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Tips for Web marketers on FoundLocally.com

We have completed a Pareto Review (80/20 rule) of issues we deal with from week to week. Here are some tips that help you — THE WEB MARKETING PROFESSIONAL — get the greatest visibility, with the least amount of effort, while minimizing rejected submissions on FoundLocally.com. And speed the review & approval process for your clients’ listings.

1)     Each bricks & mortar location is entitled to a listing

Don’t limit yourself to one listing for the company and its website when there are multiple locations. Each location should be found separately in our maps. Create one listing, check the categories, upload the logo (or a photo), maybe even wait for the first listing be approved and published, and then CLONE the additional locations.

The converse is also true, if a company has multiple web domains for the same business (locksmiths, towing companies, even movers do this the most). We are a BUSINESS DIRECTORY and we permit one business with one domain to be listed. Multiple listings at the same address (use https://www.FoundLocally.com/StoreSearch/ and search for your address to see duplicates)

A NO-NO: creating a listing and cloning it to ALL FoundLocally directories because “you market there” (or want to). Our directory is designed to help consumers find local businesses located in or close to their community. Such listings are deleted as soon as we notice this kind of spamming, and submitter is blacklisted.

See web marketing tips for Multi-Location Chains & Franchises.

2)     We are a Business Directory, and expect business names in the listing

Please do not “keyword spam” our directory. If you are Joe Smith Realtor, use that for your lisiting, not “Toronto CondoRealtor.com” and certainly not “Toronto’s best condo realtor”. You MAY add a short description after the business name, like “Joe Smith Realtor, Toronto’s best condo realtor”.

When registering as a contact, please use the name of a real person, not just repeat the business’s name. And if you are the contact, then use YOUR NAME, since you have created the listing, and can manage any notifications that relate to the listing. TIP: if you have multiple listings in the same FoundLocally directory, you’ll only get ONE EMAIL when we send them, which will lists & links each of the listings the newsletter applies to

3)     When creating listings for clients, become familiar with the Templates

New Template Quick-Keys
New Template with Quick-Keys

There is a Templates pop-up list at the bottom of the business’s Profile page, with almost 100 options, which are grouped by sector (Business, Dining, Education, Fitness, Health, Home, Retail, etc). We have expanded these over time, in true Pareto Principle fashion. if we must fix listings created by others, it might be time to add a new Template for businesses to quickly pre-select the right categories. We also have QuickKeys to access some very common templates (like: A for accountant, D for dentist, R for realtor, T for travel agent, W for web designer)

For example, we have recently added templates for Retail: Vape & Tobacco, and Health -Medical Marijuana Dispensary (we are looking for feedback on properly categorizing recreational marijuana shops when they become legal)

TIP: We have created a printable graphic summary of Templates

4)     Update existing listings, don’t resubmit them

While for Google and some sites it may be helpful to resubmit the same listing, website, or business. NOT HERE! Duplicate listings make both of us look bad. We have a single person review all new listings, so they usually catch on when there are abuses, and duplicates will be summarily removed (typically, oldest ones first)

DO review the categories (the Categories button is right below business name & address on the Profile page) from time to time, to see if any new ones apply (we recently added a raft in the Accommodation section)

TIP: use https://www.FoundLocally.com/StoreSearch/ and do a search for your brand to see any duplicates…we do!

5)     Check that you are in the best FoundLocally city, in the right province

Postal Codes Across Canada
Postal Codes Across Canada

Around Toronto, the directories are obvious, and match municipal/regional boundaries (or the old ones). “York Region” is everything north of Steeles, “Toronto” is only south of Eglinton. Around Vancouver, the “Fraser Valley” directory is everything east of Langley and Pitt Meadows (inclusive).

We see several SEO firms using/subcontracting out of country, to folks who CLEARLY ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY DUMB about Canadian geography.  If you have to use non-local SEO firms, please refer them to the blog post at the top of https://Marketing.FoundLocally.com/blogCanadian SEO for non-Canadian SEO firms”. There we have handy pairs of Postal Codes and Area codes you get the right part of the country, if not the correct/optimal FoundLocally directory.

TIP:  see https://marketing.foundlocally.com/canadian-seo-non-canadian-seo-firms/

6)     If you are looking for greater visibility for a client, chain, or national brand….

We are starting to roll-out a new premium ad position. You are FIRST on the top site pages (Home, Business, Shopping, Travel, Homes & Gardens, Entertainment) and FIRST in any of the search results/business listings in that category. We estimate the value somewhere around $50 -$100 per month per city per category. Please call us to discuss your interest and specifics.

TIP: If you are handling many submissions for a chain or national brand, we will gladly expedite the entire listing process for a flat $1 per listing/location, and handle all the work for you, ensuring the listing is optimized for client needs and our users search patterns. Even if each location/listing has a different photo and personalized location-specific description, as we have seen with some apartment rental companies, and real estate offices.

7)     If you find categories do not seem to apply to a client’s listing, please CALL US

We are a responsive business and improve when we provide better service where we can see a need exists. We will either suggest existing categories or add a new category (or even set of categories) to reflect the opportunity you have identified. Please help us in that process!

And lastly:

8)     Please let your clients know they can be found on FoundLocally.com, in our business searches, and in our LocallyMap

And that our site provides plenty of other information THEY WILL FIND HELPFUl in their day-today lives and in building their business.

Realtors and salespeople LOVE our LocalMap feature (at the top of the right menu in desktop or tablets, or using the LocalMap button on the city home page in mobile or tablet views).

Many others like our movie listings, our farmers market calendar, our pro & amateur sports listings, and more! Please, spread the word!


Our philosophy is real simple: if we help YOU LOOK GOOD, then we look good!

 

 

 

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