EZlocal Help Center: 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).

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 Once you cancel Listing Distribution, there’s a chance their data will revert back to these out of date sources.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.

When a Listing Sync subscription is canceled with EZlocal, we simply stop syndicating your information to publishers and data aggregators. We never send old data or attempt to revert your listings. However, in the absence of EZlocal or another provider with API integrations actively managing a listing, the data for each listing may change over time as the publisher relies more heavily on other non-direct data sources, including aggregators and crowdsourced user-generated content. Since each publisher takes a different approach, this will happen at a varied pace and could lead to disparity of data points from publisher to publisher.

In the absence of someone, like EZlocal, explicitly keeping the data updated and accurate via a direct API integration, most publishers will look to a combination of third-party data sources in an attempt to stay up to date. Unfortunately, there is no one-time permanent fix for a listing.

Listing Distribution is a continual process that maintains and builds your web presence over time. Once the data aggregators have your correct business information, the rate at which sites reference this information varies. To ensure the widest span of information and amount of listings created, Listing Distribution needs to be activated for an extended period of time.

Even if your business information is correct, listings can be eroded over time by user-generated content and other incorrect data. As long as your subscription is active, Listing Distribution refreshes your information with the data aggregators every week. Without this, there is a risk of allowing the current public data to change all of the value already established.

Listing Distribution is a continual process needed to maintain and build your web presence. As soon as you enter your business information, we push it to the three data providers. The hundreds of sites and sources that turn to these providers for information query them at various intervals — some seek out the information weekly, monthly, etc. For this reason, we sell Listing Distribution as an annual subscription, ensuring you maximum web presence.

If you are concerned about timing, we do recommend that you manually update the major listings for the Search Engines and Social Sites, as the search engines have a validation process, and sometimes it takes time to get through the creation process.

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, it’s important to understand it as a sort of insurance policy. Without Listing Distribution, the client may experience negative outcomes.

Listing Distribution submits your business information to the main data aggregators:

• Data Axle (Infogroup)
• Foursquare
• Dataprovider.com
• Neustar (Localeze)

Over time, hundreds of sources will reference these aggregators to collect business data and create accurate listings based on your submitted information. This includes search engines, navigation systems, voice search, mobile apps, and even offline sources like telephone books and government records.

When multiple sources have consistent business data, two outcomes occur:

• Search engine crawlers, like Google’s WebCrawler, finds the same information in multiple places and adds more confidence to their business data
• Good backlinks are created with more referring sources to the business’ website creating better SEO.

What is a data aggregator?

Data aggregators gather consumer and business data and provide it to hundreds of listing directories, review sites, search engines, and more. They also power sophisticated modern applications such as Apple’s Siri and personal navigation systems.

How often can I make changes to my business profile?

You can update your business profile as much as you want while your Listing Distribution subscription is active. There’s no limit on the number of changes you can make.

How often are listings sent to the data aggregators?

When a listing is created or modified in our system, the information is sent within 24 hours. The data aggregators receive this data and provide us with confirmation within 6-8 weeks.

We also resubmit your listing data once every week to ensure that aggregators always have the most accurate version of your listing.

Keeping data fresh, accurate and robust is incredibly important for local SEO.

What if a business has duplicate listings -- how does Listing Distribution take care of those?

We submit the listing to the data aggregators, and the aggregators have their own process to eliminate duplicate listings.

How long does Listing Distribution take?

As soon as you enter your business information, we push it to the data aggregators. It can take 6-8 weeks for them to receive the information and ensure it is correct in their own databases. It is then up to the sites and sources to update their information from the data aggregators. They each query them at various intervals—some seek out the information weekly, monthly, etc. Therefore, the timeline for when a source picks up that information will vary greatly depending on their process for updating their data.

Why is Listing Distribution a monthly subscription?

Listing Distribution is a continual process that maintains and builds your web presence over time. Once the data aggregators have your correct business information, the rate at which sites reference this information varies. To ensure the widest span of information and amount of listings created, Listing Distribution needs to be activated for an extended period of time.

Even if your business information is correct, listings can be eroded over time by user-generated content and other incorrect data. As long as your subscription is active, Listing Distribution refreshes your information with the data aggregators every week. Without this, there is a risk of allowing the current public data to change all of the value already established.

Where do listings come from, anyway?

Online directories get business information from a huge number of sources, including:

• Business owners enter their own information
• Government sources
• User-generated content (UGC)
• Google sources (MapMaker, Places, etc)
• Data aggregators

However, the most importantly weighted information in the U.S. comes from the major data aggregators.

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.

If listings are already claimed, Listing Distribution will typically not update these claimed sources, such as Google. However, some claimed sources, such as Bing, may update their data if a sufficient number of other data sources have the same information that differs from your claimed listing. If you have already claimed sources, don’t worry — Listing Distribution will not change the way you claim or verify sources.

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 30-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.

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.

1) Voice Search Apps

Get found in voice search by submitting your relevant business details to voice search apps and voice search data providers. Each voice search app requires structured information related to your business. Voice Search Optimizer is included with your EZlocal Listing Sync Premium subscription. With Voice Search Optimizer, your business information is sent to all of the leading voice search assistants - Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Microsoft Cortana.

Manually claim your Apple Maps listing to seed Apple Siri. Verify and optimize your Google Business Profile to seed Google Assistant. Make sure your Google Business Profile Q&A feature is enabled. Amazon Alexa and Bixby rely on business information primarily from Foursqaure (primary source) and Yelp (secondary source).

2) Website Q&A for Voice Search Results

Data for voice search results are also sourced from FAQs provided on business websites.

Voice search technology relies on natural language processing, which means that it is more likely to understand and respond to conversational queries. By including a voice search optimized Q&A section on your website and online busines profiles, you are providing relevant information in a conversational and structured format that can be easily parsed by search engines powered by voice search queries.

A Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) page contains a list of questions and answers pertaining to a particular topic and should reflect frequently searched questions related to your business and location. Properly marked up, FAQ pages may be eligible to have a rich result on search and an action on the voice assistants, which can help your site reach the right user.

To optimize for voice search, your website information needs to be dialogue-friendly. Answer commonly asked questions related to your product. Use specific keywords that a potential customer would use when they're ready to purchase. Users tend to use long-tail keywords in voice search.

Website Integration

Use the EZlocal Voice Search FAQ builder to generate HTML code for multiple Voice Search FAQs for your business website. The HTML code generated allows you to embed the discoverable FAQs into your webpage.

From your business dashboard, go to Profile > Q&A:

Once you complete the Q&A, copy and paste the generated code onto the HTML webpage of your business website where you want the FAQ's to appear. Schema markup is a type of structured data — essentially, it’s code you add to your website’s HTML that helps Google and other search engines provide more detailed results.

EZlocal's Voice Search Optimizer entails optimizing your business content, location, and brand information to increase your likelihood of ranking in voice search results. Voice Search 'SEO' is mostly about sending the proper data to Google Search, Apple Maps, Facebook, and Bing.

With Listing Sync Premium, EZlocal delivers a 98% Voice Search Readiness Score by ensuring optimal information for the top voice assistants.

Everyone has some sort of device these days that you can speak into to get results. Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, Google Assistant; whether it's on your phone or it’s sitting in your home, they are everywhere. But how can you use them to your advantage?

There are 3 types of voice searches:

1) Direct: a voice command such as "Hey Alexa, call EZlocal" or "Ok Google, make a reservation at Olive Garden".

2) Discovery: searches such as "plumbers near me" or "what are the best hair salons near me?".

3) Knowledge search: a voice question such as "Siri, how often should I replace my windshield wipers?" Most customer conversions happen through Discovery and Direct search, however knowledge search can also drive traffic and convert customers when they are looking for your expertise on a topic.

Related: How to Optimize for Voice Search Apps

With Listing Sync Premium, EZlocal submits your business information to all of the major data aggregators:

• Data Axle (Infogroup)
• Foursquare
• Dataprovider.com
• Neustar (Localeze)

Over time, 100's of sources will reference these aggregators to collect business data and create accurate listings based on your submitted information. This includes search engines, navigation systems, voice search, mobile apps, and even offline sources like telephone books and government records.

When multiple sources have consistent business data, two outcomes occur:

• Search engine crawlers, like Google’s WebCrawler, finds the same information in multiple places and adds more confidence to their business data.
• Good backlinks are created with more referring sources to the business’ website creating better SEO.

What is a data aggregator?

Data aggregators gather consumer and business data and provide it to hundreds of listing directories, review sites, search engines, and more. They also power sophisticated modern applications such as Apple’s Siri and personal navigation systems.

How often can I make changes to my business profile?

You can update your business profile as much as you want while your Listing Sync subscription is active. There’s no limit on the number of changes you can make.

How often are listings sent to the data aggregators?

When a listing is created or modified in our system, the information is sent within 24 hours. The data aggregators receive this data and provide us with confirmation within 6-8 weeks.

We also resubmit your listing data once every week to ensure that aggregators always have the most accurate version of your listing.

Keeping data fresh, accurate and robust is incredibly important for local SEO.

What if a business has duplicate listings—how does Listing Sync Premium take care of those?

We submit the correct listing to the data aggregators, and the aggregators have their own process to eliminate duplicate listings.

How long does Listing Sync Premium (Listing Distribution) take?

As soon as you enter your business information, we push it to the data aggregators. It can take 6-8 weeks for them to receive the information and ensure it is correct in their own databases. It is then up to the sites and sources to update their information from the data aggregators. They each query them at various intervals—some seek out the information weekly, monthly, etc. Therefore, the timeline for when a source picks up that information will vary greatly depending on their process for updating their data.

Why is Listing Sync Premium a monthly subscription?

Listing Distribution (data aggregator submission) is a continual process that maintains and builds your web presence over time. Once the data aggregators have your correct business information, the rate at which sites reference this information varies. To ensure the widest span of information and amount of listings created, Listing Sync Premium needs to be activated for an extended period of time.

Even if your business information is correct, listings can be eroded over time by user-generated content and other incorrect data. As long as your subscription is active, Listing Sync Premium refreshes your information with the data aggregators every week. Without this, there is a risk of allowing the current public data to change all of the value already established.

Where do listings come from, anyway?

Online directories get business information from a huge number of sources, including:

• Business owners enter their own information
• Government sources
• User-generated content (UGC)
• Google sources (MapMaker, Places, etc)
• Data aggregators

However, the most importantly weighted information in the U.S. comes from the major data aggregators.

Listing Sync is the only listing product that we are able to share a list of the number of sites syncing to (30+ sources). Listing Sync is more of an "instant" solution with direct results on those listing sources displayed in the dashboard.

Listing Distribution, which is included with Listing Sync Premium subscriptions, is meant to be the ultimate citation builder, however we do not have access to up-to-date lists or the exact number of sources Listing Distribution can reach for any particular business vertical. This is because: 1) the data providers are constantly growing and changing their reach and we are only connecting directly with them, and 2) the data drovider sources are proprietary information belonging to each data provider.

We submit weekly to the major data providers ("Data Aggregators") who provide business information to 300+ directories. It's up to each directory whether or not to publish listings. Some directories are limited to certain types of business verticals (e.g., Judy's Book, Healthgrades, ZocDoc, Avvo, UrbanSpoon, etc.).

Related Topics:

How does Listing Distribution work?

How long does Listing Distribution take?

Listing Sync vs Listing Sync Premium

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