Local, digital marketing is essential for many brick and mortar companies including skin care service providers. Business directories have more to offer than just displaying an address and phone number. Registering with online local directories can help potential clients locate a professional’s business, improve their website traffic, and build relationships. Many include rating systems and client review areas that allows readers to experience services through a past client’s description. They also help improve website traffic in two ways. The first way is by sending searchers directly to your website. The second way is by increasing discoverability with search engine optimization. Thankfully, there are several companies that offer both free and sponsored local business listing opportunities that will help increase website visitors and potential business inquiries.

OPTIMIZATION

Search engine optimization can seem like a scary subject requiring impossible tasks. While it is an in-depth topic, business owners and other team members can help improve search engine optimization easily with link building. Link building is the process of getting other websites to add a link back to a professional’s website. These links are called backlinks. Search engines use backlink data when populating search results. A website with more backlinks, especially those of a high-quality will have a higher rank in search results. Directory backlinks can be quickly built using sources like Yellow Pages. Directory links are usually the starting point for link building as profiles, complete with website listing, can be built and live within a few minutes. Other opportunities for listing the spa’s website may require payment or several conversations with the source before moving forward. In addition to supporting search engine optimization and generating referral traffic, listing on directories also builds trust and authority.

Online directories make businesses more discoverable to consumers. This is vital if a spa business is a hidden gem or located off the beaten path. The beauty world is a highly competitive market because prospective clients have several options to choose from. One way to remain competitive is through online searches and being listed in the most referenced directories. Google My Business and Yelp are two of the most popular services. Both are extremely valuable because they help potential clients locate businesses and review feedback from prior clients. When someone is searching online for a spa to visit, Google and Yelp can use their location to provide the most relevant results by listing businesses that are in a reasonable traveling distance from the searcher. Well-known providers like Yelp are often the first tool potential customers use to locate providers. Skin care providers want to be sure that their business is listed on hyper-local directories that only serve a small region like a city or county. This is especially important if clients are pulled from a neighboring town.

Many popular business listing directories also display rating and reviews from past and current clients. Reviews impact clients’ decisions greatly. They often lead a potential client to act on a purchase more than other forms of marketing and advertising. Reviews also help build credibility and trust with readers. Positive references not only increase the likelihood of a new client trusting a new business but also solidifies its reputation. Studies have shown that customers are willing to pay a higher ticket for products and services because of good reviews. In addition to backlinks, rating and reviews can influence where a business lands in search results.

REVIEW

It is a good practice to review directory listings at least annually. This not only ensures that current listings are up-to-date with images, hours, and contact information but also ensures that the spa is present on all the listing directories available. There are countless directory listing services that can benefit business. Absolutely list with the most well-known services such as Google Business, Yelp, and Bing Places for business. Also, more local or community lead listing services should be included. These can be found online by searching the phrase business listing followed by the city, town, or county being targeted. By taking advantage of free listing services, result rankings will improve through increase website traffic and help businesses build trust and credibility with little financial investment.

Kelly Conlan is the marketing and communications director for DermaMed Solutions, an administrator for the Esthetician Connection, and a freelance marketing and social media consultant. Conlan discovered her enthusiasm for skin care over 12 years ago and found a home in the aesthetic industry. She holds a Bachelor of Science in business, with a focus on marketing and management, from Penn State and has expertise in generating content and strategic marketing plans to increase brand awareness for aesthetic manufactures, as well as spas, medical spas, and plastic surgery practices. In recent years, Conlan has found a new passion in the healing powers of CBD and hemp-based cannabinoids. Research and education are top priorities for Conlan as she continues her in-depth exploration of the developing uses and benefits for CBD.