Marketing Your Wedding Venue Series by VenueApp : Online Directory Listings
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Wedding venues see online directory listings as a necessary evil. Most people post to these sites and never think about it again. By leveraging these listings for SEO growth and increased marketing reach, you will reach more brides and see better ROI on these directories.
1. FREE FREE FREE
Add your basic information to as many free listing sites as possible. Brides who see your name and images multiple times during their research will be more likely to keep you in mind when they are making decisions. Your advertising and social media will also be more effective if your general branding is constantly coming up throughout their search. We aren’t saying spend all your money and time on these sites, simply make sure these basic listings properly reflect your business name and information.
2. Use Your Keywords
When you are updating these listings, whether paid or free, make sure they use keywords and SEO friendly language. This is a great opportunity for your business name and keywords to appear in multiple locations, and boosting the power of your SEO and SEM campaigns.
3. Local Directories
Step into the shoes of a bride in your area who is looking for wedding vendors. Do a Google search for any local directories that might be helpful to them. Use search terms like “wedding locations in {my area}” or “wedding venues in {my area}”. These general searches will bring up the directories that have the best content and are SEO friendly. These should be the directories you target first. Do a similar search for nearby cities or towns. These searches will help you find other useful local directories to add to your list. Although you may not be located in that town, there may be brides there that need your services.
4. Specialized Directories
Paying to be featured on a few specialized directories will have huge benefits. It may seem like you are reaching less people overall, but most venues get lost among the masses on major national sites. Consider how other listings look and how much personal attention they get. Are they easy to find on the site or are they buried among dozens of other listings? Try to connect with a venue just to see how easy or difficult that process is for couples who will potentially be reaching out to you. By focusing in on a particular niche, you can craft your message to speak directly to these couples.
5. Great Photography
This is your first (and maybe only) chance to show potential couples what your venue has to offer. Having fantastic professional photography is the best and fastest way to get the point across. Show images of your best weddings from the past summer. Keep up to date images on each paid profile. Every few months you should be updating your gallery of images with recent weddings. This is one of the best ways for you to set your venue apart and capture the eyes of new couples.
Bonus: Analyze and Change
Don’t let your listings sit empty or stagnant after you upload your information. Use your google analytics to track which sites are getting you the most business. Look at your traffic sources in the google analytics dashboard and consider investing in the sites generating the most visits. If a certain keyword or type of niche listing is getting a good response, consider doing more targeted advertising towards those couples. Let these listings inform your marketing process. Many venues add their name and email and never return to the site. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to capture the eyes of couples who are trying to find you through online directories.