Listing SEO

I start with an audit. I search the business name on Google, Apple Maps, Bing, Yelp, and Facebook. I note every variation of name, address, phone. I also check data aggregators via a tool like Moz Local. For a client, a restaurant called 'Borough Bites' in London, their address appeared as '12 Borough High St' on Google, '12 Borough High Street' on Yelp, and '12 Borough High Street, London' on Bing. The phone was consistent, but the address formats were not. I made them all match the exact format used on their website.

Next, I fix NAP on the website. I put the address in the footer and on a dedicated contact page. I add LocalBusiness schema using Google's structured data helper. I also add a local phone number if they have one. Then I turn to the [Google My Business](/google-my-business/) profile. I claim and verify it, then fill every field: business name exactly as on the website, address, phone, category, hours, services, description, and a link to the website. I upload 30 photos over the first month – interior, exterior, menu, staff.

Then I build citations on major directories: Yelp, Apple Maps, Bing Places, and industry-specific sites like TripAdvisor for restaurants. I use the exact NAP from the website. I also submit to data aggregators: Data Axle, Localeze, and Foursquare. These push my data to hundreds of smaller directories. I explain to clients that this propagation saves time but requires the initial submission to be flawless.

I monitor reviews weekly and respond to every one – thank yous for positives, genuine apologies for negatives. I also update photos monthly. For one client in Leeds, after fixing NAP consistency and building 20 high-quality citations, Local Pack impressions rose 60% over three months.

I pair this work with on-page [local SEO](/local-seo/). Without location pages and local content, listings have less impact. I run a [local SEO audit](/local-seo-audit/) to check for issues like missing schema or thin local content.

Keyword stuffing your business name is a fast track to a suspension. If your real name is 'Bob's Plumbing' and you list it as 'Bob's Plumbing – 24/7 Emergency Plumber London', Google will flag it. I had a client who did that and lost their profile for two weeks. The fix: always use your exact legal or trading name.

Ignoring aggregators is a common mistake. Many practitioners submit only to top directories and think the job is done. But Data Axle and Localeze feed into hundreds of smaller directories. If one of them has your old phone number, that error propagates. I once found a client's address from 2015 still showing on 40 sites because of a stale Data Axle record. Fixing it there fixed everything.

Treating listings as a one-and-done is a trap. If you move premises or change your phone number, you must update every listing. I worked with a business that moved from one city to another but left the old city in their Yelp profile. Google Maps showed both locations, confusing customers. It took weeks to get it merged.

Duplicate listings also cause problems. Sometimes a business accidentally creates two Google Business Profiles. This splits reviews and confuses the algorithm. I search for duplicates using 'site:google.com business name' and merge them through the GBP dashboard.

Neglecting reviews is another oversight. Even responding to a few reviews per month signals to Google that the profile is active. I recommend setting aside 15 minutes each week for responses.

I used to believe the goal was to get listed everywhere. I spent hours submitting to obscure directories. I had a client with 80 citations, but their phone number was wrong on 30 of them because they had moved. Google essentially ignored the NAP signal. After fixing the phone on those 30 and ensuring consistency across all listings, organic calls increased 40% in six weeks. Now I focus on accuracy first, then scale.

I also neglected on-page local SEO. I thought citations alone would be enough. But Google cross-references listing data with the website. If the website doesn't have clear NAP and schema, listings have less impact. I now run a local SEO audit before starting any listing work.

Another mistake: I didn't verify categories thoroughly. For a dentist client, I chose 'General Dentist' but they also do orthodontics. I missed the 'Orthodontist' category and lost relevant traffic. After adding it, their profile showed for more queries. Always select all relevant categories.

I also used to ignore photos. I uploaded just one logo. After adding 20 interior and exterior photos, the profile viewed to action rate improved. Photos are not optional.

Finally, I underestimated the importance of [citation SEO](/citation-seo/). I thought any mention counted, but quality matters. A citation on a spammy directory can do more harm than good. I now vet each directory before submitting.