Even when business listing information is corrected, those accurate results can be eroded over time by user-generated content and other incorrect data.
Listing Distribution Subscribers vs. Non-Subscribers:
The figure below shows a 12-month period that reveals the distinction between
businesses that use Listing Distribution and the ones that do not. Demonstrating that subscribers experience an improvement in their average listing accuracy to 60%, while on average, non-subscribers typically do not see their accuracy scores rise above 10%.
To maintain optimal local SEO results, Listing Distribution should be kept active for the long-term. Some of the benefits of maintaining Listing Distribution:
- Publicly available business data is created from yellow pages, white pages directory assistance and phone company records. This data may not be the same data the business itself believes is important. Once you cancel Listing Distribution, there’s a chance their data will revert back to these out of date sources. In keeping the subscription active, we submit that information to the data aggregators on a weekly basis to ensure the data remains up to date.
- Consistency is key: search engines look for consistent information around the web (among other factors) in determining search results. If the data begins to revert back to old data, the listings may become inconsistent and you may lose the “data accuracy” factor.
- Managing business listing information is a process, meaning the data needs to be managed over a long period of time for the sources to both trust and use the information provided. Think of it as a daily vitamin - not a quick fix.
- Listing Distribution helps build a “Citation Effect” by having multiple sources consume and use the same consistent business data. This continues to build after the first year, as new publishers go to these reputable data providers. Two primary positive outcomes occur:
- Google’s Web crawler finds the same information in multiple places and adds more confidence to their business data, and
- Good backlinks are created (citations), with more referring sources to the business website creating better search engine optimization (SEO).
When a business decides to discontinue Listing Distribution, they are taking a big risk. This leaves their listings on the data providers open to change, which may result in hundreds of incorrect listings and citations over time. Therefore, although Listing Distribution takes time to create and update listings initially, it’s important to understand it as a sort of insurance policy. Without Listing Distribution, you may experience negative outcomes.
Ultimately, by continuing with Listing Distribution, you have a proactive listings strategy rather than a reactive one.
