By With so many different directories and business listing sites out there today, where do Yahoo business listings sit in the fold? Are they still important or are they declining as the numbers of users opt for other search engines like Google, Bing, or even the newer ones such as DuckDuckGo?
Learn which listing sites make sense for a business to invest time to claim. DOWNLOAD the Top 100 Online Business Directories for free today.
Learn who the core users of Yahoo are today and how a business can claim a Yahoo business listing; that is, if it makes sense for their listings mix.
Table of Contents
- What’s changed in Yahoo local search?
- The importance of Yahoo & Yahoo's business listings
- Yahoo's core users (those that would see Yahoo Business Listings)
- Yahoo-ing remains a habit to some
- Yahoo Business Listings are more convoluted than Google Business Profile
- How companies can get Yahoo Business Listings and why the process is confusing
- Friction and why people don’t like it (unless it’s to create a fire)
- Yahoo business listings pros and cons
- The importance of Yahoo business reviews
- Is a Yahoo local business listing worth it?
- How to get a Yahoo free business listing
What’s changed in Yahoo local search?
Yahoo, as with any tech company, has experienced a lot of change since its inception. Now known as one of the oldest tech companies, Jerry Yang and David Filo founded Yahoo in 1995 as a directory to assist people in navigating the new and uncharted waters that were the world wide web. In an event that would surprise many internet historians, the original web directory was retired in 2014, along with 59 other Yahoo products and services. Even though the original web directory is no more, Yahoo business listings through Yahoo's search engine are still around, and still an option to some businesses looking to increase their web presence and SEO.
Yahoo keeps drastically changing
In the past few years, Yahoo has seen many drastic changes. The company has undergone a makeover in the form of acquisitions and new strategic partnerships. From a strategic management perspective, these partnerships were an attempt for the company to stand its ground by focusing on and strengthening its core competencies in an increasingly competitive battle for search engine market share.
The Yahoo-Google-Bing triangle
Do you remember when Yahoo searches were powered by Google? The arrangement between Yahoo and Google ended in 2004 when Yahoo dropped Google as their default provider for search technology for US-based sites (Cnet). It would appear that Google has been doing just fine since the divorce, and is looking better than ever.
In 2011, Yahoo entered into a partnership with Bing. Then, Yahoo and Google entered an agreement in October 2015 (Marketingland). Despite the official end to the Yahoo Bing network, Bing still powers Yahoo’s search results. Man oh man, who needs soap operas when we have such juicy events unfolding in the tech world?
The importance of Yahoo & Yahoo's business listings
Now, with all of that drama out of the way, we can finally talk about Yahoo business listings. Is it still worth a business's time to claim a Yahoo business listing today with all of the other search engines, directories, IYPs and social media sites out there also offering directories boasting high traffic volumes?
While it’s true Google is a big name and is the more popular sibling, don’t forget her sisters Yahoo and Bing. Despite declining market share as a search engine, Yahoo still remains a contender in terms of traffic. In fact, in our analysis of the top 100 online business directories, Yahoo (the search engine domain) remained near the top at number three on the list with high Alexa, Moz, and SimilarWeb rankings.
Why? Habit and nostalgia. In regards to the latter, in the good old days of Yahoo’s now defunct directory, it was once considered a big deal to be listed on this web directory as it would definitely improve your SEO (Searchenginejournal). In regards to the former, Yahoo has been around for over 20 years and has become a household name to many.
Yahoo's core users (those that would see Yahoo Business Listings)
Simply put, it’s been around forever in internet years and as creatures of habit, we go with what we know and are used to. So the tendency to want to use Yahoo business listings, out of sheer habit, is not an out to left field concept. If you take a look at the demographic data, there is some weight to this theory. According to Similarweb, Yahoo users were found to be more predominantly:
- Located in the US, Taiwan, and Canada
- Male
- Age 25-34
- Interested in video games and computers and electronics as top categories
Yahoo-ing remains a habit to some
If you’ve been using Yahoo since you can remember, it is probably your go-to search engine. No one is judging anyone here. I often typed in Yahoo when I first opened a browser and it has been burned into my muscle memory. Who doesn't remember the "Do You Yahoo" commercial?
We are creatures of habit and there is nothing wrong with that. Many of us still use paper for our to-do lists, scan on a printer scanner instead of our phones, use two spaces after a period instead of one, and read physical books instead of e-readers or e-books.
No? Ok, maybe it’s just me, but I challenge you to ask yourself the next time you do something the old-school way if it’s a conscious choice or just the force of habit. Seriously, I’d love to hear people comment here about what they do just out of habit. I can only imagine when electricity became widely adopted and how the laggards who insisted on using candlesticks may have been criticized. There is not always something wrong with being a laggard. In many cases, I’m glad I am a laggard when it comes to certain fashion trends—it makes the process of looking back on old photos less embarrassing. I know you can at least relate to me on some level with this one.
