EZlocal Help Center: listing-sync

Listing Sync is one of our most popular add-on solutions and works as a complementary product to Listings Distribution.

With Listing Sync (Dash Pro), you can instantly publish, update, and enhance the accuracy of your local business listings across high-traffic sources, protect from 3rd-party changes, and suppress duplicate listings.

Some of the added benefits of Listing Sync include:

• Syncs your business info in real-time (24-48 hours)
• Additional 30+ reputable business listing sites
• Syncs your business info to built-in car navigation systems
• Syncs hours of operation
• Create and updates business listings
• Fixes listing errors
• Allows for an unlimited number of updates
• Protects listings against manipulations by third parties
• Duplicate suppression management
• Continually monitors listing accuracy

Combining Listing Sync with Listings Distribution (Dash Premium) is the fastest and most effective way to optimize your business for local search engine visibility. Trusted by thousands of small businesses nationwide!

See also: Listing Sync vs Listing Sync Premium

Make sure all of your profile data is complete in EZlocal.

Along with your basic business information, like business name, address, phone number and primary category, it’s important to include other important details such as: website, email, hours of operation, business description, logo, and photos.

The following fields, at minimum, must be filled out in order to ensure submission to the maximum number of directories:

• Business Name
• Business Address (Service Area Businesses: choose option to 'hide' address)
• Primary Phone
• Website
• Primary Category
• Business Description (200 characters minimum)
• Business Hours

What happens next?

Once you activate Listing Sync, your business profile information in EZlocal will be treated as the primary “trusted source” of information to distribute to the local search ecosystem

You can expect to see your location information sync across partner directories within a few minutes to a few weeks, depending on the directory. Most syncing should complete within 24-48 hours. If your location information requires data cleansing this can take up to 6 weeks to complete.

To ensure submission to the maximum number of directories, it’s important to include business details such as: website url, primary category, hours of operation, and business description (200 characters).

To access your existing business profile, log in at: dash.ezlocal.com

To claim or create a new business listing, go to: dash.ezlocal.com/newlisting/

When you cancel your Listing Sync subscription with EZlocal Dash, the platform ceases to syndicate your business information to publishers and data aggregators, halting active management of your listings. EZlocal Dash does not revert listings or push outdated data; however, without ongoing API-driven updates from EZlocal Dash or a similar service, your listing data may gradually become inconsistent. Publishers, relying on alternative sources like third-party aggregators and user-generated content, may update listings at varying rates, leading to discrepancies across platforms. Local SEO research indicates that unmaintained listings can see accuracy decline by 20-30% within months, impacting search visibility.

In the absence of continuous management, publishers attempt to keep listings current using a mix of non-direct data sources, which often introduces errors. There is no permanent, one-time solution for maintaining accurate listings, as Listing Distribution is an ongoing process critical for sustaining a robust online presence. With an active EZlocal Dash subscription, your business data is refreshed weekly across data aggregators, ensuring consistency and maximizing listing reach. However, upon cancellation, the absence of these updates risks erosion of your established digital footprint, as user-generated content or inaccurate third-party data may overwrite correct information over time. To maintain optimal local search performance, prolonged activation of Listing Distribution is essential for reinforcing and expanding your business’s web presence.

See also:

How to cancel EZlocal Dash and what happens after cancellation?

Why keep Listing Distribution active over time?

We will be adding multi-location account management soon! For now, the only way to manage multiple locations is to create a unique account (unique email) for each location. You must also purchase an individual subscription for each location you wish to manage through Listing Sync.

Yes. You will be required to enter a business address for verification purposes and so that we can determine the service area.

Your address should reflect your actual, real-world location. Completing the Street Address field is required. Use an accurate address and service area for your business location. Virtual offices and PO boxes are generally not considered real-world addresses and you should avoid using them to create local business listings.

You can then select the ‘Service Area Business (hide address from public view)’ checkbox. With this option selected your business address won’t be sent from us to directories within our Listing Syndication Network. However, please keep in mind that this option changes the directories that we support for your business location. Data Aggregators like Data Axle, Localeze, and Foursquare require a verifiable address.

In the Listing Sync dashboard, certain listings may be marked as 'show address to get listed' if your business is a Service Area Business (SAB).

Disabling the SAB functionality in the business profile will allow Listing Sync and/or Listing Distribution to submit your business information to the various data aggregators/sources for updates.

If a directory already has a business address for your SAB location, it won’t be removed by selecting the ‘hide address’ option. You will need to reach out to the publisher directly to have your address removed or hidden from public view.

Note: The general rule of thumb for many directories (e.g., Google Business Profile, Bing, Yahoo, etc.) is that you need a physical address. Not all listing sources support P.O. Boxes or virtual addresses.

You can update your billing and account information from the settings (gear icon) tab at the top right corner of the dashboard or by visiting: https://dash.ezlocal.com/account/

To cancel your monthly subscription, click here.

You may also submit a cancellation request by emailing cs@ezlocal.com or by contacting EZlocal Support at (877) 416-2378 Monday through Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM Central Time.

If you signed up for the 14-day trial, as long as you request cancellation prior to your billing date, you will not be charged. Billing is month-to-month. You may cancel at any time.

• Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number): Accurate and uniform NAP across all platforms is a foundational Google local SEO ranking factor, enhancing trust signals, citation credibility, and rankings in Google Maps and the Local Pack.
• Website URL: Linking to a functional, optimized website reinforces authority and relevance, driving targeted traffic while aligning with Google's user experience and local search signals.
• Business Hours: Providing up-to-date operating hours ensures reliability for customers, supporting Google's proximity and engagement metrics to boost local visibility and reduce bounce rates.
• Category or Industry: Selecting precise, minimal categories accurately describes your core business, improving query relevance and Local Pack appearances in Google's algorithm.
• Business Description (Up to 750 Characters): A keyword-rich description detailing offerings enhances topical authority, encouraging higher click-through rates and better SEO performance.
• High-Quality Images and Videos: Including engaging visuals legitimizes your business, increases user interaction, and positively impacts rankings by supporting review generation and user experience signals.
• Listing Sync Benefits: Leveraging EZlocal's Listing Sync for consistent management amplifies online visibility, fosters customer trust, and drives local traffic and sales through optimized citations and SEO factors.

• New Listings Timeline: For new business locations, Listing Sync performs pre-sync checks, data cleansing, submission, and directory reviews, with some appearing instantly but typically requiring 1-4 weeks for full propagation across platforms—aligning with general directory processing times to ensure accurate NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency, a key Google local SEO ranking factor.
• Existing Listings Updates: General updates through Listing Sync are processed by directories within 24-72 hours post-sync, supporting rapid NAP uniformity that enhances Google's trust signals and local search rankings in the Local Pack and Google Maps.
• Updates Without Cleansing: These can take around 3 days to reflect, minimizing inconsistencies that could negatively impact local SEO performance and visibility.
• Updates Requiring Cleansing: Allow about 2 weeks for thorough data validation, which helps maintain listing accuracy—a crucial factor for sustaining high local SEO rankings and reducing customer confusion.
• Google-Specific Updates: If your Google Business Profile is synced, changes often apply in real-time or within 10-30 minutes for minor edits, directly boosting relevance and proximity signals in Google's algorithm for improved local search results.
• Bing and Apple Maps Updates: These platforms may have longer cycles, ranging from 24-48 hours to 7-10 business days for Bing and variable for Apple Maps, emphasizing the need for consistent syncing to avoid SEO penalties from outdated information.
• Scheduled and Auto-Sync Features: Updates can be pre-scheduled for publication at specified times, with the publisher running every 30 minutes; auto-sync enables regular automatic synchronization, varying by directory, to ensure ongoing accuracy that supports long-term local SEO gains like increased traffic and conversions.
   

NAP consistency refers to the practice of ensuring that your business's Name, Address, Phone number, and Website (NAP+W) are listed consistently across all online platforms where your business might appear. Here's a breakdown of what this involves and why it's important:

What is NAP?

• Name: The legal or trading name of your business.
• Address: The physical location of your business.
• Phone: The contact number for your business.

Why is NAP Consistency Important?

1. Search Engine Trust: Search engines like Google use NAP information to verify the authenticity and location of a business. When your NAP details match across various sites, it tells search engines that your business is legitimate and where it is located, which can positively influence local search rankings.
2. Local SEO: Consistent NAP data is a key component of local SEO. It helps in getting your business listed in local search results and on maps, increasing your visibility to local customers.
3. User Experience: Consistency in NAP information ensures that potential customers can easily find and contact your business without confusion over multiple listings or conflicting data.
4. Brand Reputation: Inconsistent NAP can confuse customers, leading to a potential loss of trust or missed business opportunities. It might make your business appear less professional or even suspect.

How to Ensure NAP Consistency:

• Audit Your Listings: Use tools like EZlocal Dash to check your business's NAP across various platforms including Google, Bing, Yelp, Yellow Pages, and local directories.
• Standardize Your Information:
• Name: Decide on one official name for your business and use it everywhere. If you have a "doing business as" (DBA) name, stick to that.
• Address: Use the same format for your address. Include suite numbers, street abbreviations consistently (St. vs. Street), etc.
• Phone Number: Choose one phone number to be listed (preferably a local number for local SEO) and ensure it's formatted consistently (e.g., (123) 456-7890 vs. 123-456-7890).
• Update Information: If your business information changes (like moving to a new location or changing phone numbers), update it everywhere simultaneously to avoid discrepancies.
• Claim and Manage Listings: Claim your business on major platforms to control your NAP data. Use services like Google Business Profile, Bing Places for Business, EZlocal, etc., to manage your information.
• Monitor and Correct: Regularly check for inaccuracies or outdated information. Set up alerts or use management software to keep track of your listings.
• Use Schema Markup: On your website, use local business schema markup to explicitly define your NAP, which helps search engines understand and index your business's information more accurately.

Common Issues:

• Variation in Business Names: Using different variations of your business name or abbreviations inconsistently.
• Address Mistakes: Small errors like missing suite numbers, incorrect zip codes, or different address formats.
• Phone Number Variations: Using different formats or listing multiple numbers without clarity on which is primary.

By maintaining NAP consistency, businesses can improve their local SEO performance, enhance customer trust, and ensure that their online presence accurately reflects their real-world location and contact details.

Connecting your Google Business Profile allows you to view insights, respond to customer reviews, boost your star rating, and manage your business profile and reputation all from one place.

To connect your Google Business Profile to your EZlocal dashboard:

Navigate to Reviews > Connect Google.

Alternately, you can also connect to Google via the Listings Sync page. Make sure you connect using the same email address that you use to manage your Google Business Profile.

Yes. You can choose to hide your address with EZlocal, however this will impact a few of the directories we are able to push your data to. For more information, please see our help article about service area businesses.