What is a Local Business SEO Listing
Jan 29, 2018
10 min read
As a brick and mortar business, what options do you have if you want to market yourself to the local people?..... Yellowpages? Placing an advert in the local newspaper? Printing brochures and coupons?
While these and some other traditional media marketing methods were popular some time ago. It was because they were the only options available for small business owners to market themselves locally.
But things are a lot different now! With 87% of mobile owners using a search engine to find something at least once in a day, 50% of these people are searching for a local business online. So, it only makes sense to market your local business online as well to not lose out on potential business and gain some much-needed exposure.
But how do you do it? Local listings or citations!
A citation is an online mention of a name, address and phone number of a local business on local business directories, websites, apps and social platforms irrespective of it containing a link of the local business. And when a local business citation is submitted to a local business directory, it’s known as a local business listing.
Why do local citations matter?
Investing your time in setting up your local business citations accurately can affect your business in two ways -
1. Impacts Search Engine Rankings
The number of citations a local business has under its belt, its accuracy and the quality of platform they exist on can negatively or positively affect search engine rankings of a local business.
Google and other search engines keep a constant check on these citations for their accuracy and consistency across the world wide web and if any inaccuracy or inconsistency is found in these citations, you may see your search engine rankings tumble down.
On the flip side, if your citations are consistent, accurate, are present on popular platforms and provide a handful of useful information about your local business, you may see a fair increase in your search engine rankings as you will build trust with Google for providing regular accurate information about your business.
2. Impacts Customers
Inaccurate or inconsistent business information in local citations upsets customers the same way it upsets search engines.
Citations help people get their hands on relevant contact information about a local business and an address which they can go to if need be. And if even that information is mentioned incorrectly in a citation, it may lead to loss of reputation, trust, and revenue for your business.
What are the types of local citations?
Depending on the various platforms local business citations are submitted on, it can be of 3 types -
1. Major Local Business Data Platforms
Marketers or local business owners can choose to submit their business citation on data platforms that strive to publish this kind of data.
Creating business listings on platforms like Google My Business, Facebook Business Pages and Yelp should be your top priority as they are really popular and can generate a nice flow of traffic coming to your local business.
2. Industry Specific Platforms
Apart from listing your local business on the major local business data platforms that cater to all the industries, you can opt for a more industry-specific approach by building local business listings on websites that are specific to an industry or geographic location.
3. World Wide Web
Various publications, blogs, news sites, maps, apps and government databases can serve as an important local business listing platforms. You can intentionally develop citations from these platforms or simply earn them by providing valuable information.
How to submit your local business citation?
Submitting your local business citation to business listing platforms is vital to make use of their advertising power on the web. And the best part is that it’s absolutely free! It just takes a considerable amount of time and efforts to first write down all your business details and providing them with it.
To submit your local business information to these listing platforms you need to decide if you want to do it manually or automatically.
But first, you need to know how to create a business listing and what information you need to provide in your local business citation while listing.
Here are the core components of a local business listing -
- Business name/title
- Address
- Phone number
- Website URL
- Categories
- Description
- Tagline
- Social profiles
- Images
- Additional media
- Alternate phone numbers
- Fax number
- Certifications
- Brands Carried
- Payment forms accepted
- Attributes
Google, being the market leader, has set the tone for the best practices to be followed on formatting this data and what/what-not to include in your business listing, you can view their guidelines here.
Now that you know how and what information to submit in your business listing, figuring out the way you’ll do it is what comes next -
1. Manual Approach
Creating a spreadsheet containing all the above-mentioned information about your business is fun but submitting the same information to 100 different business listing platforms is not, believe me!
If you go for this approach, you have the power to choose the platforms you want to list your local business in. While it goes without saying, always choose the market leaders first and then go down the ladder.
2. Automatic Approach
Not many business owners or marketers have that much time in hand to manually go submitting their local business to each individual business directory. Which gave rise to a more automatic approach. Service like Moz Local have mastered this and distributes your one-time business citation submission to high-quality business listing platforms and constantly monitor its health.
Or you can choose us for your automatic local business SEO listing needs!
Benefits of listing your local business in directories
But why go through all this trouble? Because listing your local business in such business directories or listing platforms gives a serious SEO boost to your local business, resulting in a much stronger online presence, given if the information that you have provided is true and consistent.
Here are some other benefits of listing your business on local business directories -
1. Helps your Local Visibility
Listing your business in local directories gets your business in front of the local community searching for the services you provide. Local business directories have advanced filtering and tracking capabilities that connects your business with your target audience automatically.
