How Business Directory Sites Boost Your Web Site

Boosting Website Performance With Citations

Business directory sites are best thought of as an authority site for online marketing purposes. While you may not get a significant amount of direct traffic from a business directory site, the links coming to your site from a business directory site are considered trustworthy. This trustworthiness or authority link, is attributed to several factors.

One factor of trust or authority is location trust. If a link is coming from a local type of directory site such as the business directory in Dallas: www.talkofdallastx.com, then the local trustworthiness is in the context of your local website is getting a citation link from an appropriate local business directory. Another trust factor would be in a particular niche. Imagine you are operating a website for your RV mobile repair business. A citation link from a business directory site that focuses on the local RV repair trade, such as RV-911 mobile rv service, would pass the trustworthiness test of having a similar niche link pointing to your site.

Move To The Head Of The Class

Another citation strategy is to get the best position available on a business directory site. The term “above the fold” was developed as newspaper print jargon, but in web terms, it means the page as it looks before the user scrolls up.

Many sites offer premium or featured listings for a fee. This type of placement can assure that your site is seen, not only above your competition, but in the top for your particular trust factor. You could have prime position on your chosen business directory site for an authoritative link to your site, whether it is for industry/niche trust or location trust. Another point to consider is the length of time your listing is visible. Many citation business directory sites are perpetual. This means your listing is there forever. Keeping your listing up helps to establish the durability of your business and website. If your citation directory site is listing for free, maintenance is best managed by you.

Pay Attention to Consistency

Watch for this critical issue: always maintain consistency of your citation. Use the same name in the same style everywhere it is seen on the web. Your Facebook address should be the same as your YP listing. And all of the listings should be the same as what is one your website. If you use ACME CO Inc on directory sites, but your website and legal name is Acme Company Inc, you could suffer from Search Engine Confusion. Use the post office or Google Maps style of address information. Use abbreviations consistently. The post office always uses ST instead of Street.

Search Engine Confusion can also result in the misuse or omission of suite numbers. Always match what maps and post office declare for your address. Should one be different, defer to the post office as it is usually easier to get Google to change. Regardless of which you choose, use it across every entity you have access to change. Imaging two Dr. John Smiths. Both have their office on Main St. The one that succeeds in getting the best results is the one that maintains accurate and consistent citations.

Local Business Directory Summary

Here is your recap of how to use directory sites to boost your web site:

• Select a directory with the proper trust factor
  • Local directories for local authority
  • Niche directories for niche specific authority
• Place your business citation in the best spot
  • Premium and featured positions give better visibility
• Be consistent
  • Match your business name, address, phone and url
  • Defer to the Post Office and Google Maps as a guide