Skills: Display-Only Keywords for Businesses

Quick Answer

Skills are free-form keywords that display on your Organization listing to describe capabilities, technologies, or specialties. Unlike Industries, Skills are display-only—they appear on your listing but do not affect lead matching or referral assignments.

Overview

The Skills section lets you add specific keywords that describe your business capabilities beyond what Industries capture. Think of Skills as supplementary descriptors that help clients understand your expertise. While they make your listing more informative, they don't influence which leads or referrals you receive.

Skills vs. Industries

Understanding the difference is critical:

Feature	Industries	Skills
Purpose	Define your business services	Describe specific capabilities
Format	Hierarchical picker (predefined)	Free-form tags (you type them)
Lead matching	✓ Yes - directly affects matches	✗ No - display only
Required	Yes (at least one)	No
Limit	Up to 10	Varies

What Skills Are For

Skills help you communicate:

Specific technologies or tools you use
Niche specialties within your industry
Certifications or methodologies
Unique capabilities
Keywords clients might search for

Examples by Industry

Law Firm Skills

Deportation Defense
DACA Applications
Business Visa Specialist
Asylum Cases
Green Card Processing

Medical Practice Skills

Botox
Laser Treatment
Pediatric Care
Bilingual Staff
Same-Day Appointments

Accounting Firm Skills

QuickBooks Certified
Nonprofit Accounting
IRS Audit Representation
Payroll Services
Tax Planning

Restaurant Skills

Catering Available
Private Events
Outdoor Seating
Halal Menu
Vegan Options

Real Estate Agency Skills

First-Time Buyers
Investment Properties
Commercial Leasing
Short Sales
Luxury Homes

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Access the Skills Section

Go to your Organization listing edit page
Scroll to the Skills section
Click to expand if collapsed

Step 2: Add Skills

Click in the Skills input field
Type a skill keyword
Press Enter or click Add
Repeat for additional skills

Step 3: Review Your Skills

Check that skills accurately describe your capabilities
Remove outdated or irrelevant skills
Ensure skills complement (not duplicate) your Industries

Step 4: Save Your Changes

Click Publish Draft to save
Skills display immediately after approval

Best Practices

Do:

Add skills that provide detail beyond your Industries
Use terms clients might search for
Keep skills specific and meaningful
Update skills as your capabilities change
Include certifications and specializations

Don't:

Duplicate your Industry selections as Skills
Add generic terms like "professional" or "experienced"
Stuff keywords hoping to game search results
Add skills you don't actually have
Use skills to replace proper Industry selection

How Many Skills to Add

Approach	Recommendation
Minimum	3-5 specific, relevant skills
Ideal	5-10 well-chosen skills
Maximum	Don't exceed what's genuinely relevant

Quality matters more than quantity. A few precise skills are better than many vague ones.

Skills and Search

While Skills don't affect lead matching, they may help with:

On-site search visibility
Client understanding of your services
Keyword relevance for browsers
Differentiation from competitors

Important Notes

Skills do NOT affect lead matching
Skills are display-only—shown on your listing
Use Industries for services you want to receive leads for
Skills complement Industries, they don't replace them
Free-form entry means you control the exact wording

FAQs

If Skills don't affect matching, why add them? Skills help clients understand your specific capabilities. They make your listing more informative and can help you stand out from competitors with similar Industry selections.

Should I add my Industries as Skills too? No. That's redundant. Use Skills for details that Industries don't capture—specific techniques, technologies, certifications, or niche specialties.

Can Skills help me appear in search results? Skills may contribute to on-site search relevance, but Industries are the primary factor for lead matching and referrals.

How specific should Skills be? Be specific enough to be meaningful. "Tax Services" is too broad (that's an Industry). "IRS Audit Representation" is a good Skill.

Can I use phrases or just single words? Both work. Use whatever best describes the capability: "QuickBooks Certified" or "Same-Day Appointments" are both valid.