Local listing is a type of business listing that you can find on the internet. There are a wide variety of different business listings out there and knowing the difference between the different listing types, will help you to understand search engine optimization. Today we are going to talk about local listings and what the meaning of local listing is.

Local listing – an online entry that helps to localize your business helps to connect your business with local consumers. A variety of different services out there exist to help you create local listings. Online listing platforms such as business directories are a great way to get a local listing. Yellow Pages and Yelp are two of the major ones that people think of in the US.

To be considered a local listing, you must have a minimum of three things included: the business name, the business address, and the business phone number. It can be much more helpful to include more information about your business, but these are the minimum requirements for information.

What Benefits Do You Get From A Local Listing?

The number one reason that people choose to get local listings is that they want the boost to their local SEO. All of the information that you put into your local listing is information that search engines use to detect local businesses. Your local listings will increased your local ranking on Google. A benefit that will work to get you more traffic from search engines.

Most businesses that sign up for local listings notice a good increase in the amount of traffic their business receives, both online and in person. This is because more people will be able to find the business through search engines and the web directory that they are listed on. Increased traffic means more sales and more word of mouth advertising for your business.

Local listings that have quality in mind don’t harm your business in any way. You won’t have a negative modifier added to your ranking for a local listing. As long as your local listing is posted on a legitimate business directory, your local listing will only help you. The amount of help that you receive depends on the quality of your listing.

Lastly, with a local listing you can have reviews from customers posted on the internet. The more places that you have great reviews, the better your business will look.

But what separates this from a traditional business listing?

A local listing focuses on connecting your business or website with the specific area in which it operates. A large portion of internet is just generalized. But new Google search algorithms give preference to local results when people are searching with location enabled. Your local listing works to help connect your business with a location.

Do local listings work the same way as regular listings?

Localized listings, for the most part, work just like a regular listing. However, you will have more information included with your local listing than you would your standard listing. Google is the trail blazer for localized searches and as such, their requirements matter the most. Here are Google’s requirements.

Essentially, you want to be honest and have your listing match your physical business information as much as possible. Any lack of matching information will reflect negatively upon your business.

Do Local Business Listings Cost Anything?

One of the first questions many people ask about business listings is the cost. That includes local listings. A variety of different online directories do offer free local listings but you lose out on features. You also lose out on the same level of authority as a premium local listing.

Just because there is a cost, doesn’t mean it will cost you an arm and a leg. The price of a premium local listing is minimum. You will find that the benefits you get far out weigh the costs. Especially the increased traffic.

Local listings are important parts of local search engine optimization, without them, your local ranking will hurt. Make sure that your local business takes full advantage of a local listing by choosing premium and including as much information in the listing as possible. Also attach as many keywords as possible to your local listing to help boost your SEO benefits.