Those who use the Web to perform pre-purchase research into products and services from their desktop computers or mobile devices know how important it is for businesses to have a “local presence” online. (Or how frustrating it is when they don’t.)
Local information powers local search which, in turn, allows interested shoppers to make a buying decision based on need and location. So, when you Google “book store in Boston” or “pizza in Peoria” you’re presented with results from Google that are tied to your geo-location. But in order for that information to display correctly in the search engine results, the location information needs to be developed and managed so that no single search engine, website, app or map has information that’s any different than another.
Inaccuracies in available local search information can cost your business valuable customers. For example, if you own a chain of pizza shops with a number of locations across a particular region, you’ll absolutely want your business location information and other relevant data to show up with consistency across the multitude of apps, sites and tools that are available to the average searcher. As you can imagine, hungry consumers looking for pizza aren’t going to respond well to search and review data that leads them in the wrong direction, provides them lacking menu information, or has them showing up after hours.
Unfortunately, the biggest barrier faced by businesses that want to be well-represented online is the fact that there are too many different websites that offer opportunities to list information. Getting through them all and positioning your business information with any kind of consistency is an arduous endeavor. Thankfully, your Certified Yext Partner is able to handle all your location information beautifully.
Yext isn’t one of those Internet giants with a well-recognized name like Google, Yelp or Foursquare, but the service Yext offers is directly tied to each of those search and review sites. Yext bills itself as a “geo-marketing cloud service” that helps companies manage their local content from a single point of contact. And they do this job exceptionally well. With Yext, Certified Partners can digitize, manage, upload, and control all pertinent information about your business. Your business listings (service offerings, address, hours of operation, special offers, payments accepted, etc.) can be without the kinds of inaccuracies or omissions that may cost you valuable customers (or earn you negative reviews). And if some aspect of your business information changes—due to a relocation or change in service offerings—your listings can be easily updated via Yext across the entire Web. On top of all that, Yext offers powerful tools that allow businesses to get more out of their local listings online. These include event calendars, personal bios, menus, in-store experiences, campaigns, analytics, and more.
The power of Yext comes from the ability of the service to reach out to over 45 different search engines, directories and applications representing over 150 million monthly users—including people who may be looking for your business right now.
Currently, over 250 thousand businesses, including dozens of Fortune 500 companies, are using Yext to manage their local search content. Rank Fuse Interactive is a Certified Yext Partner that helps businesses of all sizes add control and functionality to their online business listings and become more visible to searchers everywhere.
Are you wondering about how your local listings appear to searchers? Use the Yext-powered Sweet Spot Local Listings Tool to find out!
This article is brought to you by Rank Fuse Interactive, which serves both businesses and agencies alike as a provider of search engine marketing (SEM) programs, including search engine optimization (SEO), paid search advertising (PPC), social media marketing, content marketing, mobile web marketing, and search-friendly web design.