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    4. Local Listings
    5. Is eLocal a scam or legitimate directory for local SEO?

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    Is eLocal a scam or legitimate directory for local SEO?

    Local Listings
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    • KempRugeLawGroup
      KempRugeLawGroup last edited by

      I just got an email from eLocal with information that is way farther off than any other email I have received from directories I know. I ran a search on them, and it definitely seems fishy. Plus, it's not showing up as a problem in my Moz Local account. However, I don't want an inconsistent listing if this is a legitimate site I should correct.

      Anyone have experience with them? What should I do?

      Thanks for the assistance,

      Ruben

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • KempRugeLawGroup
        KempRugeLawGroup @MiriamEllis last edited by

        Hi Miriam,

        Here is a screenshot. It may not look all the terrible, but Hollywood Hills is nowhere near us (other side of the state), and we've never had anything close to that phone number. It says a bunch of stuff in addition to the screenshot, but the rest of the stuff is just a boilerplate "how to contact us to get this changed" message.

        • Ruben

        bDCSu9Z.jpg?1

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • MiriamEllis
          MiriamEllis Subject Expert last edited by

          Hey Ruben,

          Curious to know what the email said...

          KempRugeLawGroup 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • KempRugeLawGroup
            KempRugeLawGroup @RyanPurkey last edited by

            Oh, eLocal is like Yext. Alright, cool, I get it now. Thanks!

            • Ruben
            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • RyanPurkey
              RyanPurkey last edited by

              They've been discussed in the past here: http://moz.com/community/q/is-it-okay-to-use-elocal-services, and Kristy's thorough answer at the time still rings true, "There is nothing blackhat about using a citation building service like eLocal, Yext, etc. Rather, there are other considerations that need to be taken into account in determining whether this is the right move for you."  And I agree with her. It seems like you've got a handle on your site's listings and they wouldn't bring much additional value to the work you're already doing.

              KempRugeLawGroup 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
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