These days you can find several online directories available where any business can register. However, registering in any online directory may not offer you a better SEO advantage and quite possibly you may not be able to generate any prospect for your business.

Google these days has become quite selective and regularly changes their algorithm where only a few suitable free online directory can have the upper hand.

Therefore, if you are going to list business in a certain business directory then you must consider the following few factors.

1.    Exposure available on the directory

In case you have to pay for registering your business then you need to check how much exposure your business will get. Whether you can make an additional payment to get an exclusive place on the directory. Or you can make a special advertisement to highlight your business.

Also, check whether it is location-specific or not, because if you want to target prospects in a certain specific location then it is important.

2.    Quality

While choosing the website you must check the quality of the online directory’s business model. Check the following:

• Does the website have a professional look?
• Whether all links provided work?
• Whether all listings are up-to-date?
• Whether the site is mobile-friendly?
• Check how often they update their site content?
• Are there any safeguards available for the website?
• How about the navigation facility on the directory?
• Can you display the complete logo(s) in their actual shapes?

3.    Advertising

It is important to know whether the website does enough advertising so that people may know about their existence. You may have chosen the best quality of business directory but unless people know about the website then nobody will ever know about your business.

You must try to know about their marketing plan. If you cannot find any clear marketing strategy then there is no use in registering your business.

4.    Measurability

The directory websites that you are considering must be able to answer you quickly how they measure their marketing and should be able to provide you with realistic data and know who the people visit their website.

Without all this info how can you make your decision? The following are few things that you may consider:

• The average number of unique visitors to the site per month
• Where do these website visitors come from?
• How long will the visitors stay on the website?
• How did they get all the traffic?

5.    Social

Social media and also social engagement must be important factors to consider for any business to stay long term. These online directories have replaced the traditional yellow pages. So make sure that many people use this website like they used to see the printed directories.

You must take your own time to check various online directories that you come across and find out how effective they are in promoting any business. A good online directory will help you to grow in several ways and from time to time publish online business news where they can mention the name of any good performing companies too.