In this article, we'll address some of the frequently asked-questions about local listings.
OTHER FAQ ARTICLES
Can I purchase a P.O. box in every city that I service?
We get this question frequently! As an example, a client may service the greater Phoenix area, but has their business address listed in a suburb, such as Gilbert. They then ask if they can purchase a P.O. Box in surrounding cities, that way they will show up in search when users are looking for their services in the surrounding city or metropolitan area.
The answer to this question is no. This is a negative practice that actually hurts the business more than it helps it. As an alternative, we can set a service area in Google which will alert users that you are able to service their home.
I see that there are two Yelp profiles for my business. Why is that?
Unfortunate, duplicate listings are prevalent in local listings. These listings are created by people, not realizing that there's already a listing for the business. Or, on Facebook, an employee "checks in" to your business, but accidentally creates a new point that becomes a duplicate listing.
Our software tracks and removes duplicate local listings. However, some platforms are harder to get duplicates removed off of than others. Each platform has their own standards and procedures for removing duplicate pages, and some can take months to be taken down.
How does 5 Fold update local listings if something changes about my business?
Add a new location or change your office hours? We can handle that. Our software allows us to quickly update your local listings all at once.
How is local listings performance reported to me?
We include local listings performance in the 5 Fold monthly report. Here's what that looks like:
What does 5 Fold update for local listings each month?
We'll check that all information on your local listings platforms is current. If there's any new information or updates from you, we'll add that to your profiles.
Here are some other tasks we handle monthly:
- We remove duplicate listings
- Fix incorrect information
- Correct inconsistencies
- Enhance listings by adding photos, business, and product descriptions, etc.
What if I do not have a physical address?
If you do not have a physical address for your business, we recommend using the business address that you have registered with state and federal agencies, such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
What if my business has multiple locations?
If your business has multiple locations at multiple addresses, you'll need to pick a single main location for the purposes of social media and reviews. Even if you consider all of your locations to be equivalent in stature, you'll need to select one.
Some social media and local listings platforms will only accept a single main location in the listing. For others, we will create multiple pages. For example, your Facebook account should only have a single location listed since we're using that platform for social posting, while Google+ will register multiple locations.
If you do have multiple locations or if you add / remove a new location, update your 5 Fold sales representative.
What if my business changes addresses?
You will need to immediately alert 5 Fold, so we can update our local listings software and then confirm that the change is being rolled out to your local listings.
What if my listings have been previously set up, but I don't have access to them?
This happens more than you think. Your business had a different person managing the social media and listing accounts for your other location across town. Now, that person has lost the login information, or perhaps is no longer with the company. Perhaps you worked with a different marketing agency that never gave you the login information to begin with, and took it with them at the end of the contract.
In short, we need to take control of those accounts and decide whether to merge them with your main account or operate them on your behalf.
If we are unable to determine what previous employee, consultant, or agency worked on the account, the 5 Fold team will reach out to the software we use to have their team send a message over to the current owner of the pages. This message will officially ask them to relinquish ownership of the listing.
Once the then-owner has approved the transition, we'll take over the accounts.
What is needed of me on a monthly basis?
Most months, we will not require any information from you. However, there are two instances in which your 5 Fold sales representative may ask you for information:
DELETING UNOFFICIAL PAGES
Sometimes, duplicate pages arise on Facebook or other social media networks (Facebook is the most common network for this to occur). If this is the case, we will need your help to claim the listing and provide our team with manager access, so that we can handle the process of merging the duplicate pages together.
CHANGES IN BUSINESS INFORMATION
Has your business changed addresses? Are you now open 24 hours a day? If anything big has changed with your company that is needed for local listings, please alert your team immediately, so we can have the correct information reflected in local listings.
How will I know the status of my local listings?
On a monthly basis, you will receive a comprehensive report regarding all of your marketing campaigns. The status of your local listings will be found beneath the "SEO" section.
Your 5 Fold sales representative will provide you with any information regarding your local listings and can direct any questions that you have accordingly.