Yahoo Business Listings are more convoluted than Google Business Profile
For businesses wanting Yahoo business listings for free, be warned that the journey will not be as easy as, say, Google. It’s not clear how to create a listing directly through Yahoo. However, there are ways to do it: stick with us and we’ll cover this at the end of this article.
Your SMB clients may want to be listed somewhere their competitors are less likely to appear, and maybe that place is in a Yahoo business listing. Business listing diversification on directories is important, and listing on places where the business’s target market goes is probably the most important. Marketing 101: go where your customers (whether current or prospective) are.
How companies can get Yahoo Business Listings and why the process is confusing
Yahoo business listings appear on the right-hand size of search results. Think of these listings in parallel to Google and Google Business Profile (Google being the search engine and Google Business Profile being the place where a business owner can add their information across Google). Similar to Google Business Profile, Yahoo business listings are the place where companies can go to add their company information. The information input into Yahoo Local is used on the Yahoo search engine— similar to how Google pulls the information from where users input their information on Google Business Profile.
Yahoo's Business Listings are handled by a third-party provider. Where things start to get tricky is how companies can get a Yahoo business listing on the Yahoo Local directory (and ultimately the Yahoo search engine results pages). Unlike Google, Yahoo has teamed up with an exclusive third-party provider to handle its business listings and directory needs. While this relationship works great for Yahoo, the process of getting a Yahoo business listing is now more complicated for business owners. The tricky part of this partnership, from a user experience standpoint, is that you can’t just directly create a profile the way you can with Google. While it makes perfectly sound business sense to team up with a strategic partner, the downside is that users have to use third-parties to create a listing, creating the frustration of additional logins and accounts.
Friction and why people don’t like it (unless it’s to create a fire)
Studying the importance of landing pages from one of the top 10 most wanted internet marketers Oli Gardner will reveal that friction on a form or any copy in a landing page is a no-no (unless you purposely create it, for whatever reason). Any kind of confusion or setback that hinders a person from completing a form is a conversion killer.
The practice of reducing friction doesn't just stop at landing page forms (or aerodynamics for that matter)— signing up to list your business on a search engine battling for market share is a place where there should be very little friction. Compared to Yahoo’s competitors (Google and Bing) and social media sites (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn) listed near the top 10 in the top 100 online business directories, Yahoo is the only site that users will find friction and frustration in creating a Yahoo business listing for free.
Yahoo business listings pros and cons
Yahoo business listings can be an effective addition to a broad local SEO strategy, but that doesn’t mean they’re perfect or that they’ll be a high priority for every client you manage listings for. Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of this familiar listing platform.
Pros of Yahoo local listings
- Increased visibility and discoverability: By listing your clients’ businesses on Yahoo Business Listings, you can help them get in front of a broader audience. The Yahoo directory may not have the reach of local listings titans like Google Business Profile, but it’s still a very well-known website worldwide. Any boost in brand visibility can lead to higher sales and greater customer acquisition. With millions of users, Yahoo local business listings present a valuable opportunity for small businesses to showcase their offerings to potential customers.
- Rank higher in local searches: Yahoo Business Listings can help small businesses get in front of local customers, even those who don’t directly use the Yahoo directory or read Yahoo business reviews. How? Because of the impact of local listings on search results. Businesses with a larger number of local listings are more likely to be perceived as relevant and high-quality from the perspective of Google’s algorithm, helping them appear near the top of search engine results pages (SERPs). Local listings are about quality, but quantity matters too, and having a Yahoo business listing is part of an overall listing strategy that can help from a local SEO point of view.
- Get more customer reviews: The Yahoo business listing platform enables customers to leave reviews, which play a central role in building trust and credibility and bolstering your clients’ online reputation. Prospective customers often rely on these reviews when deciding whether to patronize a business, so having positive reviews across a range of platforms, including the Yahoo directory, can help boost conversions.
Cons of Yahoo local listings
- Limited reach compared to Google: While Yahoo has a sizable user base, its search engine market share is much smaller than Google's. No matter how you slice it, this means that fewer potential customers are likely to see a business listing on Yahoo compared to other platforms. When it comes to getting the most mileage out of a listing, it’s hard to better than Google Business Profile, Yelp, Facebook, and a few other niche sites.
- Relatively limited features: Yahoo local business listings aren’t quite as feature-rich as some competing listings, making it challenging for businesses to create unique and engaging listings that distinguish them from competitors. For example, Yahoo business listings don’t include a questions feature that allows users to ask questions of the business or of other customers. This is a popular and useful feature that can be found on other listings, like Google.