2. Effective Link-Building
Submitting your local business citation in a business directory creates a single high-quality backlink for your website. The more authoritative business listing platforms you target, the stronger your backlink portfolio will get and vice versa. Eventually, the more high authority business directories link back to you, higher will be your ranking in search engine result pages and higher will be the traffic coming to your website from these directories.
3. Increases Brand Awareness
While searching through a directory, a prospective customer will see your brand even if he doesn’t click on it. Each and every encounter a person has with your business, whether favorable and unfavorable, increase their awareness and familiarity with your brand, warming them up for further engagement.
I don’t see why a local business should not invest their time and efforts in creating a well-drafted citation and submitting it to various online local business directories…. It builds backlinks, increases brand awareness, acquaints your business with local customers, increases your search engine rankings, builds trust with Google, strengthens your business as a whole and enables your local business to get discovered by nearby customers leveraging the power of web. So, get started today with claiming, updating and creating your listings online!
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How Push Notification Marketing Is Enhancing Lead Generation For Brands?
The first wave of change was witnessed by the firms and marketers in the form of the influx of the digital platform and now the digital platform has taken a turn which has made people shift from using desktops for accessing the internet to mobile phones. You must be aware of the fact that internet access through mobile phones has already surpassed that of desktop and because of this, the old marketing techniques are proving to be less effective. Now, if you want to stay relevant with your marketing efforts then you will have to incorporate new marketing miracles like push notification in your marketing strategy. In the modern era, push notification is proving to be the best tool for firms to target their audience since more than 52% of the mobile users have enabled some kind of push notification on their smartphones. And when you will consider the daily factor then you will realize that an average US citizen gets around 46 push notifications on a daily basis. We are now used to getting bombarded with information that reaches to us through selective filtering and the same push notification can prove to be a magic wand for lead generation as well. What are push notifications? Push notifications are basically a type of micro-message that keeps the customers engaged even after exiting the mobile application or website. Since the engagement rate on mobile is much higher than that of desktop, push notifications work better on it. If you will go by the data given by Statista then you will come to know that the mobile app market will reach around $188.9 billion by the end of 2022 and that promises the further growth of push notification. The relation between push notification and lead generation If you have started celebrating your success just because you made someone visit your website or download your app then you are setting the wrong tone of success. You should know that making someone visit your website or download your app is just half the journey. The real struggle begins when you will start trying to transform these visitors into leads. Well, at this point, push notification can prove to be a great tool. Most people will need more than one visit to your website or mobile app in order to enter your sales pipeline. This is why when a prospect will leave your website or doesn’t apply for registration on your mobile app then this can look like a loss but you will still have chances to convert these people into leads through push notifications. Push notifications can be used to trigger leads by every type of company. By combining push notifications with other marketing tactics like email marketing, you can improve your lead generation results. How push notification is improving lead generation for firms? Improved visibility Push notifications have higher visibility than most of the modern-day marketing tools like emails and messages. A push notification jostles down through the sound and noise while making it directly to the mobile screen of your audience. And as discussed at the outset of the article, more than half of smartphone users from all around the world have enabled push notification. This further improves the chances of your push notification being seen by the prospect. And higher visibility means that you will have a better lead generation opportunity. High level of personalization One of the most talked-about benefits of push notification is personalization. Most of the generic marketing tools like email marketing are now proving to be less effective since most of the customers are looking for a better experience and this can only be made possible through personalization. By using push notifications, you can give customers exactly what they are looking for and this is why the number of leads generated through push notifications will always be higher. Localization If you want to improve the effectiveness of your push notification and improve your lead generation outcomes then you can localize your push notifications. By taking advantage of the location settings, you can know where your prospects go, how long they stay at certain places, and even know when they are most active on your mobile application. And since localized push notifications or any other type of notification have 50% higher chances of being opened, you can use it to streamline your current push notification strategy in order to generate quality leads. Seamless integration In order to make push notification an important part of your marketing strategy and lead generation strategy, you will never have to kick out all your existing plans since integrating push notification in your already existing lead generation strategy is very easy. Instead of overlapping with the existing lead generation tactics, push notifications will further align with the other marketing strategies and improve the overall result. Even a little bit of changes can improve your push notification strategy by many folds. Data driven marketing