As more people use the internet to find information about local businesses, and services, local SEO is a growing trend. It’s becoming more important than ever to make your business visible in search results for new customers.
Semrush’s Listing Management tool has saved the day.
What is the Listing Management Tool?
Listing Management tool provides businesses with brick-and mortar locations a single place to manage and update their location data on customer-facing platforms. Listings can include:
- Hours and business names
- Phone numbers
- Addresses,
- Photos, etc.
Local businesses can use Semrush’s Listing Management Tool to:
- You can ensure the accuracy of critical business information
- Increase visibility
- Maximize customer engagement – whether in a single location, or across multiple locations.
The tool uses the Yext’s Knowledge Network to distribute data across the most authoritative directories, intelligent services, and including:
- Amazon Alexa
- Google,
- Facebook,
- Yelp,
- Foursquare,
- Apple Maps
- Yahoo,
- Bing,
- TripAdvisor, etc.
What is the Listing Management Tool?
You must first understand the Listing Management Tool.
Let’s get to it.
Distribution of Data
Listing Management allows you to share your business information on all major directories and social media platforms. This tool makes sure that all information is correct and up-to-date.
You can edit all directories simultaneously if you have any corrections. You can also earn backlinks by linking to new sources by adding your website to a directory.
Heatmap of Local Ranking
This tool allows you to keep track of where and how your SEO efforts are performing. You can track up five keywords at a hyperlocal level and your rankings are displayed in a heatmap for a particular area.
Management Review
Listing Management stores all reviews about your business. You can then respond to them.
Google My Business and Facebook directly from your Semrush Account
How WebServ gained 83% search visibility for clients with Listing Management
WebServ is a success story in Listing Management, but they didn’t use it for all their SEO solutions.
Before switching to Listing Management, the agency had tried a different solution that was not satisfactory. WebServ started to enjoy Listing Management in March 2020 when Wave Plastic Surgery became a client.
The clinic’s web authority soared within a few months of using Listing Management. From April 24 through June 22, Wave Plastic Surgery’s Arcadia office’s Google My Business listing saw a 7 percent increase in direct search results and a 34% increase in discovery searches.
Six percent was added to the clinic’s search rankings. WebServ also showed them an 81% increase in map views. They went one step further and analysed Wave’s leads and calls.
The agency found that Wave Arcadia Plastic Surgery & Laser Center’s Google My Business had:
- An increase of 74% in website visits
- There are 39 percent more photos viewed,
- Eighty-three percent more phone calls.
How did this agency accomplish such feats?
The company distributed the client’s business data to 80 of most trusted directories. These listings provide a link to the client’s site and allow them to get voice search traffic — 47 per cent of all business inquiries are made via voice search.
How the Listing Management Tool Benefits Digital Marketing Professionals
The Listing Management tool is a benefit to your business. It puts you in charge of your digital knowledge.
Automatic Distribution of Business Data
You can share the business information of your clients across multiple directories and platforms as a digital marketer. All business information can be edited in one location. Voice search is easy and quick across all platforms.
- Amazon Alexa
- Google,
- Bing, and
- Apple.
Protect Your Brand
Listing Management includes a section that allows you spot duplicate listings. These statuses are divided into:
- Possible duplicates,
- Processing,
- Supressed, and
- Unable to suppress.
Your listings will remain consistent with duplicate suppression. You can also be sure that your business is visible to the maximum extent possible. Potential customers will be able to find you online and offline if you have provided the correct information.
You can decide to mark a listing duplicate. The Listing Management tool can locate duplicate listings and you can choose to either suppress them or leave them. You can mark it as such if it isn’t a duplicate.
Monitor User Suggestions & Reviews
Customers can suggest any changes to individual business listings. Listing Management compiles your suggestions in the Users Suggestions section whenever this type of change occurs.
You’ll then see a breakdown. The status of the recommendations is what determines the breakdown.
- We have new suggestions
- Accepted suggestions
- Rejected suggestions or
- Rejected suggestions
Click on the button at the top of the listing to go to the next step.
Updates and manages business information on local directories to boost local SEO
The Listing Management tool also allows you to update and manage your business information in local directories.
How?
This tool offers a Local Rankings tab which shows you keywords ranking in Google Local Finder results. Over time, you can see how your position has changed among all local businesses using Google Local Finder.
However, tracking your ranking requires you to purchase a location.
Monitor all connected businesses in one place
Listing Management includes a Local SEO tab. This allows you to view and edit your business information in local SEO directories after you have purchased a site. This feature allows you to:
- Select your business category
- Check out the complete list of your location listings
- Analyze a location card
- You can edit the information for any of your locations
- Opt out of Listings
- Export the results
Listing Management will also distribute your business information on citation websites and make sure that your data is accurate across all listings online.
This tool can be used if your company is:
- The United States of America
- Australia
- France
- Germany
- The United Kingdom
Export data as PDF
You can export any Listing Management results as a PDF if you need it. This button is located at the top of this tool, next to ” +Add location.”
