Friday, June 17, 2016

Local SEO Tip - Getting Your Info Right Online

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Sometimes we get asked what the most important part of the SEO process is. It's usually worded in a way that indicates, "What is the least I can do to see the best results?"

Well, SEO doesn't really work like that but without a doubt, the best place to start is by at least getting your info right online. Whether you're actively submitting your info around the web or not, it's out there and sometimes it's terribly inaccurate. This is especially true for businesses that have been around a while. I could write a book about this process but for your sanity I'm going to stick with a short guide so you can get the best info you need without the headache that I have endured for you.

NAPs


No, I'm not talking about a mid-day sleep vacation.

"NAP" is an acronym for "Name, Address, & Phone Number". NAP establishes the three basic points of info that you will find scattered around the web about your business. Before you ever start on establishing your SEO you need to make sure you have a very clear and exact NAP to work with. What I mean by that is, if your NAP is listed on Google as:

Then that is how it needs to appear everywhere on the web. Don't spell out "street" or add "suite" numbers or change out essential information like switching between phone numbers or adding LLC to the end of the business name some of the time. If the above NAP is how you want your business to appear then shoot for consistent NAPs (Not too much to ask right? Honestly, I could use one right now.)

Once you've established your NAP then you need to put that info out there. The best way to do this is to submit your info to citation listings.

Citations


A citation is anywhere your business appears on the web. The most common citation is from online business directories. They are an important aspect of effective SEO strategy for small Colorado Springs business owners. Here's why:

Google depends on "cues" from the web to indicate whether or not a business is legitimate. It uses the NAP you've submitted by creating a Google My Business Listing to search the web to determine if that information appears elsewhere. If your business is real then it is likely that the online business directories will also have your exact info on their sites.

Some of the most popular citation sites include Yelp, Bing, Google Maps, Apple Maps and Yellow Pages. Sound familiar? Everyone knows Yellow Pages, in the very least. They've advanced their directory beyond the old paper books and are also online. Why aren't you?

Through these directories, you can search for your favorite businesses, leave reviews, read reviews and check to see if there are any discounts, specials or holiday hours. Lots of people use them as either an app or as the main search result when looking for a business or service.

Why do you need to know what they are?


Some citation sites create a listing for your business based on information that is already out on the web. Unfortunately, this information can be very inaccurate and people can get the wrong picture about your business. Some common inconsistencies with online listings include:

Business phone number is wrong

Business address is wrong

Says that I am a different type of business

Says that I am closed

Hours of Operation are wrong

Incorrect photos of my services

These are just a few of the issues Colorado Springs business owners face when getting a picture of their online presence. Even these really obvious issues are just one part of why gaining access to your citation information is important.

From an SEO perspective, this information is very crucial. Google and other search engines view these numerous pages as cues that your business is legitimate and can be trusted.

One of the keys to gaining Google's favor is making sure that all of these citation sites present the same information. Even having a slightly different address can throw off Google's view of your business's credibility. 

So, what can you do about it?


Well, there are cheap but laborious solutions such as going through and manually claiming the listings on your own. There is also a much faster, albeit a bit pricey, option of hiring a citation management company to synchronize your listings for you. Most SEO companies already have subscriptions to these citation management systems and include this in their fee. This is because manually claiming listings is a very long and arduous task that can take hours upon hours to complete. Why? Because there are so darn many of them out there.

Here's just a short list of the very basic citation listings that we recommend going after first:



These are top name citation sites that are good quality listings but there are dozens, possibly hundreds more. These are just one of the many factors that Google looks at to determine ranking. So, to answer your question: How do I rank better, faster? The best answer is obviously to hire an SEO company to handle all of this nonsense for you. But you can also start by claiming your local listings (or creating them) and getting your information out there for Google to look at. It's much easier said than done but you don't have to take my word for it! 


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