4 DATA PROVIDERS WHO CONTROL HOW YOUR BUSINESS IS PRESENTED ONLINE
Did you know your business is already listed on hundreds of local search sites? All of them … including Google, Apple, Yelp, Facebook, and many more … license local business information from four key data providers, so it’s critical that your business is properly listed in them.
Search engines and local business directories license much of their information from these four key providers. They then supplement that information with data gathered from their own users, other web sites, and from business owners themselves.
But your business information can sometimes be incomplete, inaccurate, or inconsistent in the local data providers, so it’s up to you to ensure that they have the correct information about your business.
In the United States, the four local business data providers are Infogroup, Neustar Localeze, Acxiom, and Factual. They supply data to hundreds of different search engines, websites, and apps, but here are some of the most notable:
Infogroup
Google
Yahoo
Bing
Twitter
Localeze
Yahoo
Bing
Facebook
Groupon
Acxiom
Apple
Yelp
Superpages
Yellowpages
Factual
Apple
Bing
Yelp
TripAdvisor
How Do You Update The Local Search Data Providers?
The most important information about your business is called the NAP (name, address, and phone). Make sure that you know exactly what NAP you want to use for your business and keep it 100% consistent in all four of the data providers and any other listings you may claim. Check out this post for more about being consistent with your business NAP.
Next, check and update the listings for your business in the four data providers. Use the links below and follow the instructions there.
- Infogroup — www.expressupdate.com
- Neustar Localeze — www.neustarlocaleze.biz/directory/search
- Acxiom — www.mybusinesslistingmanager.com
- Factual — www.factual.com/contact#update_add_business
Be aware that on Factual you cannot actually claim and manage your business listing. You can, however, use their form to submit corrections, add a new business, report duplicate listings, or request removal of a listing.
If you are an LMI University member, you will soon have exclusive access to a brand new How-To Guide — How to Update the Local Business Data Providers. This guide will give you a video walkthrough, step-by-step, on how to update these providers.
Not an LMI University member yet? Click here to find out what you’re missing!
