When it comes to getting a noticed, many companies list their business in an online directory. But what is an online business directory and what can it do for you?
An online business directory is a website that lists the names, descriptions and contact information for various businesses by category. The format is much like looking through the yellow pages in the back of traditional phone books; however the process is much more refined. The level of detail offered by a particular directory will vary significantly from another in that the data contained within the directory has been aggregated in several different ways.
Quality can also be an issue when looking through a business directory. On one end of the spectrum are very exclusive, professionally aggregated and vetted directories. These directories usually charge a fee for each listing and pride themselves on offering the best listings on the Internet. On the other end, various free directories provide little to no value for users or businesses and generally contain outdated or inaccurate data.
So why would you want to have your business listed in a directory if you will have to pay for the listing in order to ensure its accuracy? In one simple word: exposure.
Benefits of Quality Business Online Directories
Business directories offer companies the opportunity to put their wares in front of millions of potential customers all over the world. Having your company listed in an online business directory can lead to more visibility, increased web traffic and a higher percentage of conversions. Being listed in an online business directory will ensure that potential new customers will be able to find you as they search through various listings. However, this isn’t the only value.
Companies that list their businesses in online business directories earn backlinks to their website. Each backlink increases the relevance and importance of your website, which in turn increases its value to search engines and boosts its position in web search results lists offered by search engines. In short, listing your business with an online business directory pushes your website up the list of search results anytime someone does a Google search for relative terms.
The Importance of Backlinks Earned Through Business Directory Listings
As an online business owner, you may have heard a little bit about Search Engine Optimization, or “SEO”. The term SEO refers to the techniques that are used to build and promote a website in order to earn a top spot in the search engine results page. Creating quality backlinks is simply one technique used by SEO professionals to achieve this goal. The more backlinks a website has the more valuable it is and therefore the higher it ranks in the search engine results lists. This is why listing your company in quality online business directories is vital to the success of your website and business. The listing creates valuable backlinks to your website and boosts your page ranking.
Business directory listings are a great way to attract more traffic to your website. Not only will customers be better able to find your company through the use of business directories, having your listings published will give your website more clout with search engines, increasing your ranking.
