(You can find the most up-to-date Factual Optimization Guide on our marketing blog.)
Factual is one of the top 10 most important citation sources for Local SEO.
Unlike most "tier 1" citation sources, they aren't actually a business data aggregator or directory.
Instead, they create products based on "point of interest" data.
- Whitespark puts them number six on their list of citation sources for the US.
- They are one of Moz Local's Direct Network partners.
- We put them at number four on our list of best local citations sources.
Problem is, it might not be all that easy.
Submitting Manual Corrections to Factual No Longer Possible
As of August 2018, Factual only allows their partners to submit changes to their database.Despite the obvious limitations, this may not be a bad thing.
It has always been difficult to correct business listings on Factual. Their approval process took a stated 6-8 weeks. They provided no confirmation of listing acceptance or any feedback whatsoever. We routinely had to submit changes 2-3 times before they were accepted.
As such, we were never surprised if it took 6 months to get rid of all duplicates on Factual.
Apparently, they've never really been built for it.
From their listing updates FAQ:
Despite building databases on point of interest data, they don't have a business directory model.Why did Factual stop accepting updates directly?
Factual is not a database aggregator or a listings management company, and does not provide services or support for SMBs, that Trusted Data Contributors (TDCs) can provide. Factual aggregates POI location data to build a global POI dataset, which is used to create products for Products, Analytics and Marketers. For more information on Factual’s business, please visit www.factual.com
They provide "big data" solutions for marketers, analysts, and software partners.
Perhaps it was charitable for them to accept manual submissions in the first place.
Whatever the case, the new model is better.
Factual Trusted Data Contributors
Now, Factual only accepts updates from a small group of partners.Several are digital marketing agencies. Others are citations automation services. Yet others play elsewhere in the locations data space.
As mentioned above, this is quite different from years past.
Again, from the FAQs:
Factual used to let me write in to request an add or update of my business listing directly. Is this no longer an option? Why?
As of August 2018, Factual is not accepting direct additions or edits to business listings in our database. In order to protect all parties from fraud and also from honest mistakes, any submission that Factual receives from a business owner or manager would require verification. Factual is unable to validate any forms of verification, and for this reason, we cannot make direct additions/edits to business listings.
As an alternative, we encourage business owners to work with our Trusted Data Contributors, who are able to verify business information. As trusted partners, TDCs will submit all business listing information to Factual and any other location data providers, and help ensure that all information is accurate.Factual's current list of TDCs:
- Advice Local
- Brandify
- DAC Group
- EZlocal
- GoDaddy
- IgniteTech
- Local Market Launch
- Localistico
- Location3
- Michaels Wilder
- Milestone Internet Marketing
- MomentFeed
- Moz
- Navads
- Partoo
- PositionTech
- Rio SEO
- SinglePlatform
- SIM Partners
- SweetIQ
- Uberall
- Vendasta
- Yext
- Soon: Greensboro SEO Pro
Still though, you may be wondering...
Do You Need to Edit Your Factual Listing?
Incorrect data on Factual is bad for local SEO.You need to correct duplicates on Factual, if you have any. Truly, you should correct any incorrect business data on one of our top 60 citations sources—especially NAP data.
However, we find that Factual has one of the most accurate databases of any tier one provider.
Therefore, Factual may already have the correct information on file for you.
So the first step is still the same:
Find any and all Factual listings for your business.
Search for your business here.
Factual has one of the best on-site search functions of any citation source. Least common name denominator may be enough. But we advise taking full advantage of their filtering options to find all potential variations. Do everything in your power to find any duplicate or incorrect information on Factual.
Hopefully, you're listed and error-free.
But if you do find errors, get them fixed!
We are currently exploring strategies to correct Factual data without paying a TDC. We believe it is possible. And we'll be sure to update this post with our findings.
However, Factual is too important for you to to wait. Until we find a consistent solution or become a Factual partner, we recommend a Moz Local subscription to correct Factual errors. Pricing is extremely reasonable and it is designed so that you only need to pay for one year if you use it properly.
Errors and duplicates on Factual may be less common, but aren't necessarily uncommon.
If you don't find yourself on Factual at all, you really have two options.
You can either use a TDC or ignore Factual.
We recommend against ignoring Factual but some startups may be able to get away with it.
If your business is new or has never had any alternate NAP information, you're unlikely to have any errors on Factual. If you've confirmed this truth for your business, you may be able to get away with ignoring Factual for now. Over time, your business is likely to get listed anyway.
Keep in mind though, that SEO is often a battle of "thoroughness."
By ignoring Factual, you leave openings for your competition. Fully-optimized Factual profiles provide a power citation, "dofollow" backlink, and social platform sync. If you want to get to the top of Google in your industry, optimize your Factual listing!
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