Directory submissions • Practical local SEO for UK schoolsDirectory submissions • Practical local SEO for UK schools
Optimise Your School’s Directory Listings: NAP Consistency, Categories, Photos & Reviews (UK)
Published by SEO for Schools • Author: Paul Delaney
Parents don’t search like SEOs—they open Maps, type your school name, or Google a task (“term dates Ashford”). This guide shows a complete, non-technical way to make your listings accurate, helpful and safe. You’ll set a Golden NAP (single source of truth), choose the right categories, add safe photos, respond to reviews, track results with UTMs, and run termly/annual audits. Everything is written for busy office and comms teams.
Official guidance: Google Business Profile — Represent your business • Google — Search Essentials • ICO — UK GDPR.
Golden NAP: your single source of truth
Golden NAP template (copy this)
| Name | Greenfield Primary School |
| Address | High Street, Town, County, AB1 2CD |
| Phone | 01234 567890 |
| Website | https://www.greenfieldprimary.sch.uk/ |
| office@greenfieldprimary.sch.uk | |
| Hours | Mon–Fri, 08:30–16:30 (term time) |
| Description (150–250 chars) | Greenfield Primary is a friendly, inclusive school in Town, offering a broad curriculum and strong pastoral care from Reception to Year 6. |
| Accessibility notes | Visitor parking at front; step-free access to reception |
Keep this text identical everywhere. Store it in a shared document and lock edits to Comms.
Golden rules
Categories & descriptors (what to pick & avoid)
Pick the most specific primary category
| School type | Suggested primary category | Optional secondary |
|---|---|---|
| Infant/Primary | Primary School | Nursery, After-school club |
| Secondary | Secondary School | Sixth Form College |
| Sixth Form only | Sixth Form College | — |
| Special school | Special Education School | — |
| Nursery | Nursery School | Childcare |
If a platform lacks UK-specific labels, choose the nearest accurate equivalent and explain in the description.
Descriptor: do this, not that
Photos & media (safe, useful, accessible)
Essential photo set
Alt text examples: “Main reception entrance from car park”, “Step-free ramp to reception”.
Safeguarding & GDPR
Reviews: sensible policy & safe responses
Policy in one minute
Response templates (copy/paste)
Positive: Thanks for your feedback. We’ll share this with our staff team. If you ever need anything, our office is open Mon–Fri, 08:30–16:30.Critical: Thank you for raising this. We can’t discuss pupil matters here.Please email office@school.sch.uk so we can help directly.
Never reveal personal information. Keep a calm, helpful tone.
Website links, UTMs & contact details
Add tracking parameters where the platform allows your website link so you can see traffic in GA4:
| Platform | Example URL | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GBP | https://www.school.sch.uk/?utm_source=gbp&utm_medium=profile&utm_campaign=local_discovery | Use short, readable UTMs |
| Bing Places | https://www.school.sch.uk/?utm_source=bingplaces&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=local_discovery | Consistent naming helps reporting |
| Apple Business | https://www.school.sch.uk/?utm_source=applemaps&utm_medium=profile&utm_campaign=local_discovery | Where link editing is available |
Phone numbers: prefer your main switchboard. For MATs with separate campuses, distinct numbers reduce confusion.
Google Business Profile posts & updates
When to post
Post template
Title: Open Evening — Thursday 10 October, 6–8pm Body: Tour classrooms, meet staff and ask questions. Parking on site. Link: https://www.school.sch.uk/open-evening/?utm_source=gbp&utm_medium=post CTA: Learn more
Submission workflow (repeatable process)
| Step | Action | Owner | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Copy Golden NAP (latest version) | Comms | Shared doc link |
| 2 | Claim/verify GBP, Apple, Bing | Comms | Verification email/screenshot |
| 3 | Add categories, descriptor, safe photos | Comms | Screenshots |
| 4 | Add UTM to website link (if allowed) | SEO | Final URL in log |
| 5 | Submit to LA/civic directories (whitelist) | Comms | Live URLs |
| 6 | Record in listing log + review reminders | SEO | Log link |
Multi-campus & MAT governance
Standardise naming
Use a clear suffix: “School Name — East Campus”. Keep the same pattern on the website, signage and all listings.
