, you are more likely to visit a coffee shop you have just found online. This demonstrates the importance of local listing management and how crucial it is to drive up revenue.
2. It increases traffic.
Speaking of driving revenue, you can also drive more traffic to your website by adopting the best local listing management practices. Here’s an example of how it works:
Say you search for ‘fitness centers near me’ and come across two listings. While the first listing has complete updated information, such as the center’s location, opening and closing hours, and website, the second listing has a few details missing. Needless to say, it is going to be the listing that has all the information updated and accurate that you would be more likely to click on.
In addition to increasing online traffic to your website, maintaining top-notch listing standards also contributes to increased physical customer foot traffic for your Chicago business.
3. It helps SEO.
SEO (short for search engine optimization) is the process of organically ranking your site at the top position on a search engine like Google. This improves your online visibility and brings more customers to your website.
Although there is a big secret behind securing that elusive top spot on Google search results, it is known that Google tends to rank those businesses higher up that deliver the best search experience. Having updated and accurate information offers consumers a good experience and thus, drastically increases the probability of your Chicago business showing up at the top of the search results.
Looking for a Professional Listings Management Agency in Chicago, Illinois?
At Digital Destination, our team of online marketing experts can help your business position itself in front of your target market and ahead of the competition. With our listing management services in Chicago, Illinois, we can help you optimize your profitability by driving more quality traffic to your business. Contact us to request a free quote!