Are Local Listings Replacing Websites for Local Businesses?

You’re probably reading this blog title and thinking, what? A company that builds websites is wondering if websites are no longer relevant? That has to be clickbait.

Well, it’s not.

It’s no secret that managing your local listing on Google is an important part of any local business’s digital marketing strategy. But we got to wondering if local listings are more important than websites, or if the two are equally important.

BrightLocal’s Local Consumer Review Survey 2017found that after reading a positive review for a business, 37% of consumers said the next step they take is visiting the website, while 10% immediately contact the business.

While there are still more people going to the website before contacting the business, the trend seems to be shifting. That 37% is down from 54% who answered the same question in 2016. And the 10% of people who immediately contact the business is up from 3% in 2016. This means that less people are visiting a business’s website, and more people are immediately contacting the business after reading a positive review.

It matters because it means that more people are starting to use Google local listings as their point of contact with a business, rather than going to the actual website first.

Now that Google My Business (the service that allows business owners to manage info about their business, such as local listings) is including more options around your local listing, business owners can add details and calls-to-action that would normally be on their website directly to their listings. In fact, local listings now allow you to add information to your listing, such as:

• Wait times
  
• Short posts
  
• Menus
  
• Action links (order online, make a reservation, etc.)
  
• FAQs
  
• Pictures
  

So if consumers are looking for any of this information about a business, information they previously would have had to go to the website to find, all they have to do is look at the local listing on Google.

Far from it, actually. Sure, local listings can contain a lot of quick info about a company for consumers who are looking to take action immediately. But websites still contain a lot that local listings cannot.

Websites include content, images, headings, etc., all of which incorporate specific keywords and locations that help boost SEO. You can use different pages to target different keywords, which is something you can’t do with a local listing. Sure, you can mention a few keywords in your local listing, but it won’t have the same power that a website has.

We mentioned that local listings give some basic information and even answer frequently asked questions. But for consumers who are looking for more detailed information about your company and the process of how you work, a local listing won’t suffice. If you’re in an industry like home remodeling or event planning, consumers will likely want to do a bit more research about your products and services before contacting you, which is why it’s crucial to have a website with detailed information and images that showcase your work.

A major part of SEO and gaining web traffic comes from link building. And you can’t create links to your local listing like you can to your website. Your website is a way to spread your content and name to other websites, through emails, social media, referrals and other marketing tactics. Plus, many of the top factorsfor getting local listings to rank include links to your website. Local listings simply can’t replace the opportunity for links.

Your brand tells consumers who you are as a company. All the details, from language and colors to values and culture, make up your brand’s identity. On a website, you have much more control over the presentation of your business, allowing you to create the image you want. Conveying your brand is something that can’t be done in the same way on a local listing.

Yes, local listings are becoming an increasingly popular way for consumers to contact businesses. But the bottom line is that local listings can’t completely replace websites, no matter how many features are added by Google. Not to mention the fact that websites play a MAJOR role in getting your local listing to show up in the first place. Websites—well-designed, optimized and mobile-friendly ones—are still the best marketing tool you can invest in for your business.