Online business listings are the profiles about your small business that appear when someone searches for you online. You may think your information only appears on sites you control, like your website or Facebook page, but in reality, information about your small business can be found on dozens of very visible sites. Your business name, address, phone, hours of operation and more can be found on sites like Google, Yahoo!, Bing, Yelp, Better Business Bureau, Merchant Circle, and more – not to mention online directories like Yellowbook.com. Appearing in all these places can be good… and bad. The added visibility is great, but if your online business information is incorrect, it can cost you customers.

No. Your online business listings include more than just the basic business information that appears on your Google My Business (GMB) page. Although the basic information you provide on your GMB is the core of your online business listings – address, phone number, hours, etc. – your online listings also include things like customer reviews, ratings from sites like Yelp and Merchant Circle, and even comments customers share about you online.

Unfortunately, no. Maintaining correct, consistent business information online is an ongoing process. First, your business information needs to be constantly monitored to ensure that what’s shown is accurate and up to date. Remember that your information can be changed by a wide range of third-party factors beyond your control. Second, you need to be sure that any changes YOU make are reflected everywhere – otherwise you’ll end up with confused customers and prospects… and that will most likely result in searchers choosing one of your competitors.