The Locations report can export an Overview, but the Report on a Location can export all Listing Details, including address, status, phone number, and URL.
You can also schedule, email, and brand your exports.
How to use the Listing Management Tool
While putting your information on your site is a great step towards SEO, it is not enough. Your business data must be managed on multiple apps, search engines, social networks, and directories such as Yelp and Foursquare.
The Listing Management tool is essential for this reason. How do you use it?
Verify the accuracy of your business data
Listing Management will require you to register your details as a beginner.
- Country
- Name of the business
- Street address
- Zip code
- Telephone number
Once the tool is completed, it will distribute your business data in many directories — more than 80 for the United States, and over 40 for other countries.
Google My Business and Facebook allow you to create detailed business profiles with details such as workdays, business hours and payment options. The tool not only provides a list of all the important directories but also shows you their status.
These statuses range between and Unavailable. This means that the directory listing doesn’t respond to your request or the guide doesn’t support you. Tripadvisor accepts only companies from the Hospitality sector.
Automatically Distribute Business Information Across Authoritative Directoryies
Listing Management allows you to share your business data to multiple authoritative directories, even though it requires that you purchase a physical location.
You can edit and access all data without having to switch tabs.
Your subscription will determine how easy it is to purchase a location. You can purchase a location if you have a paid subscription. Simply click within the tool. You can only use a free account if you contact email Semrush directly.
To manage your business’s reputation, use relevant tabs
You get six tabs with a purchase of a place.
Overview Tab
This tab provides a quick overview of how often you have been searched and displayed, monitors any updates and makes recommendations.
Locations Tab
This tab allows you to keep an eye on the SEO directories in your area and monitor it.
Duplicates Tab
The duplicates tab helps you identify potential customers offline and online by monitoring duplicates.
Review Tab
Here you can view reviews and ratings for every location.
Tab for User Suggestions
This tab allows you to view, approve or deny user suggestions. These suggestions are made by users when they make changes to information that is incorrect or out of date.
Tab for Local Rankings
It’s possible to see the rank of your business when it is searched from any location. You can also evaluate the trend of where you rank among all local businesses on Google local searcher.
To monitor your business performance, use information from notifications
You will start receiving location updates via email every two weeks shortly after your location is set up. These updates will allow you to evaluate the performance of your location in search engines and directories.
These are the location reports.
Searches
This chart shows the number of times that your listings have appeared in search results in directories. It excludes those in Facebook, Yelp and Google.
View Profile
Profil views show how many times your listings have been viewed. Listings on Yelp and Google don’t count.
Facebook Page Views
This information can be accessed by connecting to your Facebook account in Listing Management.
Google Search Views
To access this report, you will need to connect to your Google My Business account in Listing Management.
Google Map Views
If you wish to update this information, connect your Google My Business account in Listing Management.
How to connect Google My Business and Facebook to The Listing Management Tool
Your Listing Management tool must correctly connect to Google and Facebook, as they are the two most popular business platforms.
Connect Google My Business
You will need permission to connect Google My Business to Listing Management.
You can still access a client’s Google My Business account by following these steps.
- Find the Connect link in Listing Management’s Your Listings tab.
- Select the account that is connected to the Google business listing — if the account you are looking for is not listed, click Link another.
- You can add a GMB listing to your business if you don’t already have one.
- After this step, the GMB account will be connected.
Connect to Facebook
These steps will allow you to connect your Facebook account to Listing Management.
- Click on the Connect Facebook button in Listing Management’s Your Listings tab.
- Select the FB account with access to the location if you see it.
- Select Continue – If you don’t find the correct FB account, click Link another FB account.
- Log in to your account and click “OK” on the next page.
- Next, select the Facebook Business page you wish to connect. Make sure that it is the right business page. You can also use the “Find It” link to find the correct auto-match.
- Once you are connected, you will see a prompt to “Refresh Listings” — click that and you are good to go.
How to optimize for multiple locations
Good customer service begins with someone searching for your store online. A local SEO strategy that is successful will bring more attention to your company.
Optimizing the Overview report in the Listing Management tool will make your local SEO even more important. This report provides information about multiple listings and locations within a country.
This report provides the following information to optimize content.
Situation Status
This feature analyzes locations and provides you with an analysis based on their performance.
Distribution of directories
It is possible to view the statuses by place, with the most troublesome ones at the top.
Map of the Location Status
The map shows locations with complete states – each area is divided and each location’s performance is shown. Each location can also be color-coded.
Optimize your Listing Performance
This option will show you incomplete profiles and point you in the right direction to start.
Local Reputation, Suggestions, Duplicates
These widgets provide the most recent reviews, duplicates, suggestions, and other information.
Here are 5 local SEO optimization tips and tactics
Let’s say you have a small business and must compete with the big guys. How can you stay ahead of the big wigs?
