Placing a bulk "lock on" directory listings

[LauraUK]

Hi guys

I'm hoping you can assist me with a query I have.

I've recently taken on a client who had previously worked with another agency. When I ran an audit I could see 50+ citations were live/ claimed on the most authoritative sites but most had Address errors.
I asked the client to reach out to the previous agency to see if they would share with him Log Ins and they've responded with:
Whilst working with them they placed a "lock" on business directories. Now he's no longer a client that "lock" has been removed and the old information will revert back to the previous state prior to them correcting it. There "lock in" system locks in correct information into directories without a log in to each directory.

As they are claimed listings I've reached out to the directories to request amends but now questioning whether there are programmes available to "lock in" information.

Have you guys heard of anything like this?

Many thanks

Laura

 

[whitespark]

This definitely sounds like the previous agency was using Yext to "lock" the listings. I don't think any other listing software does this lock thing.

 

[LauraUK]

Thanks Darren I really appreciate your response- will take a look at this service from Yext.

Many thanks

Laura

 

[whitespark]

To be clear, I don't recommend it.

I think the idea of paying monthly to lock your listings is a total waste of money.

The Best Yext Alternative — Stop Paying Recurring Fees with Whitespark's Yext Replacement Service

The best alternative to Yext's Listing Management service. Whitespark's Yext alternative is more effective, more affordable, and will make you up to 84% happier*

whitespark.ca

 

[LauraUK]

Thanks Darren, I feel the same-it sounds a pretty shoddy service. Thanks again for taking the time to respond to me.

 

[Nyagoslav]

Hey Laura,

I wanted to make a couple of additional points, besides what Darren has already mentioned.

1) Yext doesn't really "lock" the data per se, it is more of a "cover". Yext's data is a separate layer of business data, semi-independent of other business data that exists in any of the databases a business directory or a mapping/navigation platform has. Once this cover is removed, the old information is free to get back to the surface (and in most cases it does).

2) This means that Yext don't update any business data. This also means that albeit providing correct business data to the sites in their network for as long as you keep paying, Yext don't deal with more than one listing per platform. In other words, if there are two or more incorrect listings (let's call them duplicates), Yext will only "lock" one of them, and the rest will be ignored. I believe they do have some higher level packages that have certain ways of dealing with duplicates (for instance, if you submit the URLs of the duplicate listings to them, they will attempt to remove them), but these packages are not available to retail clients as far as I know. Additionally, the main reason duplicates exist is because there is third-party incorrect data incoming usually from sources Yext don't deal with (i.e. that are not part of Yext's network). Thus, even if they do remove such duplicate listings when you manually request for that to happen, the incorrect data available in the sources will inevitable result in these duplicates eventually getting generated again.

 

[LauraUK]

Thank you so much guys, I really appreciate you taking the time to come back to me on this and provide such thorough information. Really amazing support, what a great community to be apart of!

 

[Eoghan_Aircam]

Other providers besides Yext now provide these 'locking' capabilities. The vendor basically has to pay the directory publisher to give them the right to own the listing, make updates in real-time and in bulk (good if you're a chain), and for the publisher to suppress their other sources for that business. Vendors pay either per location or a flat partnership fee to support this and mark up from there. I would encourage you to shop around. It's highly likely you'll save some $! Listing management is highly commoditized.