How To: The Newbie Guide to Submitting a Business to Yahoo! Local

In previous Noteworthy articles we have gone over the steps for submitting a listing to Google Maps and Places, and now, here are the steps for including one with Yahoo! Local. Following them will help create a basic listing that could turn up in Yahoo’s main search results (Yahoo 5-pack) in addition to its local directories. This translates into many potential clients coming across it while searching locally! Are you ready? Let’s start!

The Sign In and Sign Up links can be found on the homepage of yahoo.com.

Step 1: Getting Started
For those who currently have a Yahoo account go to www.yahoo.com and click Sign in (upper right of the Yahoo page). If not, set one up by clicking on Sign Up (It’s free!).

Step 2: It’s time to sign up…
Once signed in, go to http://listings.local.yahoo.com. The Business Details window should appear. Click the big yellow button that says Sign Up.

Step 3: Listing Details…
After clicking ‘Sign Up’ you will be taken to the ‘Listing Details’ page. Most of your time will be spent here. Make it easy for customers to find your business by providing quality content that include words people would use when searching.

Step 4: Account Contact Information
Scroll down to ‘Account Contact Information’. Enter the first name, last name, email, and phone number of the person responsible for the Yahoo! Local listing. Most likely it will be you. The red asterisk indicates this is a required field. If it’s not filled in the listing cannot be completed.

Step 5: Local Information
The ‘Local Information’ area should be easy to understand. Enter your business name, local phone number, web site address, fax, etc. These can be very important for site visitors, especially if they live further away. Yahoo! Local typically doesn’t need to verify the listing information through postcard or phone calls like other local search sites, but please make sure everything is correct before proceeding to the next step. The wrong address could confuse site visitors if they try to visit your location. In addition, make sure to use the official local phone number for the ‘Local Phone’ field. The area code helps other sites verify that the business’s is located where it says it is. It may be tempting to use an 800 number but we recommend against doing so.

Note: We recommend checking ‘Automatically send me reviews of my business’. In future articles we will explain why reviews are necessary for ranking on local search engines such as Yahoo! Local Maps. When a review is added to the local listing it will be sent to the email address listed under Account Contact Information (step 4).

Step 6: Hours of Operation
Next, the hours of operation can be added. When displayed, there is a choice of ‘Do not display operating hours’, ‘24 hours a day’ (never closes), or specifying the days and hours the business is open. If there are special hours or appointments outside normal hours, they can be entered into the ‘Additional Hours of Operation Information’ box.

Step 7: Payment Methods Accepted
There’s not much that can be done if someone forgets their wallet. At least we can give them a heads up on which type of payment methods are accepted before they spend time driving to your location. Check the payments methods that will be accepted at the cash register.

Step 8: Additional Information
Additional information, such as the year the business was founded, any languages spoken, brand names carried, products and services offered, associations the business belongs to, and specials honored can be entered in these boxes. We recommend filling out all relevant fields as they can help searchers learn more about the business and its offerings. As an example, it would be important for customers to know if your staff can speak Spanish in addition to English. Likewise, mentioning being a member of a professional organization or having accreditation can be a great selling point. Unfortunately Yahoo! Local restricts the amount of characters that can be used. Languages Spoken, Profession Associations and Specials are limited to 50 characters. Brand Names Carried and Products and Services Offered are restricted to 500 characters. Be creative, write quality content, and consider words that searchers will use to find a business such as yours.

Step 9: Step-By-Step Preview
Click Listing Page and Details Page to view how the listing will appear.

Listing Page
When clicking Listing Page a visual example of the listing will appear.

Details Page
Click Details Page to get a glimpse of how the page will appear to searchers. Carefully review the details page to make sure the information is accurate.

Step 10: Review and continue…
After previewing the listings, double-check your work. Make sure there are no spelling mistakes, broken links, wrong phone numbers, and most importantly – a wrong address. Once the listing is perfected click Continue.

Step 11: Modifying an existing Yahoo! Local listing…
After clicking ‘Continue’ a warning might (most likely) appear. Go ahead and select your listing and click Continue. If for some reason it is not correct, select the option under ‘Add a New Listing’ that says ‘My business does not appear in the list above. Please add my listing to Yahoo! Local’. Click Continue when done.

Step 12: Category Selection
Selecting the right categories for your business is very important. Most likely searchers use these words when searching locally. It is restricted to five categories and the first one will be the primary. To get started you have the choice between selecting from the drop-down menu or clicking on Need Suggestions. Go ahead and spend some time using both tools to categorize your business.

Step 13: Step-by-Step Preview and Continue
After finding the best categories that suit your company, review the listing by clicking Listing Page and Details Page. If it is accurate click Continue.

Step 14: The Preview page…
This will be your last opportunity to review the listing. Review all the information to make sure it’s accurate. Click Submit when completed.

Note: Enhanced Listings is a Yahoo service that costs $9.95 a month per location, and offers such features as the ability to upload a picture or logo and to include more detailed business descriptions.

Step 15: Verification and Terms of Service
At the ‘Verification and Terms of Service’ page enter the code, read the terms of service, and then click I Agree at the bottom.

Step 16: Thank You!
You’re done! We recommend creating a reminder in your calendar to come back and check on your listing. It might have been rejected.

Email confirmation…
If the listing was successfully posted to Yahoo! Local, they will send a confirmation email. It will indicate the status (Congratulations!) and provide a link to edit it if you would like to improve the listing.

Conclusion
Now that your listing has been posted to Yahoo! Local, you have the potential to be seen by anyone searching locally! Using this powerful resource, in addition to Google Maps and Places, will give you more visibility and control to make your business a strong presence in your neighborhood!