In today’s digital landscape, Internet Listing Sites (ILS) have pretty much become the new yellow pages – but infinitely better. Not only can they showcase your brand to users searching for solutions, but the best ones are niche and targeted specifically to your audience!
Often it can seem challenging to stand out amongst your competitors on those sites.
Here are 4 easy ways you can use the power of SEO to make your listing stronger:
1) Content, Content, Content
Search engines love absorbing creative, unique and relevant content to help searchers find what they searching for. I purposefully use the word “search” so many times, because that is the ultimate goal with SEO. To be the best in search!
Ironically, search engines HATE it when you over stuff your copy content with keywords – especially a single focus keyword. This is known as keyword padding or keyword stuffing. If the focus keyword of this post was “search”, we would have that going against us in the battle for that top position for the term. Because no one else is keyword targeting the keyword “search”…
Search Engine bots still grade you on classic, correct grammar and readability. Scoring high in the Flesch-Kincaid readability test can be a power tool for SEO.
Learn more about Flesch-Kincaid readability test here.
Does your overview or about section of your profile have at least 300-500 words? If not, try to get to that word count without keyword padding, or turning your content into a ramble.
2) Inbound/Outbound Links
Are you linking to your website, social media, or other web resources relative to your brand on your internet listing’s profile page? Taking advantage of outbound links is something that will make your profile listing, and the ILS, grade higher in relative searches.
Are there other websites linking to your profile page? Even if it’s just your own – that’s a good start! Reach out to those you work with, partner with, or just have a great relationship with to get links to your profile page (or even your website) on their content elsewhere.
And return the favor! The more this becomes practice, the higher value your brand will have.
3) Pictures
This is just a good, general tip for ILS profiles. Pictures matter…in search and in consideration. If your picture quality is lackluster, especially against competitors, it can affect the decision making that could have brought you more business and engagement.
Image searches are also starting to become a search inquiry all their own. They can also help break up long content on websites, and this helps the readability. (see Tip 1). Can those pictures link to another website (see Tip 2)?
File names of the pictures also matter. Even if it’s just to show up higher in branded searches, name your file using name-of-your-company-maybe-include-keyword.jpg format as a title (see Tip 4). This will help any search engine image searches, and just help your keyword strength.
Also ask the ILS if they are utilizing alt tags on their images. If not, this can not only be hurting you – but also them.
4) Titles Matter
Often, this will be the name of your brand. Most ILS’ have a format for all their advertisers. “Name (title), Phone Number, Email, etc.” A misspelling, a keyword pad, or just a non-descriptive title can hurt you not only in internet searches, but also on the ILS.
We’ll be including more helpful tips on our blog here at rossmediasolutions.com. Check back often or subscribe for updates!
