GET FOUND ONLINE

Why your small business must be found online accurately!

Why it is important to your business
Google Business Profile
Search engine results
Inbound links
Citations

To get found online is vital to a modern local, Georgia business. There are many ways a business is found online. How many are you aware of? Which ways are most important? Which do you have direct control over? Is your business found on all the over 100 business listing sites? Are all your listings accurate? Is your business accurately represented in the three major data providers Data Axle, Neustar, and Foursquare?

In the Gwinnett County, it is crucial for small businesses to be found online for several reasons:

Increased Visibility: Being found online allows a small business to reach a larger audience and expand its customer base. With most consumers turning to the internet to search for products, services, and local businesses, having an online presence ensures that the business is discoverable by potential customers.
Consumer Behavior: Consumer behavior has significantly shifted towards online research and shopping. People often search for businesses, read reviews, compare prices, and make purchasing decisions online. If a small business is not present online, it misses out on these opportunities to engage with and convert potential customers.
Competing with Larger Businesses: Establishing an online presence helps level the playing field for small businesses. It allows them to compete with larger corporations that have greater resources and marketing budgets. Through effective online marketing strategies, small businesses can reach their target audience, showcase their unique offerings, and differentiate themselves from larger competitors.
Building Trust and Credibility: Having an online presence, such as a professional website and active social media profiles, helps build trust and credibility among consumers. In today’s digital age, people often research businesses before making a purchase or deciding to visit a physical location. A strong online presence with positive customer reviews, testimonials, and a professional image instills confidence in potential customers.
Cost-Effective Marketing: Online marketing channels often provide cost-effective options for small businesses to promote their products or services. Compared to traditional advertising methods, such as print ads or TV commercials, online marketing platforms offer more targeted and measurable approaches, allowing small businesses to reach their intended audience without breaking the bank.
Engaging with Customers: The online space offers various tools and platforms for small businesses to engage and communicate with their customers. Through social media, email marketing, live chat, and customer feedback platforms, businesses can foster meaningful relationships, address customer concerns, gather feedback, and provide personalized customer service.
Adapting to Consumer Trends: Consumer preferences and trends are continually evolving, and many of these changes are driven by the internet and technology. By being present online, small businesses can adapt to these shifts and stay relevant. They can leverage emerging technologies, engage with customers through digital channels, and incorporate online sales and delivery options to meet changing consumer demands.

In summary, being found online is vital for small businesses in the Gwinnett County because it increases visibility, enables competition with larger businesses, builds trust and credibility, provides cost-effective marketing options, allows for customer engagement, and helps businesses adapt to evolving consumer trends. An online presence is crucial for businesses to succeed in today’s digital marketplace.

Google Business Profile on Google Maps

Google Business Profile is Google’s native business listing. When you search for a business in Google, this listing appears to the right of the search results and includes the business name, contact information, photos, posts, reviews, questions and answers, and links to their website and other pages.

Beyond the basic setup, why should clients care about having an optimized GBP?

Because their customers are using it to discover important information and make purchasing decisions. In fact, 60% of smartphone users contact businesses directly through their GBP profiles by using the “click to call” feature, and over half won’t do business with a company that has an average rating of under 4 stars.

Having an optimized Google Business Profile establishes trust with prospective customers, ultimately resulting in more sales. Google is by far the most used search engine; it is one of the most important listings for your clients.

Check out this video on improving your local ranking on Google using your Google Business Profile.

Search Engine Results

Google confirms that local results are based primarily on relevance, distance, and prominence. Visit our local SEO page for more on how to get your business to the top of search engine results.

Business Listings

Online directories make up a network of websites that connect consumers with what they’re looking for. Local listing management ensures that businesses are found across these directories with the correct information, effectively building trust with consumers simply by being consistent. Queue local listing management resellers to raise their hand as a managing party for small businesses that need help in this area.

What are local listings?