Just like all the existing marketing strategies that you use in your firm, even push notifications need to go through proper testing and analysis. But the good news is doing A/B testing on different images, text and other types of content for push notification is very easy and by filtering out the less effective options, you can start working on the best strategy for push notifications. You should also know that push notifications that go through A/B testing have 10% higher chances of being opened. Source: Unsplash Things to keep in mind while using push notification Understanding what people want You will need to begin with understanding who your audience is and what they are looking for because you can’t go on sending random notifications to everyone as this will decrease the effectiveness of your strategy. Understanding when people want it You will also have to choose the best time to send push notifications to your prospects. If you will send notifications to the people at 3 AM in the morning then your reach will be less than even postcards. The importance of the message You should never forget geo-targeting while sending push notifications as this will improve the level of personalization of your push notifications and its chances of being opened will surely increase. Keep tabs on analytics and engagement stats If you have the data related to the user activity and action then you will need to use it in order to improve the open rates and visibility of your push notification. Working on the same push notification strategy without getting results is not an ideal approach. Some push notification ideas New offers or discounts Whenever a new offer or discount is available on the products you are selling, you can use push notifications to inform your customers. Availability or out of stock products If your prospect has kept some items in their cart and if it goes out of stock then you can use push notification in this case also. You can also use push notifications when the product becomes available again. Membership plan In order to convert the prospects into leads, you can send them membership plans and benefits in the form of push notifications as this proves to be highly effective. Breaking news If you are running a magazine or news based app then you can lure the prospects to your app by giving them regular push notifications regarding breaking news. Lead generation is one of the most crucial aspects of any marketing strategy and this is why instead of only relying on legacy marketing tactics for generating leads, you should start using push notifications to target the prospects and convert them into leads without making them irritated. Even incorporating push notification with your existing marketing strategy is very easy and this is what makes it more effective and easy to use. Now, if you are looking for someone to help you incorporate push notification marketing in your existing marketing strategy or build a push-based marketing campaign, Saffron Edge is your cue. With our elaborate experience and technical expertise, we can help you scale the heights you desire. ...
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9 Best SaaS Workflow Automation Tools in 2024
Did you realize that 90% of your employees are being burdened by repetitive tasks that could be automated? If you want to avoid this obstacle, workflow automation software is the answer. This software can help you streamline repetitive tasks and enhance the efficiency of your overall business processes, resulting in a potential 20% to 30% increase in annual savings. According to another study, workflow automation systems can reduce previous manual processing costs by 10% to 50%. They will also create a collaborative environment that simplifies monitoring and evaluating processes and workflows. In this blog, we will explore workflow automation software and why it is becoming increasingly crucial for businesses across industries. What is workflow automation software? Workflow automation software simplifies tasks by using technology to perform them automatically, reducing the need for manual intervention. It is designed to handle repetitive tasks consistently and efficiently. Top workflow automation tools excel at quickly executing repetitive tasks, ensuring accuracy, and minimizing errors. This helps free up employees' time for more important tasks, enhancing productivity. These automation tools are cost-effective, helping businesses save money. They provide excellent tracking capabilities and ensure compliance with industry regulations. This makes them particularly beneficial for enhancing customer service, as they ensure tasks are completed promptly and accurately. Using leading SaaS marketing automation software helps businesses operate more smoothly and efficiently. Key Components of Workflow Management Software 1. Structured, repeatable workflows: Software must facilitate consistently processing tasks or projects. 2. Macro-level views to monitor progress: Users should be able to observe and track the progress of projects or campaigns over time to fine-tune their workflows using the tool. 3. Compatibility with other software: A fundamental aspect of workflow management tools is to maximize the efficiency of tasks and project flow. This involves integrating existing tools to make processes more efficient and automate tasks. 4. Features for analysis and reports: It is important to have access to analytics and reporting features to refine workflows and processes continually. These allow you to evaluate your productivity and success, highlighting the necessity for a reporting function within your marketing automation services and workflow management tool. Let’s break through your revenue hurdles We find your primary growth blockers, build expert-led strategies, and provide custom data-driven solutions to help you hit your revenue goals. Set up a 1:1 strategy call Top 9 Workflow Automation Tools for SaaS Companies 1. Zapier Zapier has long been a leader in workflow automation and will continue to impress in 2024. This powerful platform allows users to connect and automate actions between thousands of popular apps and services without requiring any coding knowledge. Key Features: Supports over 3,000 app integrations Intuitive visual workflow builder Multi-step Zaps for complex automation Filters and conditional logic for precise control Ideal for: Businesses of all sizes looking to automate tasks across multiple applications, from simple data transfers to complex multi-step processes. 