Thryv, formerly known as Vivial and Dex Media, has been in business for 115 years, evolving from a directory service provider to a technology-driven digital marketing platform. The company offers a range of SEO tools and services designed to help small businesses improve their online visibility and search engine rankings. This article examines Thryv's SEO capabilities, tools, and business practices based on available information.
Thryv's SEO Tools and Capabilities
Business Presence Tool
Thryv offers a Business Presence tool that provides businesses with insights into their current SEO ranking. This tool helps users understand their search performance and identify areas for improvement. According to Thryv, this tool "pulls your current SEO ranking to tell you everything you need to know" about a business's SEO effectiveness. The tool can help businesses determine if their SEO strategy is effective and provide ideas for improving website engagement.
Content Creation and Optimization
Thryv emphasizes the importance of creating valuable content and keeping it updated as a critical way for small businesses to improve visibility in search results. The company recommends developing various types of content including blog posts, FAQ pages, how-to guides, and service explanations that answer questions customers are asking.
For SEO-friendly content, Thryv suggests: - Including the main keyword in the page title, URL, meta description, and first paragraph - Using clear headers (H1 for main title, H2 for subtopics) - Adding internal links to related pages on the site
These techniques, according to Thryv, help both users and search engines better understand website structure and authority. The company also notes that search engines like Google aim to show users the most relevant and helpful content for their queries, so businesses should focus on becoming trusted resources by answering the questions their customers are already asking.
Technical SEO Solutions
Thryv identifies technical SEO as crucial for ensuring search engines can understand and index content correctly. The company notes that even with great content, technical issues can prevent search engines from seeing it, potentially causing businesses to miss out on valuable traffic.
Technical SEO refers to the "behind-the-scenes elements of your website that help search engines understand and index your content correctly." While things like keywords and content are visible to visitors, technical SEO ensures that a site's infrastructure is optimized so that search engines can easily access and rank it.
Common technical SEO issues that Thryv highlights include: - Broken links (pages that lead to errors) - Duplicate content (identical or very similar content across pages) - Missing alt text (descriptions for images that help search engines and screen readers understand what an image shows)
Fixing these issues, according to Thryv, improves both SEO performance and the overall user experience. The company suggests using their Business Presence tool to identify technical SEO issues and get ideas for improvement.
Reputation Management
Thryv offers reputation management software that allows businesses to monitor reviews from a single platform. The company emphasizes that building lots of reviews on Google, Yelp, Facebook, and other sites is essential for creating trust with customers and outshining competitors.
The reputation management software makes it "effortless to monitor reviews, all from a single platform." This centralized approach to review management helps businesses stay on top of their online reputation and respond to customer feedback in a timely manner.
Thryv's Business Practices
Contract Terms and Cancellation Policies
According to information from a web designer's blog, Thryv contracts may include terms that businesses should be aware of before signing. These potentially include: - Contracts that require 30 to 60 days written notice for cancellation - Limited availability of contract copies even when requested - Domain ownership that may transfer to Thryv even if the business owned it previously
The source advises businesses to always ask for a copy of the contract to read before signing and to be cautious if a company declines to provide one. Even if a business thinks they're stuck in a contract with Thryv, they may still be able to cancel it, but the process and requirements may not be clearly communicated by sales representatives.
Sales Practices
Critics of Thryv's sales practices suggest that some sales representatives may make promises that don't always come to fruition. These salespeople, who work on commission, might omit important details about contracts and services. Small business owners may not have enough knowledge about websites, SEO, and search ranking to determine if salespeople are being honest.
The source states: "Remember, these are commissioned salespeople whose only job is to get you to sign up for their services. You might not know enough about websites, SEO and search ranking to determine if the salesperson is being honest or not."
Domain Ownership Concerns
One significant concern raised is that Thryv may own a business's domain name even if the business owned it before working with the company. This could create complications if a business decides to change providers or discontinue services with Thryv.
The source warns: "Or that they will own your domain name, even if you owned it before." This issue is particularly concerning because a domain name is a critical business asset that can be difficult to recover once control has been transferred.
Thryv's Comprehensive Marketing Platform
Beyond SEO, Thryv offers a range of marketing tools and services designed to help businesses manage their online presence and attract customers.
Website Creation
Thryv helps businesses create professional websites that "elevate your online presence and drive new business." The company claims its tools create a seamless customer experience and make it easy for customers to take the next step.
While specific details about their website creation services are limited in the sources, Thryv positions itself as offering solutions for businesses looking to establish or improve their online presence through professionally designed websites.