- Reduced relevance: The digital landscape is always changing, and over time, Yahoo has become less relevant thanks to the rise of other platforms and search engines. This diminished importance means that Yahoo Business Listings might not be the best choice for small businesses with limited resources looking to make the most of their digital marketing efforts.
Despite these cons, with the right listings management solution, adding a Yahoo business listing doesn’t take extra work: it can be created, managed, and automatically maintained alongside a long list of other online listings.
The importance of Yahoo business reviews
A strong, positive online reputation is a valuable form of capital for any business operating in today's digital-first landscape. One of the most important components of any successful reputation management strategy is online reviews, which have become an indispensable tool for consumers to make informed decisions about where to spend their money.
Having positive, recent reviews across a range of platforms, including Yahoo business reviews, gives prospective customers valuable insights and helps them feel more confident in making buying decisions. Here are some of the key ways in which building a steady stream of positive reviews on Yahoo business reviews can help your SMB clients.
They enhance trust and credibility in the brand
Online reviews are the digital version of word-of-mouth recommendations, and like their analog counterparts, they carry substantial weight in helping customers decide where to spend their money. Consider the fact that 92% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase decision, and 40% make up their minds after reading just one to three reviews (Vendasta). Having reviews in many places where audiences might see them can help SMBs boost their conversions and revenue by bolstering their credibility and trustworthiness in the eyes of consumers.
They can improve search rankings across search engines
Having more Yahoo business reviews can support a business’s SEO efforts since they are considered a ranking factor. By helping businesses rank more highly on their desired search engine results pages (SERPs), getting more reviews can directly impact online visibility.
This extends beyond just the Yahoo search engine. All search engines, including Yahoo local search, prioritize websites with high-quality, relevant content that is likely to generate engagement. This means that even if audiences use a different search tool, like Google, those reviews in the Yahoo directory can still impact SERP rankings.
They are a valuable source of customer feedback
Online reviews offer businesses an opportunity to gather honest feedback from real-world consumers. This information can be invaluable in identifying areas for improvement, refining products or services, and providing better customer experiences. Yahoo business reviews, like other review platforms, serve as a channel for customers to share their thoughts, giving small businesses a chance to publicly engage with their audience, address concerns, express gratitude, and demonstrate that they value their customers.
They foster customer loyalty and retention
When customers have a favorable experience with a business, they are more likely to return and recommend it to others. Yahoo business reviews provide a platform for customers to share their positive experiences, building a stronger relationship between the reviewer and the brand. This can be especially encouraged through active monitoring of Yahoo local reviews, so that all reviews can be quickly responded to.
This holds true for both positive and negative reviews. A negative experience can be turned into an opportunity to build loyalty and regain the customer's trust by taking their concern seriously and proposing an appropriate solution. A positive experience can be amplified by taking the time to say thank you and show that every customer is appreciated.
They can inform better business decisions
By analyzing trends in customer feedback on Yahoo local business listings and elsewhere, businesses can identify areas of strength and weakness, allowing them to allocate resources more effectively. Plus, reviews can shed light on competitor performance and reveal potential opportunities for differentiation.
Is a Yahoo local business listing worth it?
Before you decide to pay for a business listing management service through any company, make sure you want to list your business on all of the sites offered through the service and if it makes sense for the business to do so for the cost involved.
We now live in the age of information, and users are smart enough to shop around and compare for themselves to see if Yahoo business listings are worth it or not. If you want to conduct the research for yourself, look at the top listing sites and online directories where you would like to add a listing—in Alexa or your traffic tool of choice— and let the numbers do the talking. Getting Yahoo business listings may look more or less appealing after some further analysis.
Listings placement consideration should involve more than SEO
We all know it is great to get a citation through a business listing site or online directory as it improves SEO. However, It is important to consider other factors in addition to SEO that also affect a business, such as: would your current or prospective target market visit this site or click on it from a SERP page; is the site commonly used or known in your geographic area (to get local customer via local search); and are competitors listed on that business listing site or online directory. If competitors aren't listed on the listing site or directory:
- they haven’t thought of adding their business listing yet and you can beat them to the punch; or,
- they aren’t on the business listing site or online directory as it doesn’t hit their target market or local area enough to consider creating a listing in the first place.
How to get a Yahoo free business listing
Business owners can create a free basic Yahoo listing, which includes the business name, address, and phone number—also known as NAP data—displayed on Yahoo.
If clients come to you asking, “how do I list my business on Yahoo?”, the easiest way to do this is by using a citation-building tool, like Listing Builder. Many listing management solutions include a free basic plan that includes a few major listings, like Yahoo local business listings.
