A listing only works if a customer can glance at it and know three things: what you do, where you do it and how to reach you. Every field on your Listings Junkie listing helps answer one of those questions. Here is how to fill in each one so your listing does its job.
Business name: use your real one
Enter your business name exactly the way it appears on your sign, your invoices and your other profiles. Resist the urge to add keywords like "Best Plumber Houston" to the name. It looks spammy to customers, and a name that doesn't match your other listings makes it harder for people and search engines to tell that they all describe the same business. Our guide to consistent business information explains why matching details matter.
Category: pick the one customers would choose
People browse by category, so choose the one a customer would click when looking for what you mainly do. A roofing company belongs in roofing, not general construction, even if it also builds decks. If you do several things, pick the category that brings in most of your work and mention the rest in your description.
Location: be specific
Your state decides which state page you appear on, and your city tells customers whether you are close enough. If you serve customers at their homes or offices, name the towns and areas you cover in your description. If customers come to you, a complete street address helps them find the door.
Phone number: one that gets answered
List the number that a real person answers during business hours. If calls go to a cell phone in a truck, that's fine, as long as you pick up or call back quickly. A listing with a number that rings forever is worse than no listing at all.
Website: send people somewhere useful
Link to your own website, or to your main profile if you don't have one yet. Make sure the page loads on a phone and repeats your phone number near the top. Customers often tap through to confirm what they saw on the listing before they call.
Description: write for the customer, not the search engine
The description is where you win or lose the call. A good one answers the questions a customer is quietly asking:
- What exactly do you do? Name the services in plain words people use when they search.
- Where do you work? List the towns or neighborhoods.
- Why you? Licensed, insured, family-owned, same-day service, years in business. Pick what is true and relevant.
- What should they do next? Call, request a quote, book online.
Skip the empty phrases like "quality service at affordable prices." They take up space without telling anyone anything. Our guide to writing a business description that wins customers goes deeper.
Logo and social profiles
A clear logo makes your listing easier to spot in a list and helps customers recognize you. Add links to the social profiles you actually keep up. An abandoned page from three years ago does more harm than good.
Keep it current
A listing isn't a one-time chore. When your hours, phone number, services or service area change, update your listing the same week. Owners can edit their listing at any time, and an accurate listing is one customers trust.
Reviews: earn them, then let them work
Customers can leave reviews on your listing, and each one is confirmed by email before it appears. The best way to collect them is simple: do good work, then ask happy customers to share their experience. Our guide to online reviews has more on earning reviews the right way.
Ready to fill yours in?
If you haven't listed your business yet, add it free. If you already have, take ten minutes today and walk through each field above. It's one of the cheapest improvements you can make to how customers find you. For the bigger picture, read why every small business needs an online listing.
List your business for free
Create a verified listing on Listings Junkie and give the customers in your area one more place to find your business name, address, phone and website.
