How Inaccurate Internet Directory Listings Impact Your Web Presence

The Internet is a strange place. It seems to operate in an Old West fashion, seemingly without rules. While this may be OK for the average web surfer, if you run a business that wants to attract customers online, there are several guidelines to follow to get the best results. Aside from local search engine optimization, staying active and engaged on social media and partaking in AdWords campaigns, another integral task you need to undertake is ensuring every online directory that your business is listed on has accurate information about your company. One wrong digit in your address or phone number, a mischaracterization of your services, or even the wrong logo image on a directory such as Yelp, Yellow Pages or Angie’s List, can negatively affect your efforts to attract business online. How? Let’s find out!
Decreased Search Ranking
When directories have inaccurate information about your business it is going to negatively affect your search ranking. This is especially true with the largest search engine, Google. A decrease in search ranking may occur because Google rewards accurate business info with higher search results because it scans phone numbers and address, as well as business details, as part of its algorithm to ensure the best results for the searcher. Info that is not correct will disrupt Google’s search process and may cause a drop in placement.
Incorrect Reviews
If your business has the wrong name, incorrect address, or other inaccurate info on it, there’s a good chance that you’ll end up with some reviews that don’t have anything to do with your business. While you may get some unwarranted 5 stars out of it, things can go downhill for your business’ online reputation very quickly.
Loss of Call Volume
One of the most important components of your listings is the phone number. If you have multiple phone numbers, or wrong phone numbers, on some listings, Google won’t know which to display as part of its business listing results, which can cause a drop in calls for sales, service or appointments.
Drop in Actual Visitors
Ultimately, incorrect directory listings are going to decrease your business’ customer flow. Whether they don’t know where to actually find you in the brick and mortar world, or you simply don’t show up online in their search, a business listing with the wrong info will negatively affect your bottom line.
At MORBiZ we provide accurate online directory listing services to post your business where it doesn’t exist, and fix and manage listings that already do to ensure accuracy across all platforms. As the web presence experts, we have come to see just how damaging an inaccurate listing can be. While this may seem like an easy fix for the average business owner, think again. There are so many popular directory websites, it can take hours a day to check them all. So save yourself the time and let MORBiZ do it for you as part of our online reputation management service. This is just one aspect of a host of services we provide to make sure your business gets found online by the people who need you most. To learn more, don’t hesitate to call our team of Internet marketing professionals at 1-855-2MORBIZ . We look forward to helping your business thrive online, and off!









