Location Data Management Defined + Why it Matters

Location data management is a practice that ensures critical data and information about a business listing is accurate internally and everywhere it’s referenced outside the company.

Information and data referencing your brand’s locations or listings is everywhere. There’s location data on mobile maps, GPS systems, review sites, social networks, and more. Read on to understand why location data management is so important and how you can better control your data.

Why Location Data Management Matters

Your location data must be correctly listed so that search engines and potential customers can find your business listings. People are searching for or coming across your business on numerous digital platforms, and each platform needs to list your information correctly. If inconsistent data exists across these platforms, it could hurt your listings’ ability to rank on the Google 3-Pack or elsewhere online.

How to Manage Your Location Data

Hundreds of web directories, mapping services, and social media networks publish your business listings and location data. Below, we’ll explain how to ensure your location data is accurately listed.

First, you want to check that those various directories correctly list your business’ name, address, and phone number (NAP). You can achieve this by contacting one of the three leading local data aggregators in the U.S. (Foursquare, Localeze, and Data Axel). Confirm with these data aggregators that each listing’s NAP information is accurate and up-to-date. 

You can also use SOCi’s Listings to increase the accuracy of your listings data and improve local search rankings. SOCi Listings allows you to manage each of your brand’s listings across all major directories, and ensure the information included is up to date. SOCi Listings also searches the web for duplicate listings of your locations and permanently removes them.

How to Increase Local Listings in the Search Results

Once you’re sure that your location data is updated and accurate, multi-location businesses should execute the following to elevate their listings’ location data and their ability to rank in the search results.

• Categories: Make sure your business is featured in the correct ‘categories’ on directories such as Google, Facebook, and Yelp. Try to be as specific as possible with your category, especially on Google. For example, select  “nail salon” versus “salon.”

• Amenities: Include specific amenities patrons might care about. For instance, a multi-family apartment complex could list a dog park and pool as amenities. A restaurant might include outdoor dining.

• Photos and Videos: Each location should have pictures that help consumers imagine themselves there. A restaurant should include images of the atmosphere, decor, and popular dishes. Similarly, a gym might have photos or videos of the gym and its amenities.

• Keywords: Include relevant keywords in your listings’ descriptions. These keywords will depend on the product or services your business offers. For example, a diner might include “breakfast,” “Sunday brunch,” or “San Diego breakfast” in their listing description and web pages.

As mentioned previously, if you need help managing your business listings at scale,  SOCi’s Listings is here to help. Learn how SOCi can propel your listings to the top of the search results.