The List – Illawarra.
More than just a business directory.

How do I advertise my business locally?

This is a common question faced by many Illawarra business owners. Many stick to what they’ve know for decades – offline mass media such as billboards, radio commercials and banner ads in local printed publications.

Others turn to on online marketing with paid Google Ads and regular updates to their social media pages. Google Ads can be highly effective, but their success depends heavily on the quality of the campaign.

One way to get your business in front of a really targeted audience (that is, people who are actively searching for products and services that you offer) is with search engine optimisation (SEO). SEO basically means getting your business or website appearing in search engine results when someone looks up search phrases or terms that relate to your business.

Is it worth getting your business listed on local business directories?

In short, yes, but it’s important to understand that not all business directories are created equal! Let us explain why…

Expecting that customers are going to deliberately look up a particular business directory, go to the relevant category and then select your business from a list of competitors is pretty unrealistic. The vast majority of people will simply type the service they are looking for (for example “local SEO agency Illawarra”) into Google and click on the first few results that come up. THIS IS WHY search engine optimisation is so valuable!

If the first result is in fact a local business directory, then obviously it’s worth having your business listed on that directory page. Even better, what about that page not just mentioning your business among a list of your competitors, but actually being ALL ABOUT your business?

Getting your business listed on local business directories can also help your own website rise in the rankings.

A paid online business directory should deliver more that simply including you in a list of your competitors that no one sees unless they actually scroll through the menu on that website. If you’re paying for a business listing, that business directory should be appearing in search engine results when people search for your service in your local area.

The BEST online business directories get your business in front of targeted potential customers. When someone is searching for a solution online and and finds themselves reading an article that tells them about your business, that’s a pretty awesome return on your investment.