It is important to be proactive in order to increase your local SEO efficiency. A SEO boost can mean a greater brand exposure and a better sales performance.
These five strategies and tips can be helpful for local SEO.
Centralize your business listings
Your local SEO does not just mean that you should add your business details to your website. It is important to make sure that your information is consistent across all platforms including directories, social networks, voice assistants, maps, and social networks.
Search engines and customers can trust data that is consistent across multiple platforms because it is more accurate and consistent. You’ll see a better local search ranking and more customers who are ready to buy.
It can be quite time-consuming to verify your business information manually, especially if you have more than one location. The Listing Management tool is here to help.
This is how you can use the listing management tool for centralizing your business listing.
Enter your business information
- Name of the business
- Zip code
- Address
- Telephone number
This tool will make sure that all details are consistent across sites.
Click Check Listings to view all of your listings.
Follow Your Local Positions
You will need to keep track of your local position in order to stay on top of your performance. There are two ways to do this.
1. To check the position tracking tool, you can use it to track your site’s ranking for a set of targeted keywords in a particular location.
2. You can check how your business ranks in the Local Finder among all local businesses using the Listing Management tab.
Here are some ways you can get your position tracking system up and running.
- Enter company name exactly as it appears on Google My Business. Pay attention to case sensitive.
- You can choose the device and location that you wish to target: desktop, tablet, or mobile.
- If you’d like, enter your target keywords and competitors.
If you wish, you can filter out words you don’t rank well for.
Create a Google My Business Profile
Google My Business is a must-have because it gives search engines the first impression about your company and brand. It affects your visibility in Google Maps, Local Pack, and organic rankings.
You can create and verify your GMB profile by entering your business information and following the instructions. Once you have completed this, your GMB profile can be linked to the Listing Management or Social Media Poster tools.
These tools will allow you to:
- Upload pictures
- Update your business address and hours.
- Create posts for your GMB Listing.
Semrush’s social media poster allows you to manage a content calendar across multiple social networks from one central tab. GMB allows you to schedule and generate events so that your customers are always aware of what you are doing.
Optimize your website for mobile
These tips can help you optimize your website for mobile.
- Mobile-friendly websites are essential.
- Let your web pages load quickly.
- Make sure the layout of your mobile site is easy to use.
- Provide high-quality photos and brief descriptions of your service or business.
You can also use Semrush’s Site Audit to assess the health of your mobile site. You should:
- To confirm that you are crawling the mobile website, select the mobile user agent from step 2.
- After the crawl completes, you can evaluate your website’s Website Health score to identify the most serious threats to its visibility and user experience.
- Take a look at the Thematic Scoring. Review your top issues and then sort them out.
You’ll start with Crawlability as the most important pages on your site must be easily accessible to search engines and people – in order to allow indexing.
Next, work on the performance report as page load speed is critical for mobile experiences.
The Interlinking report focuses on your website’s informational architecture. You want your customers to be able to find the information they need in just a few clicks.
The HTTPS Report assesses the security of your website. Security is now a concern on every website.
The International SEO Report is crucial for your business if there are multilingual websites. Hreflang implementation can be tricky.
Get local content ideas and build links
The visibility of your website’s website is just as important as maintaining a healthy website. Semrush’s Topic Research tool can be used to increase your site’s visibility via SEO.
The tool allows you to find new topics and ideas for creating content, or optimizing your pages, and then build backlinks to that unique content. Simply enter your target area and choose a topic that is relevant to your service or business.
You will get many ideas and options for FAQs, trends, and blog posts that you can address on your site from the results. You can create a campaign using the Link Building Tool to increase your backlinks.
The tool will ask you to enter either your top competitors and/or target keywords. After the process is complete, you will receive a list of potential websites. These sites could include media sites, blogs from your area, or related websites that discuss other websites in your niche.
To get a link to your website, you can contact – and often get – other sites.
Listing Management Tool Pricing
Listing Management offers several plans that allow you to choose which one best suits your needs. All plans offer over 40 tools and features to help you market your business. However, a $20 monthly fee will get you the Basic location’s features.
A location can be upgraded to premium. After you have set up your location, look for the button to upgrade the location. This button can be found beside any location in either the locales tab or the local rankings tab. You will need to upgrade your premium location for $40 per month.
After you confirm your payment, the location upgrade will be complete. Once the upgrade is complete, you can’t downgrade a location to Premium or Basic.
Get your local SEO up and running with listing management
It doesn’t matter if you have prepared it, but a local listing management tool can be a vital part of your local SEO.
You can also use a listing management tool to gain visibility into the competition and emerging competitors. Local listings are already used by your target buyers to locate local business information.
Potential buyers will use local listings to locate addresses and get directions from businesses. Search engines also refer to local listings when compiling search result pages.
It is clear that inaccurate information or ignoring local listings can damage your online business’ reputation. You should start to improve your local SEO by using Listing Management.
You and your business will benefit if you act quickly.