If you share one switchboard, publish campus extensions on your contact page; the listing can still show the primary number.
Central log (Trust-wide)
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Campus | Greenfield — West |
| Platform | GBP / Apple / Bing / LA |
| Listing URL | https://… |
| Status | Submitted / Live / Needs update |
| Last review | 2025-09-01 |
| Owner | Comms (Jane) |
| Notes | Photo refresh due |
Audits: termly spot-checks & annual deep dive
Termly spot-check (15 mins)
Annual deep dive (45–60 mins)
| Area | Checks |
|---|---|
| Consistency | Golden NAP identical everywhere |
| Categories | Still the most specific? Any new phases? |
| Descriptor | Refresh in plain English; remove jargon |
| Photos | Replace outdated images; keep safe |
| Reviews | Responses polite; no personal info |
| Tracking | UTMs still correct; GA4 shows clicks |
Troubleshooting & duplicates
Print-screen cards & templates
Golden NAP — Copy Block
print this card| Name: | __________________________ |
| Address: | __________________________ |
| Phone: | __________________________ |
| Website: | __________________________ |
| Email: | __________________________ |
| Hours: | __________________________ |
| Description (150–250): | __________________________ |
| Accessibility: | __________________________ |
Annual Audit — 12 Checks
print this cardGBP Post — Open Evening Template
print this cardTitle: Open Evening — Thu 10 Oct, 6–8pmBody: Tour classrooms, meet staff and ask questions. Parking on site.Link: https://www.school.sch.uk/open-evening/?utm_source=gbp&utm_medium=postCTA: Learn more
Troubleshooting — Quick Fixes
print this cardFAQs
Do directory listings improve rankings?
They improve discovery and trust (Maps, Local Pack, council directories) and reduce confusion. They are not a shortcut to rankings, so focus on accuracy and usefulness, not volume.
How many listings should we create?
Start with GBP, Apple and Bing, then add 5–10 reputable civic/education directories. Quality beats quantity.
Is it OK if a listing is “nofollow”?
Yes. For directories, usefulness and consistency matter more than link attributes.
Can Sixth Form have its own listing?
Only if it has a distinct entrance/phone and serves the public separately. Otherwise, keep it within the main school listing and use accurate categories.
What if we moved or merged?
Update Golden NAP → change core listings first (GBP/Apple/Bing) → request duplicate merges → update LA portals → check Maps routing.
Who should own the GBP account?
School comms as primary owner; headteacher/business manager as additional owners; enable 2FA. Avoid personal Gmail accounts for sole ownership.
Should we ask parents for reviews?
Avoid mass requests. If asked organically, guide families to the listing; never incentivise or ask for changes to submitted reviews.
Can we track calls from profiles?
GBP offers insights for calls. Otherwise, attribute via website clicks with UTMs and match to contact form enquiries.
How often should we post on GBP?
Use it for meaningful updates (open evenings, holiday hours, closures). Monthly is fine; avoid spammy content.
What’s the simplest way to keep consistency?
Maintain a locked Golden NAP doc, paste from it every time, and run the termly spot-check.
Need practical SEO support?
Speak With Paul Delaney
Paul Delaney helps schools turn complex SEO into simple, effective actions. As a guest writer for SEO for Schools, Paul shares step-by-step playbooks and evidence-based guidance that busy teams can apply immediately. With three decades’ experience working with UK and international institutions, he understands the challenges school teams face and is well positioned to offer support and guidance.
For our readers, Paul offers free 30-minute sessions for institutions exploring how to raise visibility, strengthen brand trust and streamline admissions. Sessions are practical, jargon-free and free from sales pressure. You can contact him using the buttons below—please mention SEOforSchools.co.uk.
