Listings: The digital front door to your business

When potential customers want to find out more about your business, where do they look first? Clue: it’s not the Yellow Pages.

Today, most people head straight to Google or another search engine. These platforms prioritise businesses that offer complete, accurate, and trustworthy information and reward them with better visibility.

That’s why online listings are essential for every small businesses in the UK. By ensuring your key details are up to date and consistent you can manage your online reputation: so you’re easier to find, and easier to trust.

Why listings matter more than you think

Online listings provide basic but vital information like your opening hours, address, phone number, and website. When these details are wrong, missing, or inconsistent, customers quickly lose confidence.

Think about the last time you searched for a local shop or café – only to find conflicting details between Google and Facebook. Chances are, you moved on to the next option.

In fact, up to 66% of your visibility in local searches comes down to how well your listings and reputation are managed. This is something you can control – and benefit from directly.

Maximise your chances of being discovered

Even if your product or service is excellent, people won’t find you unless you’re visible online.

Having just one or two listings is like putting a single signpost on a busy street. You’ll miss out on passing traffic. Instead, aim to appear on all major platforms where your customers might look.

For UK businesses, this includes:

Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business)
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter/X
Bing Places
Yell.com
Yelp
Foursquare
TripAdvisor (especially for hospitality)
Apple Maps

Laying the foundations for online success

Online reputation expert Mike Giamprini puts it simply:

“Listings are the foundation of digital marketing. They help customers find you – and help search engines assess your reliability.”

Before worrying about reviews, ads, or SEO, get your listings sorted. Start by searching for your business name. Where does it appear? Are your details consistent across the web?

Claim and update as many listings as possible. The more accurate and aligned they are, the more trust you build – and the more customers you’ll attract.

Where do you start?

If you are just starting out thinking about listing our advice is to start with Google and then build out.

Google Business Profile is the most important listing to claim. It’s free and highly visible. Make sure your profile includes up-to-date details – address, contact information, opening hours, and website links – and that these match what’s shown elsewhere.

But don’t stop there. Facebook, Yelp, and others also attract millions of users searching for local services. Being listed in multiple places not only increases your visibility, but builds credibility too.

Need help managing it all?

Online reputation management means shaping how your business appears across digital channels – and it can feel overwhelming. That’s where Resolver Online Presence comes in.

With Resolver Online Presence, you can: