When it comes to digital marketing and online search traffic, YP (Yellow Pages) will definitely provide you with a proposal that looks pretty great at first glance – even if it does sound a bit steep in price.
Their sales guys (and ladies!) are top-of-the-line and could probably sell ice to an eskimo. However, we have some serious reservations about what happens with the service after the sale is made.
Over the last few months, we have had numerous clients come to us after finally getting out of their YP contract. The consensus? They have no idea what they paid for and they found it impossible to end the contract once they committed.
Below is a deeper look at some of the biggest inconsistencies we have seen and heard of with clients of our own, as well as others.
We’ve shared them with you below to hopefully shed some light on those dark places that YP hides in their proposals, their services, and their results:
YP says they have a special partnership with Google that influences search results1.
What is the truth? YP has a Google representative…just like the rest of us.
All companies have the opportunity to be assigned a Google representative that you can call upon for questions, concerns, etc. YP’s representative(s), however, isn’t going to do you any extra favors like ranking you higher in their searches just for being a YP customer.
If you are looking to rank higher, what you need is a tailored search engine optimization plan coupled with local optimization (capturing and taking over ownership of your business information with important directories) and just as importantly time.
You cannot trick Google and signing a contract with YP does not help you obtain favoritism with Google or increase your chances of a higher ranking.
YP’s says their contracts are flexible2
Nothing about the word “contract” insinuates flexibility, but we know flexibility is especially false in regards to YP. It has been said that phone conversations with YP are recorded and that is acceptable as your commitment to contract if you hint at interest. However, a verbal cancellation doesn’t work quite the same way, unfortunately.
YP is known for their 1 or 2 year contracts and many people have had issues with trying to get out of the contract they have “signed” with YP once the results leave something to be desired. Contracts shouldn’t be used to trap you into service you aren’t pleased with, but should be utilized to outline terms, conditions, and scope details. We personally suggest agreements over contracts – agreements that can be broken with a 30 day notice.
YP says they direct traffic directly to your site through their tool YP Connect3,4
YP does in fact direct traffic to your site. They’re not telling you stories about that. But what they aren’t telling you is that you have to win the search engine search not just once, but twice!
With YP Connect, YP ranks very high in Google searches when someone searches for you keywords. So this means your business is, in fact, showing up in Google. However, it also means that if that user clicks the YP listing for your business, the user is then taken to a YP landing page. The kicker? Now you are competing right beside 9 of your other competitor, complete with links to your business’s website.
The dollars that you are spending with YP simply buys ads that send you back to the YP site instead of directly to your actual website. Your business has to “win” by being listed in the YP directory, and then “win” again by being ranked close to the top in the listing on their lander page. Your dollars should be going to your website, not theirs.
At Uptick, we promote your website directly – not you and your competition. Our goal is to help you stand out from your competition, not be listed alongside them.
Conclusion
When it comes down to it, you should get what you pay for and you should have the flexibility to repurpose that money if you decide something isn’t working for you. If that’s what you believe too, then YP probably isn’t your guy.
Check out the Uptick Marketing Approach.
Contact us today if you’d like to see how we can help take your business to the next level and promote your business’s online presence.
Sources:
1Melbournegeek.com
2Change.org
3Roundpeg.biz
4Eplatformmarketing.com
