Local search: Be found more easily with online business directories

Crafts 4.0: For a long time, listings in online business directories were considered of little use. Now, company listings offer a significant advantage: they can greatly improve rankings in local search results. Here's what you should consider!

This article is part of the special feature on digital craftsmanship.

The search for local service providers has shifted almost entirely to the internet in recent years . According to a study by BrightLocal , around 93 percent of consumers searched for local businesses and service providers online in 2020 – almost 34 percent of them daily. Internet users in Germany rely primarily on Google. With 97 percent of all mobile and 84 percent of all desktop search queries, the search engine was the clear market leader in April 2021, according to Statista.de .

Local target group approach

To ensure that trades businesses rank highly in local search results like "roofer Cologne" or "heating repair Dortmund," consistently optimizing their websites for search engines is the best approach. However, there's another option: listing their business in free industry directories allows tradespeople to improve their online visibility in several ways. First, the Google ranking of their own website benefits from the backlinks found in these directories. Second, industry directories are usually so well optimized for search engines that individual listings often appear high in the search results – sometimes even ahead of company websites. This makes industry directories particularly attractive for small businesses that don't yet have a website but still want to be found online. Furthermore, when searching for service providers, Google displays a box directly below the search bar that links to online industry directories, such as Das Örtliche , WerkenntdenBESTEN , or 11880.com.

Use free basic entries

For the best cost-benefit ratio, tradespeople should ensure that listings in online business directories are completely free. While these portals usually offer additional services for a fee , these are generally unnecessary for positive search engine results. If interested, businesses should carefully examine potential advantages and prepare a detailed cost-benefit analysis.

Convince new customers in a targeted manner

Business listings found through search engines also offer a significant advantage for potential customers: All essential information about the company is readily available at a glance , including company description, phone number, address, and often even customer reviews. A well-maintained listing allows tradespeople to directly attract new customers or direct them to their website. Positive customer reviews are also beneficial: To gather initial feedback, tradespeople can ask their clients to leave an objective review in a relevant industry directory after a project is completed.

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Manage entries automatically

Those who want to ease their way into the world of business directories should start with a free listing on Google My Business . The main advantage: your listing is considered in local Google search results and, ideally, appears before the main results list. The listing is also available for navigation queries in Google Maps. If businesses want the simplest possible management of their listings in various online business directories, several paid services are available online that automatically transmit data and changes to dozens of different portals. These services are offered by companies such as Pylot , Strato ListingCoach , and Sunlocal.

Technical terms explained quickly

Backlinks

Links from external websites to your own website.

keywords

Keywords include search terms under which a website should be found in search engines.

Link popularity

Link or domain popularity indicates how many external websites link to your website. The more links, the better your site will rank in search engines.

Online marketing

The term encompasses all marketing measures that are carried out via the Internet: from your own homepage to online advertisements and entries in company directories.

Tracking

The automatic logging and evaluation of visitor numbers and activities.

Overview of selected free industry directories. Photo: © Thomas Busch

Checklist: Making the most of industry directories

• Make sure your listing in the business directory is free and, above all, remains free. Carefully read the terms and conditions and listing description beforehand.
• Create a list of the web addresses of the business directories you're listing your business in. This will help with future changes.
• The most important data for entries in industry directories include: company name, postal code and city, street and house number, telephone number (preferably with regional area code for local SEO effects), homepage and email address.
• Provide additional information that may be helpful to customers, such as a brief company description, details of products and services, opening hours, photos or videos, and links to shops and social media profiles.
• To achieve a positive Google ranking, ensure that your listings use absolutely identical information and spelling across all industry directories. This applies, for example, to the company name, the spelling out of street names, and phone numbers with or without hyphens or international area codes.
• If a business directory allows for customer reviews, you'll benefit from positive reviews in local search results. It'll also make it easier to convince new customers of your business's commitment to quality.
• If individual information about your company changes, such as address or telephone number, you should update it promptly in all industry directories.
• If you do not wish to receive advertising calls from the respective industry directories, avoid asking for permission to contact them or subsequently object by email, letter or fax.

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