Local listings are online business directories like Google Business Profile that house business information on search engine results pages, social media, directory sites, and business review sites. This information can be as simple as a business name, phone number, and physical address if there is one. Information can also include business categories, maps, images, and more. It’s important to fill out as much information as possible and to make sure that if a listing can be claimed that the listing is claimed by the business. If a listing is left unclaimed it’s easy for anyone to swoop in and change the information or even claim it themselves. Leaving a claimable listing unclaimed makes the process far more complicated than it needs to be. It’s thus vital to manage online listings related to your business.

Consumers use these local listings to find that business information as an important step in the purchasing process. The more listing sites a business is found on, the more likely a prospective customer will find it whether they were looking for that business.

To add to the complication of managing numerous listing sites, online directories are also usually a place where consumers can leave business reviews. Not only should a business be listed on as many directories as possible, but these listings need to be managed closely to ensure the information is accurate across the board and all customer reviews are answered promptly.

What is local listing management?

Local business listing management is the process of constantly checking and updating the information pertaining to a business’s location, website, and other related data on online directories.

In addition to some online business directories like Google, Yelp, and Yahoo, the information must also be maintained on popular public-facing platforms such as Facebook and TripAdvisor.

Is there a specific type of business that requires local listing management services more than others?

It’s not just brick-and-mortar and multi-location businesses that need to communicate their physical address and store hours with consumers. But considering how the current landscape is shaping up, even those businesses that are completely online need local business listing management.

As mentioned above, a large majority of consumers today search for a business using their phones, and Google is the first thing that comes to mind. All information related to a business’s website, their social media channels, and their reviews can be found online. That’s why it’s so important to manage online listings.

Therefore, along with updating everything to ensure that the information is accurate everywhere, you must also be fast while doing so since millions of searches are being done every day. Online listings management is time sensitive.

Google uses licensed data from third party sources, AKA business listings, for possible use when showing your business on Google maps.

Here is a list of the top 100 online business directories to get found online. Naturally certain industries prioritize the importance of these. Which of these can we find your business?

Check our white paper deep dive on these business directories here.

Business Citations

Business citations can be as simple as business name, address and phone number. In Georgia, USA, citations are important for small businesses to get found online for several reasons:

Local Search Visibility: Online citations help small businesses improve their visibility in local search results. Search engines like Google use citations to verify the existence, legitimacy, and location of a business. By having consistent and accurate citations across various online directories, the chances of appearing in local search results increase, making it easier for potential customers to find the business.
Enhanced Online Presence: Online citations contribute to a small business’s overall online presence. When a business is listed in multiple reputable directories, review sites, and social platforms, it establishes a stronger digital footprint. This not only helps potential customers discover the business but also enhances its credibility and trustworthiness.
Local SEO Benefits: Citations play a crucial role in local search engine optimization (SEO). Search engines consider the consistency, accuracy, and quality of a business’s citations when determining its relevance and authority in local search results. Having accurate and up-to-date citations, including the business name, address, phone number (NAP), and other relevant information, can positively impact local SEO efforts.
Trust and Reputation: Online citations contribute to building trust and a positive reputation for small businesses. When a business is consistently listed across various online platforms, it signals to potential customers that the business is legitimate and established. Additionally, customer reviews and ratings associated with these citations can influence people’s perceptions of the business’s quality and reliability.
Competitive Advantage: Small businesses in Georgia face competition from both local and online competitors. Having comprehensive and accurate online citations can give a business a competitive edge by increasing its visibility and credibility. When potential customers are comparing multiple businesses, a strong online presence with consistent citations can help sway their decision in favor of the business with better online representation.
Mobile and Voice Search: With the rise of mobile and voice search, online citations have become even more important. People often use their mobile devices or voice assistants to find local businesses quickly. By having accurate citations, a small business increases its chances of appearing in mobile search results and being recommended by voice assistants like Siri or Google Assistant.

Overall, online citations are essential for small businesses in Georgia, USA, as they contribute to local search visibility, online presence, local SEO efforts, trust and reputation building, competitive advantage, and adaptability to changing search trends. It’s important for small businesses to actively manage their citations by ensuring consistency, accuracy, and regular updates across various online directories and platforms.

Review our listing sync management video here.

Do you want to see your current business listings? Request your free report here!

Do you want to discuss building your brand online?