3 Cool Advantages to Advertising in Local Business Directories

What is Yext and Why Do I Need It?

Yext claims to be the leading provider of Digital Location Management software. I really don’t know what "Digital Location Management Software" means, but I do know that if you are not using it, you should be. I guess it's a fancy way of saying, "get your practice found online by people searching for your mental health services."

Seriously, Yext is a self-serve local directory platform that allows you to list your mental health business into the best local online search directories, such as Yelp, Citysearch, Yelllow Pages, Superpages, and more.  Yext calls their service, “Power Listings.”

"Mental Health businesses should be listed in as many directories as possible. This includes local and professional directories. If you are not listed, your competitors are. That means they are getting found online and you are not." Curtis Reed - Menatl Health Marketing Expert 

Yext allows business owners to get their mental health practice or behavioral health program listed in 55 different local search directories instantly, all in one swoop, and at a discounted price. And, you can be found online by prospective clients whether you have a website or not. So, my recommendation is that getting listed through Yext is your first step toward advertising success.

Yext enables mental health care businesses of all sizes to manage their location info (address, contact info, description of services, etc.) across all important online advertising properties, especially Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Additionally, Yext offers a special enhancement specific to Healthcare businesses (Yext for Healthcare). 

The #1 Reason You Should Consider Yext.com - SEO

The number one reason therapists, counselors, and behavioral health programs should be listed through Yext is the SEO value. SEO is short for "Search Engine Optimization." 

One of the problems most mental health professionals have is their "lack of knowledge" regarding Internet marketing and advertising.  Who has the time to learn SEO? Yext partly solves this probelm, allowing practitioners to take advantage of the SEO value without having to learn advanced techniques or technologies.  

SEO is the process of increasing the number of visitors to a website by boosting the website's authority and rank in search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Search engines rank websites based on the site's Expertise, Authority, and Trust (referred to as E.A.T score). Getting listed in local and professional directories can instanteously improve a website's position in search engines by improving it's E.A.T value. 

Therefore, if you want your website to show up better in Google local search results, get listed in Yext. Directory listings will give your website "authoritative" backlinks, sending credible signals to Google that your website is valid and worthy to be found by searchers using their search engine.

"Tap Into The Power of Location. Yext.com, the biggest online opportunity to promote your local practice or program."

Once your Yext directory listings are indexed by Google, Bing, and Yahoo, you will see a big boost in traffic to your website. Through Yext, your online credibility as a business improves within hours, and that is a big deal.

Why is SEO and search engine rankings important for mental health professionals? Because MOST people will search for you in Google before making an appointment. Most people use online searches to verify and confirm before making a decision. Researching products and services using Google is now commonplace. We make decisions about "what to buy", "where to go," or "what service to hire" after conducting online due diligence.

If your prospective clients see you in a bunch of bonafide local and professional directories you will be viewed as being credible. If they don't find you, it is possible they will dismiss you and move on to their next option.

The #2 Reason You Should Use Yext to Advertise Your Practice - Save Time

The problem most practitioners have is "lack of time." You don't need to be told that your time is extremely valuable, but we can show you ways to get maximum advertising value while saving you time. Yext is one of many solutions you should consider as an answer for your time constraint problem. You have to adverstise, but you don't have to waste your time. Using Yext.com to get listed in the important local and professional directories definitely saves precious time. 

You don’t need Yext to get your business listed in the 55 separate local directories. You can do it yourself. But it will require that you to load all your information into each directory manually. Additionally, you will make a payment to each and every directory.

Here is the bad news about DIY. First, the manual process will take you weeks to complete. Worse yet, any time you need to make a change or edit to your info, you will have to go back into each directory and make the change - manually. Plus, you’ll have to keep track of all the login credentials for each directory (URL, user names, and passwords). Trust me, the DIY is not worth the hassle.

The #3 Reason You Should Use Yext for Local Advertising - Save Money

The third good reason you should consider using Yext is the cost savings. To get your practice listed in all those online directories is costly. Using Yext will save you money. Yext has arranged a deal with each directory service and bundles them all together for you. You pay one fee, saving you $$$. This fee is renewable each year thereafter.

Online marketing guru’s claim that people use local search directories (LSD’s) to search for local businesses all the time. You should believe the gurus. Local directories are the easiest way to quickly find pertinent information about your practice. You’d be surprised by how many people rely on local directories.

"I found that Yext increased my local business rankings on Google, and more importantly, Yext analytics and reporting proved that the listings led to new client referrals. Bottomline, my Yext investment increased my revenues. Yext is a no-brainer." Darlene Braden, Ph.D.

Being listed in 55 local directories offers a great deal of online presence! Yext's bundled price saves you money - therefore, the advertising value for mental health practitioners is indisputable. 

#3 Reason Why Yext is a No-Brainer for Advertising - Convenience

The convenience of Yext and the ability to manage your listing in 55 directories simultaneously is appealing for busy professionals, such as; therapists, counselors, psychologists, drug treatment programs, and IOP’s - the list goes on. If you want to change up your advertments, the convenience of making the change through one dashboard is amazing. If you want to look at your analytics and evaluate your advertising dollar's performance, Yext is the way to go. Convenience is very important.

Here is a list of the incredible features and benefits of the Yext Service

Some professionals will see Yext’s price and scream “Yikes!, It's going to cost about $500 to $750 annually?" But understand, if you created paid listings on each individual local directory yourself without the Yext bundle, it would cost you much more. Plus, there is no way to get your business in front of as many prospective clients without paying much more. And, when you consider the SEO, Yext becomes a two-for-one value.

• Instant submission to 55 Local Directories (with SEO enhancement)
• One central place to make updates that instantaneously update all 55 listings
• Enhanced your listings with photos, specials, and more.
• Review monitoring - this is important, especially when some crackpot posts a negative review.
• Local listing analytics - you get to see the traffic coming from your listings.

If you want my advice, use Yext. The money and time you save through Yext is worth every penny. For more information about Yext, click here.