SEO best practice for your business listing

1. Write a clear, descriptive title

Your title should tell visitors exactly what they're looking at. Use your established business or event/offer name, adding a description or location where it helps explain what you offer.

For example:

Instead of: The Old Barn

Try: The Old Barn Holiday Cottages in Suffolk

Instead of: Summer Event

Try: Summer Food Festival in Norfolk

Avoid vague titles that don't explain what your business offers. Equally, don't add extra keywords if they make the title awkward or inaccurate.

2. Write a useful description

Your description is an opportunity to explain what makes your business, event or offer worth discovering.

Think about what a potential visitor would want to know:

• What do you offer?
• Where are you located?
• What makes the experience distinctive?
• Who is it suitable for?
• What can visitors expect?
• How can they find out more or make a booking?

Be specific and focus on the details that matter to visitors. Avoid generic statements that could describe almost any business.

For example:

Instead of: We are a lovely pub serving food and drink in a great location. Come and visit us.

Try: Enjoy locally sourced food, real ales and relaxed dining at our traditional village pub in the Suffolk countryside. Join us for a seasonal menu featuring local produce, with a welcoming beer garden for warmer days.

The second example gives visitors a clearer picture of the experience and what makes the pub distinctive. Use this as inspiration, adapting the details to reflect your own business accurately.

Related guide: How to add an offer to your listing and How to add an event to your listing. These guides explain how to provide the right information when creating individual listings.

3. Use relevant keywords naturally

Keywords are the words and phrases people use when searching online. Including relevant terms in your listing helps explain what you offer and where visitors can find you.

Think about the searches your potential visitors might make:

• Dog-friendly accommodation in Norfolk
• Vineyard tours in Suffolk
• Family attractions near Norwich
• Coastal walks on the Suffolk coast
• Weekend breaks in East Anglia

Include relevant terms naturally in your title and description where they accurately reflect your business.

You don't need to repeat the same phrase several times. Focus on describing your business clearly rather than trying to fit in as many keywords as possible.

Top tip: Think about how a visitor would describe what they're looking for, rather than only using the terminology your business uses internally.

4. Make your location clear

Location is particularly important for tourism businesses because visitors often search for places to stay, eat and visit in a particular area.

Where relevant, mention your town or village, county and wider destination. You might also reference nearby attractions or landmarks where they genuinely help visitors understand your location.

For example, an accommodation provider in Aldeburgh might naturally mention its location on the Suffolk coast and proximity to local beaches.

Only include locations that are relevant to your business. Avoid listing nearby towns or destinations simply to attract more searches.

5. Choose the right categories

Categories help visitors navigate the website and find businesses that match their interests.

Make sure your listing is assigned to the most relevant categories available in the member portal. Choose options that accurately reflect your main offering and any additional experiences or facilities you provide.

For example, a business offering guided vineyard tours and wine tasting may be relevant to more than one category, where the available options allow this.

Don't select categories that don't apply to your business. Accurate categorisation helps visitors find the information they're looking for.

If you think your listing is missing a relevant category, contact the Visit East of England team.

6. Use high-quality images and descriptive file names

Images help bring your listing to life and give visitors a better idea of what to expect.

Choose clear, relevant images that accurately represent your business, facilities or experience. Where possible, show the actual setting or activity rather than relying entirely on generic promotional imagery.

When preparing images for upload:

• Use descriptive file names that explain what the image shows.
• Include the relevant business or subject and location where appropriate.
• Follow the image dimensions and specifications required for the intended placement on the website.
• Make sure you have permission to use the image.

For example, a useful file name might be:

southwold-coastal-hotel-bedroom-suffolk.jpg

Don't forget alt text

Alt text is a short description of an image that helps people using screen readers understand its content. It can also help search engines interpret the image in context.

Where the member portal allows you to add alt text, describe the image's relevant content rather than simply repeating the file name.

For example:

Image: A photograph of a hotel bedroom overlooking the sea.

Suitable alt text: Double bedroom with sea views at a coastal hotel in Southwold.

Alt text should be accurate, concise and relevant to the image. Avoid stuffing it with keywords or describing details that aren't visible.

Related guide: Image naming and alt text best practice - coming soon

7. Include useful links and practical information

Your listing should make it easy for visitors to take the next step, whether that's booking accommodation, buying event tickets or finding out more about an offer.

Where relevant, include links to your website, direct booking pages, event information, ticket sales, menus and visitor information.

Where possible, link directly to the relevant page rather than your website homepage. Make sure your links work and lead to the correct information.

Also complete the relevant fields available in the portal, including opening times, prices, facilities, accessibility information and booking requirements. Accurate practical information helps visitors decide whether your business meets their needs.

Related guides: [How to add an offer to your listing] and [How to add an event to your listing] for advice on including booking links, prices and other essential details.

8. Make your FAQs useful for visitors

Frequently asked questions can help answer the queries people have before making a booking or planning a visit.

Think about the questions your customers regularly ask and provide clear, accurate answers. Depending on your business, these might cover parking, accessibility, dogs, children, opening times, facilities or booking arrangements.

Keep answers concise and specific to your business. Don't use FAQs simply to repeat keywords or add content for search engines.

Related guide: [How to write effective FAQs for business listings, events and offers] for practical advice and examples you can adapt.

9. Keep your information up to date

Accurate information helps visitors plan with confidence and ensures your listing reflects what your business currently offers.

Review your listing regularly and update it when things change. Remember to check:

• Opening times and seasonal closures
• Prices and booking information
• Facilities and accessibility details
• Website and booking links
• Event dates and times
• Offer validity dates and terms
• Images and descriptions

Remove expired offers and update past events where necessary. Outdated information and broken links can undermine visitors' confidence in your business.

10. Write for people, not just search engines

Search engines aim to help people find useful, relevant information. Your priority should therefore be to create content that answers visitors' questions and accurately represents your business.

Avoid repeating keywords unnaturally, writing vague descriptions, adding irrelevant locations or making claims about facilities and experiences that you cannot substantiate.

AI tools can help you brainstorm ideas or improve a draft, but always check the final content for accuracy and make sure it reflects your own business. Your knowledge of the experience you offer is what makes the information valuable.

Clear, helpful and accurate content is a good foundation for visibility in traditional search engines and AI-powered search experiences. There are no guaranteed shortcuts to appearing in search results, so focus on making your listing as useful as possible.

Quick checklist: Is your listing working hard for you?

Before finishing or updating your listing, check the following:

• My title clearly explains what my business offers.
• My description is informative, engaging and specific to my business.
• I've included relevant keywords and location information naturally.
• I've selected the most appropriate categories.
• My images are relevant, high quality and correctly named.
• I've added alt text where appropriate and where the portal allows it.
• My website and booking links work.
• My practical information is complete and accurate.
• I've added useful FAQs where appropriate.
• I've checked that my information is up to date.

Further guidance

Ready to update your listing? Explore our other member resources:

• How to add an offer to your listing
• How to add an event to your listing
• How to write effective FAQs for business listings, events and offers - coming soon

For further support with your member portal, contact the Visit East of England team.