If you own a business with an online presence, you may not realize that there are ways to increase your SEO ranking, beyond simply creating website content.

SEO directories exist to aggregate business listings for consumers to shop products and services, and your business may already be benefiting from them. There are dozens of free search directories where you can find or submit listings for your business, and with the right tips, you can capitalize on the power of directories in the forms of effective link building and increased SEO.

Submit Your Listing To Directories

While many directories already have your listing, you’ll need to extend your presence to those that don’t. A good way to find web directories that will drive traffic for your business is to search the keywords that you hope to rank for, in addition to the names of some of your competitors. The first few pages of results for each of these options will most likely yield some directories that are the most highly-trafficked in your area.

The directory submission process for many of the most reputable SEO directories will not be an automated process, nor should it be. A more discerning review of your business at the time of submission will result in fewer competitors’ listings in a given directory, and an increased local ranking in your industry.

Establishing a presence in SEO directories with high traffic locally allows for more effective link building; many directories will provide an inbound link to your company’s website, driving traffic and unique page views.

Keep Your Business Information Consistent

When you provide consistent business information in multiple directories, it is a way to show search engines that your business is legitimate, and can be easily shown to potential customers that search certain keywords. A reputable directory submission with information consistent across many listings gives your business an increased opportunity to rank highly among results in your area and your industry.

Claim Your Directory Listings

While directory submissions that you provide manually will already be controlled by you, many directories that already list your business do so automatically. To control what these listings tell potential customers about your business, you can take steps to claim the listing through the directories themselves. In most cases, this will be a simple operation involving verifying a company email address, but in some cases, claiming a listing will take more complicated steps.

Claiming your business on as many directories as possible, however, is more than worth potential difficulty. Controlling the content of your business’s listings on various SEO directories provides 3 key benefits:

• Increased Consistency: Listings that are controlled by the business can ensure consistent information across different lists, allowing for SEO to increase, and prevents your competitors from inputting inconsistencies into your listings.
• Effective Link Building: When you claim a listing for your business, it provides a concrete link to your business that was nor previously there, allowing that directory’s visitors the opportunity to visit your site.
• Factors Friendly to Local SEO: Search engines often rank sites higher when they update information with posts, photos and other information.

Now that you know how to harness the power of SEO directories, you can start using these tips to elevate your business’s web presence. Find out more about how you can get a leg up on your competitors with increased SEO.

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