2. SureTriggers SureTriggers is receiving considerable appreciation in the workflow automation SaaS market.This user-friendly platform for connecting popular apps and services is particularly well-suited for WordPress users looking to automate their website processes. Key Features: Visual workflow builder 600+ app integrations WordPress-specific automation Detailed action logs Ideal for: SMBs, particularly those that are operating on WordPress. 3. Pabbly Connect Pabbly Connect offers robust features for businesses looking to automate their workflows without breaking the bank. With a focus on affordability and ease of use, it's an excellent option for startups and small businesses. Key Features: 1,000+ app integrations Multi-step workflows Real-time data transfer Workflow templates for quick setup Ideal for: Businesses with limited budgets and startups are looking for an all-in-one SaaS workflow automation solution with many integrations 4. Kissflow Kissflow is a versatile workflow automation platform for businesses of all sizes. Its low code development approach makes it accessible to individuals with zero technical knowledge while offering powerful automation capabilities. Key Features: Visual workflow designer Customizable forms and fields Built-in analytics and reporting Case management functionality Ideal for: Mid-sized to large organizations looking for a comprehensive workflow automation SaaS solution to handle complex processes across multiple departments. 5. Atlassian Jira Initially, Jira was known as a project management tool. Now, it has powerful features for automating workflows, which makes it a top choice for development teams and IT departments. Key Features: Customizable workflow engines Integration with other Atlassian products Advanced reporting and analytics Agile and Scrum support Ideal for: Software development teams, IT departments, and organizations already using other Atlassian products looking to automate their project management and issue-tracking workflows. 6. Bitbucket Bitbucket is another Atlassian product that focuses on Git repository management and offers powerful workflow automation capabilities for development teams. Key Features: Built-in CI/CD pipelines Code review automation Integration with Jira for issue tracking Branch permissions and merge checks Ideal for: Development teams seeking to automate their code collaboration, review, and deployment processes within a Git-based workflow. 7. Pneumatic Pneumatic is a user-friendly workflow automation tool emphasizing simplicity and ease of use. It's designed to help businesses quickly implement and improve their processes without requiring extensive technical knowledge. Key Features: Drag-and-drop workflow builder Task management and tracking Role-based access control Custom form creation Ideal for: Small to medium-sized businesses looking for a SaaS automation solution that can be quickly implemented and easily managed. 8. Integrify Integrify offers a powerful workflow automation platform for enterprises and large organizations with complex process needs. Its flexibility and scalability make it suitable for various industries and use cases. Key Features: Visual process designer Robust form builder Advanced reporting and analytics Enterprise-grade security features Ideal for: Businesses and companies with large and complicated processes in their operations. 9. QNTRL QNTRL (pronounced "control") is a workflow automation tool that focuses on providing powerful features at a competitive price point. It's designed to make workflow automation accessible to businesses of all sizes. Key Features: Intuitive workflow designer Real-time process monitoring Customizable dashboards Mobile app for on-the-go management Ideal for: Small to medium-sized businesses looking for a cost-effective workflow automation solution that doesn't compromise features or scalability. Let’s break through your revenue hurdles We find your primary growth blockers, build expert-led strategies, and provide custom data-driven solutions to help you hit your revenue goals. Set up a 1:1 strategy call How to Implement SaaS Workflow Automation in Your Organization? Implementing SaaS workflow automation in your organization can bring significant benefits, such as improved productivity, streamlined processes, and increased efficiency. Assess Your Needs: Identify areas of your organization that can benefit from SaaS workflow automation and determine the specific workflows and tasks that can be automated. Select the Right Tool: Choose a SaaS workflow automation tool that aligns with your organization's needs, budget, and goals. Train Your Team: Provide adequate training and support to ensure a smooth transition to SaaS workflow automation and maximize its benefits. Monitor and Improve: Continuously monitor your workflows to identify areas for further automation and regularly assess the overall effectiveness of your SaaS workflow automation implementation. By taking these steps, your organization can effectively implement SaaS workflow automation and enjoy increased productivity, streamlined processes, and improved efficiency. Successful Use Cases of SaaS Workflow Automation Organizations across various industries have leveraged SaaS workflow automation to enhance operational efficiency and customer experience, with notable success in sales pipeline management, customer support ticketing, and HR onboarding processes. Improving Sales Pipeline Management: Streamlining lead qualification and nurturing using workflow automation significantly improves conversion rates and sales team productivity. Enhancing Customer Support Ticketing: Automated workflows facilitate efficient ticket routing and resolution, resulting in faster response times and enhanced customer satisfaction. Streamlining HR Onboarding Processes: Implementing workflow automation in your SaaS business streamlines employee onboarding, ensuring a seamless and consistent experience for new hires. Optimizing Content Marketing Processes: Content marketing automation empowers marketers to streamline content creation, distribution, and tracking, improving content quality and audience engagement. Personalizing Email Marketing Campaigns: Leveraging email marketing automation allows marketers to deliver highly personalized and targeted email