By Kathleen Mandig Business Development Manager Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce 

Your business listing is an especially relevant topic this month, as the Chamber is getting ready to print a brand-new Business Resource Guide! But consistency in your NAP (name, address and phone) is always extremely important for your business regardless of the industry. Whether someone is browsing the directory book or internet searching for a product or service – ensuring that your NAP is accurate across all platforms is critical for both customer confidence and SEO performance.

One tool search engines like Google utilize is local business listings (like the Chamber’s carlsbad.org directory) to verify and rank your business’s relevance when it returns search results to a user. Imagine for a minute, that a prospective customer is google searching “grocery store Carlsbad,” part of Google’s algorithm is to review local databases and spit back results it believes the user would be most interested in. Any inconsistent information can confuse the algorithm and hinders your chances of top rankings, making it harder to find you.

People also use Google to find information on businesses they may already know, just to see what is out there.  By having your company listed with your local Chamber of Commerce, you are demonstrating support and care for the community you operate in. In fact, a Schapiro Group study found that, two-thirds of consumers believe that companies involved in their local Chamber: use good business practices; are reputable; care about their customers; and are involved in the community. As a Chamber member, you receive three business listings that work for you 24 hours a day:

1) Printed in the Carlsbad Business Journal and e-edition annually;

2) on the Chamber’s high-performing website Carlsbad.org; and

3) within the award-winning Business Resource Guide.

The new Business Resource Guide will be going to print the end of July and distributed in August. Check the Chamber website directory at carlsbad.org/business-directory and review your basic information to ensure you are being represented the way you need to be. Your business NAP should be consistent on your website and all other local listings you may be on as well. If you’re not sure where you are listed, simply try googling your business.

Customers can give up and move on after one failed attempt to reach you – don’t let that happen! You are already getting a leg up just by being a Chamber member, now verify your information is correct to optimize your enhanced visibility and referrals from the Chamber.

For the website directory, in addition to contact information, you can add up to 200 words about your business, which can help you to rank for keywords pertinent to your business (think what your customers are searching for). There are even more options to upgrade your online and print listings with your logo, top search results and more! Contact us for more information on how to boost your directory visibility.