How to Verify Search Engine Business Listings

Modern Business Directory Listings

Like the old days, with the pages of white or yellow, business directory listings are still one of the most valid formats to connect businesses and consumers.

However, listings have evolved from the tiny black text in a book made from 1-million trees to simple easy-to-find snippets of data available in seconds via your favourite search engine.

Business directory listings are so important as not only do they provide information to potential clientele but also provide simple SEO benefits - signalling to search engines that your business is in fact, a real business. In saying that, which business directory should you submit your business details to? Well, let’s start with the obvious: Search engines.

What Information is Included In Search Engine Business Directory Listings

Gone are the days of squinting at a lacklustre block of text, instead you’ll find information-rich business listings simply by typing in the name of the business into your favourite search engine.

Listings can include:

• Business name
• Business category
• Business address
• Business primary contact number
• Reviews from users
• Star ratings from search engine users and other review based sites including social media
• Links for public contribution i.e. photos, edits, reviews

What Search Engine Business Directory Listings Should Your Business Have

What search engine business listings you should set up and manage are up to you, however, if you were wanting to base your decision on some data we recommend looking at the current global market share of search engines.

So let’s look at the first 2: Google and Bing. We would include Baidu but won’t because this search engine does not yet has this functionality for businesses outside of China and has a high-level of difficulty to set up a business listing. Setting up a search engine business listing is quite user-friendly (in most cases) but to complete a setup process, verification is required.

Verification of Google My Business Listing

1. To verify a Google My Business Listing:

2. That was so easy you guys.

Verification of Bing Places Listing

1. After setup, users can verify ownership of their listings via a unique PIN sent to them via postal mail, email, text message or phone call.

Also handy to know:

• Businesses with multiple locations can verify all of their businesses at once - noice!
• Agencies need to go through a special authorisation process. More details here.
• Verified listings are the only ones published on Bing.

And that’s how simple it is. Verification on any platform is important and can be detrimental to the performance of your online campaigns.

You're welcome.