Marketing
The Importance of Managing Online Listings for Your Business
Learn how to manage your online listings for better visibility, customer trust, and local SEO.
Learn how to manage your online listings for better visibility, customer trust, and local SEO.
A customer is excited to visit your store or call you, only to find out the address online is outdated or the phone number doesn’t work. Situations like this happen more often than you’d think, and they can cost your business valuable trust and sales.
What to do? Properly manage your online listings. Ensuring your business information is accurate and consistent across the internet can prevent these mishaps, make life easier for your customers, and even improve your online visibility.
Let’s learn about online listings, why they’re important, and how managing them can benefit your business.
Online listings are essentially your business’s digital identity. They’re those profiles or entries you see on platforms like Google, Yelp, Facebook, and even smaller directories like Yellow Pages or niche review sites.
They include basic details like your business name, address, phone number, website, and sometimes extra goodies like operating hours or customer reviews.
For example, if someone searches for your bakery, a Google Business Profile might show details like your address, hours, phone number, and reviews.
Yelp might list similar information with additional features like a menu or photos. These listings help customers decide if and how they’ll interact with your business.
Inconsistent or incorrect listings across platforms can confuse potential customers and harm your credibility. A customer might find one address on Google and another on Facebook and decide it’s not worth the hassle to figure out which is correct.
Maintaining accurate online listings may sound simple, but many businesses underestimate its impact. A small mistake—like an outdated phone number or a typo in your address—can drive potential customers straight into the arms of your competitors.
Accurate and consistent online listings solve this problem and offer benefits. Let’s break it down.
People rely on online listings to decide where to eat, shop, or get services. 81% of consumers say they research online before purchasing or visiting a store.
Incorrect or inconsistent details, such as mismatched addresses or outdated phone numbers, can make your business seem unreliable.
On the flip side, consistent and accurate listings build trust. When customers can easily find your correct details—like operating hours, location, and contact info—they’re more likely to follow through with their plans to visit or call you.
Here’s where things get technical but exciting. Search engines like Google prioritize businesses that maintain consistent information across multiple platforms. Why? Because it signals trustworthiness and reliability.
For example, when your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are identical across Google, Yelp, and Facebook, search engines are more likely to rank you higher in local search results.
76% of people who search for something nearby on their smartphone visit a business within a day.
Accurate listings don’t just improve online visibility—they also drive real-world results. Imagine someone searching for a coffee shop nearby and finding your business. They will likely walk through your door if your address and hours are correct.
Conversely, outdated or missing details can cause you to miss out. Businesses with incomplete online information lose as much as 50% of potential leads because customers simply give up and look elsewhere.
We’ve established why businesses should keep their online listings accurate and consistent. But how do you go about managing them? Follow these detailed steps to take control of your online presence.
Before you can fix or manage anything, you need to know where your business information is listed. Your business could already be listed on platforms you didn’t actively sign up for.
Many directories, like Yellow Pages or niche industry sites, pull information automatically from public records. If your data on these sites is inaccurate, customers could find the wrong information without you even knowing it.
A detailed list helps you track where updates are needed and ensures nothing is overlooked. Imagine updating your business hours on Google but forgetting Yelp or TripAdvisor; you’ve just left customers relying on those platforms in the dark.
Major platforms to check include:
Start with the big platforms. Google Business Profile, Facebook, Yelp, and Bing Places are non-negotiable for most businesses. Next, add industry-specific directories—for example, Zocdoc for doctors, Houzz for contractors, or OpenTable for restaurants.
Check where customers find you. Review your website analytics or ask customers how they found you. This can uncover unexpected listings, like being featured on a blog or third-party site.
Once you’ve identified where your business is listed, the next step is to verify that every detail is correct. Why is accuracy so important? Because even small errors can create big headaches.
Inconsistent or incorrect information doesn’t just confuse customers—it also sends red flags to search engines like Google. Search algorithms prioritize businesses with consistent data, and discrepancies (even tiny ones) can lower your rankings in search results.
What should you check? Use the NAP+W formula as your guide:
For example, a pet grooming service lists “Suite 100” on Google but omits it on Yelp. A customer looking for directions might end up at the wrong entrance or leave frustrated. Correcting such details ensures a seamless customer experience.
Managing your listings isn’t a one-and-done task. Business details can change frequently; staying on top of those changes keeps customers informed.
Why is regular updating important? Customers trust businesses that provide accurate, real-time information. If your hours change for the holidays or you relocate to a new address, failing to update your listings can lead to frustration and lost sales.
Additionally, platforms like Google reward businesses that actively manage and update their profiles, often boosting their visibility in search results.
Set a calendar reminder to check your listings monthly or quarterly. Anytime your hours, address, phone number, or other key details change, update all platforms immediately.
Always monitor for user edits. Some platforms like Google allow users to suggest changes to your listings, sometimes leading to errors if you’re not actively monitoring them.
Managing multiple listings manually can be overwhelming, especially for businesses with a large online footprint. Thankfully, some tools and services can automate much of the process, saving you time and ensuring consistency.
These services let you manage all your listings from a single dashboard, ensuring every platform stays up-to-date. Instead of logging into 10+ accounts, you can make one update and let the tool handle the rest.
Popular tools include:
Let’s say a small hotel uses Yext to update its seasonal rates and hours across TripAdvisor, Google, and Facebook in one go. This saves hours of manual updates and ensures potential guests always see the latest information.
Managing listings isn’t just about accuracy; it’s also about staying engaged. Many platforms allow customers to leave reviews or suggest edits to your information. Actively monitoring these platforms ensures you catch errors quickly and maintain a positive reputation.
Why do you need to monitor? First, it helps you catch errors early. Platforms like Google may autofill incorrect details or accept user edits that you didn’t authorize.
It also helps you build trust. Responding to customer reviews—both positive and negative—shows you care about their experience.
Lastly, you can stay competitive. Engaged businesses are more likely to stand out to customers and search engines alike.
Managing your online listings isn’t just a task—it’s an investment in your business’s success. Consistent, accurate information across platforms doesn’t just help customers find you; it builds trust, enhances your reputation, and boosts your visibility in search engines.
Think of your online listings as the digital storefront for your business. Just as you wouldn’t leave your physical store with incorrect signage or outdated hours, your online presence needs that same level of care and attention.
Start small: audit your current listings, update your information, and consider tools to streamline the process. With each step, you’re not just improving your visibility—you’re building a foundation for long-term growth and customer loyalty.
Take control of your online presence with tools designed to help you manage your listings effortlessly. Our Freemium Starter Package provides everything you need to ensure your business information is consistent, visible, and engaging—completely free.
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