Why You Should Be Managing Your Business Listings

When it comes to your senior living community’s digital marketing efforts, we know a lot of things are at the top of the to-do list. For example, build/maintain your company website, post to your social media accounts, send emails to your current and potential customers, manage your paid advertising efforts, etc. However, one marketing to-do item that often gets overlooked is business listing management or citation building.

Business listings exist across various websites and directories (Yelp, Apple, Caring.com, etc.), sharing information and contact details for your business. The most recognizable and popular business listing site is Google Business Profiles, but your business listing management efforts should go beyond Google.

At Markentum, we partner with senior living communities – big, small, and in between – to add momentum to their digital marketing efforts. Below, we highlight why you want to ensure business listings management is checked off your marketing to-do list.

Why Do Business Listings Matter?

Think about your own online activity. Whether it’s a restaurant, plumber, or hair salon, most, if not all of us, have done an online search to find a local or reputable business. In fact, 97% of people learn more about a local company online than anywhere else. 

While your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy will help people find your website, business listings create additional opportunities to get in front of the people that matter most to your business.

Local SEO

Business listing directories help users find businesses and services they are looking for by organizing information by location. For example, if you did an online search for “hair salon [insert your city state],” one or more directories would pop up in the search results. These directories allow users to view multiple businesses, reviews, photos, etc., in one place instead of having to individually click different websites to research.

Business listings “help surface local businesses in online search, and when local businesses actively manage their citations to ensure data accuracy, it promotes trust of these online listings (HubSpot).” This can enhance your local SEO efforts.

Increase Your Online Reach

When it comes to digital marketing, we know your senior living community’s priority is to get in front of users when they search for your business or the services you provide. With business listing management, you can ensure your business is listed across major directories to put your company in front of more people. 

While some users will take to Google to start a search, others rely on Yelp, TripAdvisor, Superpages, or other industry-specific directories. Regardless of where a user starts their search, you want your business visible.

Keep Company Info Updated

Business listing management also lets you take control of the company information that is being shared. For example, some directories will automatically generate listings based on information from data aggregators. However, companies can use tracking phone numbers, move locations, or rebrand, creating inconsistent data online.

When you prioritize your business listings, you can ensure accuracy and keep listings up-to-date by adding new photos, responding to reviews or generating more recent reviews, and building trust with users.

Broaden Your Reputation Management

Business listing management also contributes to your reputation management efforts. While most businesses are proactive about responding/handling their Google or Facebook reviews, directory sites (Yelp, Caring.com, etc.) also promote user reviews. 

One survey found that “45% of customers are likely to check Yelp reviews before visiting a business.” And just like Google and Facebook, you want to actively respond to these reviews – positive and negative. 

Markentum Can Help

Lead generation starts with reaching the right people, and business listing management allows you to increase your online visibility, improve local SEO, and maintain an accurate and consistent company presence. Plus, in most cases, it is free to claim and update a business listing – you just need to provide the proper verification that you are associated with the business (entering a code, sharing some type of documentation, etc.) 

However, while free to claim listings, we know it can be a time-heavy undertaking. Fortunately, Markentum offers business listing and reputation management services to help senior living communities take control of their online reputation. If you are interested in learning more, we invite you to reach out for a free evaluation!