Building a Listing That Gets You Found

Two businesses can be on the same plan and get very different results. The difference is almost always the quality of the listing itself. This guide covers what to write, what to upload, and the small details that decide whether someone calls you or the shop down the road.

Where to Edit Your Listing

Sign in, then choose My Business from the menu. This is your control panel. Select your listing and you can edit every section described below. Changes are saved as you go, and you can return as often as you like.

Your Business Name

Use the name on your sign and your paperwork. Nothing else.

Good: La Center Lavender Company
Not good: La Center Lavender Company - Best Lavender Farm in Clark County, U-Cut, Wreaths, Oils

Keyword stuffing in the name looks like spam to customers and to search engines, and it makes your listing harder to trust.

Choosing Your Category

Pick the category a customer would actually browse, not the one that sounds most flattering. A bakery that also serves coffee should sit under Bakeries, because that is what people search for. If a subcategory fits, use it. Subcategories are where the least competition and the most motivated visitors are.

Writing Your Description

You have room for a proper description, so use it. A simple structure that works:

First paragraph: what you do, who you do it for, and where. Write it as if answering someone at a barbecue who asked what you do.
Second paragraph: your specific services or products, in the words customers use. If they say drain unclogging, do not write hydro jetting services.
Third paragraph: why you rather than someone else. Years in business, family owned, licensed and insured, same day service, a guarantee you actually honor.

Three things to avoid: empty phrases like quality service and competitive pricing, which every business claims; writing in the third person about yourself; and one enormous block of text with no paragraph breaks.

Mention your town and neighborhoods naturally. Someone searching for a plumber in Yacolt is far more likely to find a listing that says Yacolt in the text.

Photos and Logo

Photos matter more than most owners expect. Visitors scan images before they read a word.

Logo: upload a clean version with a plain or transparent background
Cover and gallery photos: use real photos of your storefront, your work, your products, and your team
Avoid stock photography. People recognize it instantly and it makes a real business look fake
Shoot in daylight or near a window. A modern phone in good light beats an old camera every time
Include a photo of the front of your building so customers know they are in the right place when they arrive

If you sell products or serve food, photograph what you sell. Restaurants and bakeries in particular live and die on food photos.

Contact Details and Map

Enter the phone number you actually answer, not a line that rings out
Check that your map pin is on your building, and drag it if it is not
If you work from home or travel to customers, list your city and service area rather than a street address
Add your website with the full address so the link works

Opening Hours

Filling in hours does two things. It shows visitors an Open or Closed status right on your page, and it stops people turning up to a locked door. Remember to update them for holidays and seasonal changes. Wrong hours generate more bad reviews than almost anything else.

Extras Worth Setting Up

Depending on your plan, these are the additions with the best return on the time they take:

Quote request form. For any service business, this is the highest value feature in the directory. It turns a browser into a lead while they are still interested
Menu or price list. Restaurants, salons, and trades all benefit. Visitors want to know roughly what things cost before they call
Videos. Even a two minute phone video walking through your shop performs well
Team profiles. Useful for trades, clinics, salons, and agencies where people are choosing a person as much as a business
Social network links so visitors can follow you
Attachments such as a brochure, price sheet, or menu PDF
Memberships and certifications that show you are licensed, bonded, or accredited

Keywords

Your listing lets you add keywords. Use terms customers actually type, including common misspellings and local names. Think auto repair, mechanic, brake repair, oil change, Vancouver WA. Do not add terms unrelated to your business.

A Ten Minute Quarterly Check

Set a reminder every three months and run through this list:

Are my hours still right, including holidays?
Is my phone number still current?
Are my photos still representative, or is that a photo of a van I sold?
Have I replied to every new review?
Is my current promotion posted as an offer?
Are there messages or quote requests I have not answered?

Getting Help

If you would like a second opinion on your listing before it goes live, contact the Buy it Local.US team and we will take a look. More guides are in the Support section.