Needing a boost for your local SEO? Take a look at thi sblog for help on where you ought to be adding your business.
About Alba SEO Services
Alba SEO Services is a local SEO company in Edinburgh and Glasgow offering search engine optimisation, social media, web design,PPC marketing as well as offering a powerful UK business directory for businesses. What makes Alba unique is the focus on building good customer relationships, treating our client’s websites as if they were our own and getting the best results based on our years of experience. Our results speak for themselves. Many of our clients are at the top of their desired search or on the first page for that search. It is a failure for us if we cannot get a website onto the first page of Google or Bing.
We believe that we are one of the best SEO companies in Edinburgh so get in touch if you want to know more.
Top 5 Local Directories for SEO in 2020
As search engine optimisation (SEO) consultants, we are always looking to
find the best links and citations we can for our clients. Directories are one place
where it can be helpful to be listed. There are some good directories and some bad
ones. What do I mean by “good”? Well, these are directories which are considered
trustworthy by Google and Bing. If you are on them, then you appear to be
legitimate. This will have a positive effect on your credibility and ultimately your local
ranking. Poor directories are ones where anyone can add a link; there is no editorial
process; there is poor categorisation of businesses; the listings never get updated so
the directory becomes bloated with lots of extinct businesses; and it doesn’t really
drive any traffic i.e. no one looks at it. It is fair to say that a lot of directories don’t get
a lot of traffic, but there are some good ones which do.
Best Local Directories 2020
Taking into account what I’ve said about the good, bad and the ugly of directories,
here are the top directories that we suggest you add your website to. Particularly if
you are a small local business. In all cases adding the right keywords, images and
correct contact details is very important.
In 2020 these directories are still the top ones to go for!
1. Yelp
Yelp can drive a lot of traffic to your website and as a local business so you should
be claiming your listing on it. If it is not listed then create one for your business.
Furthermore, any reviews will show up on the search results for Bing which is a
bonus. So get your business listed and ask your customers for reviews if you really
want to stand out from the crowd.
2. Foursquare
Foursquare is also featuring in the search results pages for Bing. It is a high authority
website and getting your business on there is important as Google will crawl and
index the listings which will help with SEO. It also appears on the search results
pages if you get any “tips”.
3. Yell
Yell is really easy to sign up for and once your business is listed you can add it to
many categories where it will feature. There’s link back to your website too which
means that it can drive real traffic. Some directories don’t give you a live website link
and so it is a bonus to get one.
4. Freeindex
Freeindex is a high authority directory with the ability to drive referrals right to your
door. It can be a little involved to set up but it is important to get the right keywords
and images in your listing to ensure you get the most from it.
5. Cylex
Cylex is a high end directory which also can drive real referrals to your business. It
allows you to add in loads of information about your business including social
profiles. They also want to ensure the information stays up to date so they prompt
you every 6 months to log on and check it. The sign of a well-respected directory.
and here’s a bonus number 6!
6. Alba Business Directory
Yes it is our new directory but we think it is worth a mention because we think it is
one of the best business directories on the block in 2020. Human reviewed (by us)
and completely optimised so your business in this local directory will be working hard
to get seen by customers.
There are plenty of directories out there but it is not wise to add your website to
every one you see as bulk directory submissions can look spammy. Also avoid ones
which say “SEO directory” or similar. You should investigate each one to ensure that
you are not going to cause your business any harm long term. You never know when
the next Google algorithm update will penalise poor quality directories.
As search engine optimisation (SEO) consultants, we are always looking to
find the best links and citations we can for our clients. Directories are one place
where it can be helpful to be listed. There are some good directories and some bad
ones. What do I mean by “good”? Well, these are directories which are considered
trustworthy by Google and Bing. If you are on them, then you appear to be
legitimate. This will have a positive effect on your credibility and ultimately your local
ranking. Poor directories are ones where anyone can add a link; there is no editorial
process; there is poor categorisation of businesses; the listings never get updated so
the directory becomes bloated with lots of extinct businesses; and it doesn’t really
drive any traffic i.e. no one looks at it. It is fair to say that a lot of directories don’t get
a lot of traffic, but there are some good ones which do.
Best Local Directories 2020
Taking into account what I’ve said about the good, bad and the ugly of directories,
here are the top directories that we suggest you add your website to. Particularly if
you are a small local business. In all cases adding the right keywords, images and
correct contact details is very important.
In 2020 these directories are still the top ones to go for!
1. Yelp
Yelp can drive a lot of traffic to your website and as a local business so you should
be claiming your listing on it. If it is not listed then create one for your business.
Furthermore, any reviews will show up on the search results for Bing which is a
bonus. So get your business listed and ask your customers for reviews if you really
want to stand out from the crowd.
2. Foursquare
Foursquare is also featuring in the search results pages for Bing. It is a high authority
website and getting your business on there is important as Google will crawl and
index the listings which will help with SEO. It also appears on the search results
pages if you get any “tips”.
3. Yell
Yell is really easy to sign up for and once your business is listed you can add it to
many categories where it will feature. There’s link back to your website too which
means that it can drive real traffic. Some directories don’t give you a live website link
and so it is a bonus to get one.
4. Freeindex
Freeindex is a high authority directory with the ability to drive referrals right to your
door. It can be a little involved to set up but it is important to get the right keywords
and images in your listing to ensure you get the most from it.
5. Cylex
Cylex is a high end directory which also can drive real referrals to your business. It
allows you to add in loads of information about your business including social
profiles. They also want to ensure the information stays up to date so they prompt
you every 6 months to log on and check it. The sign of a well-respected directory.
and here’s a bonus number 6!
6. Alba Business Directory
Yes it is our new directory but we think it is worth a mention because we think it is
one of the best business directories on the block in 2020. Human reviewed (by us)
and completely optimised so your business in this local directory will be working hard
to get seen by customers.
There are plenty of directories out there but it is not wise to add your website to
every one you see as bulk directory submissions can look spammy. Also avoid ones
which say “SEO directory” or similar. You should investigate each one to ensure that
you are not going to cause your business any harm long term. You never know when
the next Google algorithm update will penalise poor quality directories.