Today’s SEO and Web Marketing is a lot different than it was twenty years ago. It is a lot different than it was just a couple of years ago. How your business shows up in search results is no longer a straightforward what’s on your website type result. SEO has evolved into an entire web presence platform. People are no longer sitting in front of a computer and going to Google or Bing every time they search for information or services.

Web Presence Has Grown Beyond Simple Website SEO

Internet search today involves a variety of different devices and circumstances. Someone attempting to find a local restaurant or business may be using Google Maps or Apple Maps. The results may be from a question to Google Assistant, Alexa, or Siri. Having a website that lists well in Bing or Google is no longer enough to guarantee being found by those looking for your type of business or service in a local area.

The reasons for this are simple ones. It is because there are different factors considered when deciding what businesses to show to those searching locally.

  • What Hours Is The Business Open
  • How Long Has The Business Been Operating
  • What Do Other Local People Think of the Business
  • How Close Is the Business To The Person(s) Searching
  • How Many Places Lists Accurate Information (verify dependable)
  • And So On.

Performing a Google or Bing search for something or someone produces a series of pages listing the different results. A business may do well enough to list on the first or second page. The exact search using Google Assistant, Siri, or Alexa produces a result based on a different set of criteria, and that same business may not even make it on the top 100 in a mobile or voice search.

To put it in simpler terms, when icing a cake, most of us cover the entire cake, not just a few pieces of the cake. When marketing online, it is essential to cover the whole market, not just a tiny slice of the market.

Why Information Aggregators Are So Important Today

The most basic answer – so many different portals, engines, and blogs use them. The industry has chosen these data aggregators as their trusted source. Many listing sites and portals don’t even offer manual updates of information anymore. Though inconvenient, this practice does have a purpose.

Choosing to funnel the information from specific sources helps ensure higher accuracy and quality. Google, Yellow Pages, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and countless other companies take data integrity very seriously. Information accuracy is directly related to Brand Quality. This Brand Quality translates to income. So it is a big deal. Allowing access from multiple and possibly unauthorized sources threatens that integrity.

Contrary to what some listing companies are attempting to say, what this means for those marketing online is that it is important to be able to control the information that these Aggregators distribute. Here at Market Local Online, the YEXT listing service is what we provide. Since we have a large service we are able to provide the service at a lower cost to you and provide the assistance of keeping the information you provide not only accurate but enhanced to give the best response.

To Summarize Information Aggregators and Local Listing

To summarize, information aggregators are critical in creating an impactful web presence. Most local listing sites, engines, and portals rely on the main Aggregators to provide the most accurate information to all media including desktop, mobile, and voice devices. Controlling the information that the main aggregators distribute about your business helps ensure the best return on your investment.

Using services as we provide here at Market Local Online you place your business above those that simply focus on conventional marketing methods.