Search Marketing Campaigns
Thryv provides real-time analytics to help businesses understand how to best market themselves and run smarter marketing campaigns. While specific details about their search marketing capabilities are limited in the sources, the company positions itself as offering solutions for businesses looking to improve their search marketing efforts.
The company claims to help "build search marketing campaigns" with "real-time analytics that help you understand how best to market your business and run smarter marketing campaigns." This suggests that Thryv offers tools for creating, managing, and optimizing search marketing campaigns.
Social Media Management
Thryv offers a simplified dashboard for managing all social accounts from one platform. The service includes creating posts with templates and a library of stock images, making it easier for businesses to maintain their social media presence.
According to Thryv, their platform helps "simplify social media" by allowing businesses to "manage all your social accounts from one simplified dashboard, creating posts with templates and a library of stock images." This integrated approach to social media management can save businesses time and ensure consistency across platforms.
Email Marketing Automation
Thryv's marketing automation software includes customizable templates that automatically send messages to the right person at the right time. Regular email newsletters and campaigns, according to Thryv, help maintain connections with customers and promote products and services.
The company states: "Automate email marketing: Thryv's marketing automation software customizes templates you create and automatically sends messages to the right person at the right time." This automated approach to email marketing can help businesses nurture leads and maintain customer relationships more efficiently.
Business Listings Management
Thryv claims that once a business uploads its details to their platform, the information is automatically synchronized and locked down on 60+ business sites, including Google, Yelp, and Facebook. This automated approach to managing business listings aims to save time and ensure consistency across platforms.
The company explains: "Manage your business listings: Once you upload your business details to Thryv, they'll be automatically synchronized and locked down on 60+ business sites, including Google, Yelp, and Facebook." This can be particularly valuable for local SEO, as consistent business information across directories can help improve search rankings.
Review Management
Thryv automatically asks customers for reviews at the right time and monitors what they post online, notifying businesses immediately so they can respond quickly. This automated review management helps businesses build their online reputation and address feedback in a timely manner.
According to Thryv: "Earn more 5-star reviews: Thryv automatically asks customers for reviews at the right time and monitors what they post online, notifying you immediately so you can respond quickly." This proactive approach to review generation can help businesses build a strong online reputation and address any negative feedback promptly.
Benefits of Thryv's Automated Approach
Thryv positions its automated software as delivering significant advantages over managing online presence with manual processes. The company claims that with their software, "it only takes seconds to do certain tasks that could take minutes or hours by hand."
This efficiency benefit extends across multiple aspects of digital marketing, from managing business listings across dozens of platforms to automating email campaigns and review requests. For small businesses with limited time and resources, this efficiency can translate to cost savings and the ability to focus on other aspects of their operations.
Considerations for Businesses
While Thryv offers a comprehensive suite of digital marketing tools and services, businesses should carefully consider several factors before committing:
Contract Terms: Review all contract terms thoroughly, including cancellation policies and any automatic renewals. Be aware of requirements for written notice and potential penalties for early termination.
Domain Ownership: Clarify who will own the domain name before signing any contract. If possible, maintain control of your domain through a separate registrar.
Sales Promises: Be cautious of promises made by sales representatives and verify that any commitments are included in the written contract.
Specific Needs: Evaluate whether Thryv's comprehensive platform meets your specific business needs, or if specialized providers might offer better solutions for certain aspects of your digital marketing.
Budget Considerations: Thryv's all-in-one approach may represent good value for businesses needing multiple services, but smaller businesses with more focused needs might find specialized providers more cost-effective.
Conclusion
Thryv offers a comprehensive suite of SEO tools and digital marketing services designed to help small businesses improve their online visibility and search engine rankings. The company's Business Presence tool provides insights into SEO performance, while their recommendations for content creation, technical SEO, and reputation management offer practical guidance for businesses looking to enhance their search presence.
However, businesses considering Thryv should be aware of potential concerns regarding contract terms, cancellation policies, and domain ownership. It's important to carefully review contracts before signing and to understand all terms and conditions, including what happens to domain names if the relationship with Thryv ends.
Beyond SEO, Thryv positions itself as an all-in-one solution for digital marketing, offering tools for website creation, search marketing, social media management, email marketing, business listings, and review management. This integrated approach may appeal to businesses looking to streamline their marketing efforts across multiple platforms.
The efficiency benefits of Thryv's automated approach can be significant for small businesses with limited resources, potentially saving time and reducing the complexity of managing multiple digital marketing tools and services.
Ultimately, while Thryv's SEO capabilities and comprehensive marketing platform offer potential benefits for small businesses, prospective clients should carefully evaluate their specific needs, compare options, and thoroughly understand all aspects of any service agreement before committing.