Multiple Location Local Directory Submission

Submitting one business to local directories is simple. Submitting 16 locations is a different job. Each one needs its own name, phone number, and email address.

This guide shows the seven steps I used for the Right Step Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centers. You will learn how to collect client details, optimize each name, and keep every login in one place. Follow along, and you can copy this process for your own clients.

Start With a Client Information Checklist

Create a checklist for your client to fill out and return. Then you can copy and paste from one document each time you submit a location. This saves you from chasing details later.

What the checklist should ask for

Local directories ask for the same details for each location. Include these items.

• Business name, exactly as it should appear.
• Street address, city, state, and full nine-digit ZIP code.
• Telephone, fax, and toll-free numbers.
• Payment options, such as Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners, Discover, debit, cash, check, or other.
• Up to five products or services, in order of priority.
• Up to five product or service brands.
• Up to five specialties.
• Languages spoken.
• Year founded.
• Number of locations.
• Number of employees, which directories do not publish.
• Business hours.
• A special offer or local listing deal.

Ask for at least one photo per location, with a maximum of 10. You can also ask for one video per location, with a maximum of five.

How to add keywords to the checklist

Product names, brands, and specialties let you use keywords in your listings in a fair way. Also optimize the file names of your photos. Do the same for the file names and titles of your videos.

Here are the keywords from the Right Step project.

• Services. Alcohol treatment, alcohol treatment center, alcohol counseling, alcohol recovery, drug treatment, drug treatment center, drug rehab, drug rehabilitation, drug counseling, and substance abuse treatment.
• Brands. The Right Step, Spirit Lodge, The Next Step, and TRS Behavioral Care.
• Specialties. Detox, residential treatment, intensive outpatient, sober living, and aftercare.

Give Every Location an Optimized Name

Check that each location has the right business name. Many locations may already appear in directories under different names. Work with your client to settle on one optimized name for each.

An optimized name includes a main key phrase or a place name. A name with both is best. Here are the names from the Right Step campaign.

• The Right Step Alcohol & Drug Treatment Houston
• The Right Step Alcohol & Drug Treatment Dallas/Fort Worth
• The Right Step Alcohol & Drug Treatment Plano
• The Right Step Alcohol & Drug Treatment Austin
• The Right Step Alcohol & Drug Treatment Hill Country in Wimberley
• The Next Step for Men Drug and Alcohol Treatment DFW
• The Right Step Alcohol & Drug Treatment Clear Lake
• The Right Step Alcohol & Drug Treatment Fort Bend
• The Right Step Alcohol & Drug Treatment North Houston
• The Right Step Alcohol & Drug Treatment Northline
• The Right Step Alcohol & Drug Treatment NW Houston
• The Right Step Alcohol & Drug Treatment San Antonio
• The Right Step Alcohol & Drug Treatment The Woodlands
• The Right Step Alcohol & Drug Treatment West Houston
• The Right Step Alcohol & Drug Treatment Baton Rouge
• The Right Step Alcohol & Drug Treatment Houma

I wanted to add the word “Center” to each name, such as “The Right Step Alcohol & Drug Treatment Center Baton Rouge.” That would have gone over the character limit in many directories.

Write a Short Description and Tagline

Write a 200-character description. Add a tagline too if your client does not have one. Put both in the client document so you can copy them with ease.

Here is the description from the Right Step project.

“Alcohol and drug treatment center provides residential and outpatient solutions to alcohol and substance abuse. End addiction and begin a new life with The Right Step. Most insurance is accepted.”

Here is the tagline.

Providing compassionate, comprehensive substance abuse care.

Create a coupon offer that gets calls

Add a special offer to each listing. Keep it short and clear. This is the offer from the Right Step project.

“Please call 1-877-627-4389 to arrange a Free Evaluation by a licensed drug & alcohol addiction professional.”

Set up One Email Address for Each Location

Directories need a unique street address, local phone number, and email address for each location. The street addresses and phone numbers often exist already. Email addresses may not.

If they do not exist, create a master Gmail account. Then add a separate address for each location. On the Right Step project, I used rightstepd1@gmail.com as the master account.

The individual addresses already existed but sat unused. So I forwarded them all to the master Gmail address. This gave me two big wins.

• I could click every verification link myself and did not need 21 different people to do it.
• I could hand all the submission data to the client by sharing one Gmail account.

Track Every Submission in a Spreadsheet

Build an Excel spreadsheet for the project. List each directory, its completion date, and the user ID and password when they apply. This makes it easy to give your client all the details for each submission.

Submit to the Local Directories

Now you are ready to submit. Here is the link to the list of local directories I use. Next week in part two, I will share tips and notes for each directory.