campaigns, improving open and click-through rates. Through these successful use cases, organizations have demonstrated the potential for SaaS workflow automation to drive efficiency and effectiveness across diverse functions, including content marketing automation, email marketing automation, and marketing automation workflows. Choosing the Right Workflow Automation Software Choosing the best SaaS workflow automation software is crucial for increasing your team’s productivity. Here’s a step-by-step process: Conduct a Needs Analysis: Evaluate your current workflow automation softwares to identify time-consuming tasks hindering productivity. This assessment will help you identify your requirements and guarantee that your SaaS automation works seamlessly. Check for Integrations: The software must integrate with your current tools, such as CRM, ERP, or email. Seamless integration with your current systems is essential for smooth operation. Assess Usability and Accessibility: It should have a user-friendly interface that enables the creation and editing of workflows without coding. Plan for Future Growth: Choose a solution that can scale with your business. It should be able to handle an increasing number of tasks, users, and workflows without needing a complete system overhaul. For instance, tech companies may require robust support for IT workflows, while non-profits might need tools to manage outreach and funding activities. Consider a SaaS automation solution that fits these needs. Review Security Measures: Ensure the software has advanced security protocols, such as data encryption, user authentication, and access rights, to meet organizational and regulatory requirements. Evaluate Customer Support: Test the quality, responsiveness, expertise, and availability of customer support services. Resources like tutorials, documentation, and community forums can also be valuable for troubleshooting and learning. Pricing Model: Look at the software's pricing structure. Consider both the costs at the beginning and those that may appear in the future, such as the need to upgrade the software, add new functions, or attract more users. Choose a solution with a clear pricing policy and a good cost-to-quality ratio. Test Thoroughly: Before finalizing your decision, gather feedback from potential users within your organization. Many workflow automation solutions offer free trials or demo versions—use these to test the software in real-world scenarios and ensure it meets your needs. In summary, selecting the best workflow automation tools empowers teams to streamline tasks, enhance productivity, and drive consistent business growth. Conclusion Investing in the right workflow automation tools has become essential as businesses focus more on boosting productivity, flexibility, and customer experience. In this blog, we discovered that these tools are perfect for small and large organizations, providing various functionalities to meet diverse automation needs. Whether simplifying routine tasks or handling complex processes, these tools bring the flexibility and scalability needed to streamline operations and adapt to evolving business requirements. Contact Saffron Edge today for more information and take your business to the next level. ...
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5 Tips to Improve Social Media Ads Campaign
Social media for successful businesses has become a trend in the world. Business houses have come to realize that if they want to lead the business market and establish their presence in the online word, they need to execute smart advertising strategies and campaigns. Therefore, advertising has become one of the most essential part of any business if they want to increase their growth and development process. It is important for every business owner to understand the basics of writing a good advertisement. Use of accurate plan and strategies for improving the Social Media Ad Campaignswill help you to generate quality leads. Here are the few tips and tricks which can help you to improve your Social Media Campaigns: 1. Set your campaign goals What are the goals of your Social Media Ad Campaign? Does your business want to increase the number of social media followers, Or generate more buzz online? The first step in the process is to figure out what you want your Social media ad campaign to achieve. Find and Identify your focus on how your ad campaign will help you accomplish your business goals. 2.Choose your social media networks If you have determined the goals of your social media campaign, you will have to choose your social networks wisely for growth and development of your business.So, before choosing social networks for your ad campaign, it is important that you do some research on some social networks so that you can take your right decision. For example, Facebook is one of the best and most used social platforms to advertise on because it is inexpensive compared to many other online advertising networks, commonly referred to as pay per click. Facebook advertisement are also much easier to use than other online Advertisements. 3.Keep your Ad message Simple Always try to use easy and simple language for your Social Media ad campaigns as you only have limited time to communicate the message of the ad campaign to your audience. So, keeping it short and simple is the most effective way to ensure that the whole message is conveyed successfully. 4.Use of Keywords in Ads Do a well-researched survey to know what the viewers are searching for in the industry. This is the reason you can utilize keyword analysis which can help you know more about the interest areas of your audience. You can start your research by going to the Google Ad Words and signing there then hang over the toolbox and select keyword planner. This will help you in right keyword analysis. 5.Highlight your services and products In a Social Media Ad Campaign, you should always try to highlight the advantages of your services over your competitor’s services. Unless you accentuate all the plus points of your services and products, your ad will fail to deliver any value to the potential customers. If you follow all the above-mentioned tips, your social media marketing campaign will definitely improve and you will find good results. If you have any query regarding Social Media Ads Campaign, feel free to contact us anytime. ...
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