Promoting a local business can be challenging these days. Whether it\u2019s because of oversaturation or complicated search engine algorithms, it\u2019s all too easy to feel like no one will find your business in the local search results.<\/p>\n\n
It\u2019s even more frustrating when you offer great products and services, but customers just can\u2019t seem to find you online.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n Online local business directories and listing sites can change your situation and put your business front and center where your potential customers are already looking. As a local SEO specialist at my previous company, I know the ins and outs of how to get in front of your local target audience.<\/p>\n In this post, I\u2019ll go over everything you need to know about creating business listings and why they\u2019re so valuable, even in the age of social media and other marketing tactics.<\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n What is a business directory?<\/a> <\/a> <\/p>\n When you list your business in these directories, you build citations, a critical part of a local marketing strategy<\/a>.<\/p>\n Today, Google is inserting itself between consumer and local business websites more often than ever before.<\/p>\n For proof, you need to look no further than Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)<\/a>, featured snippets, and, most importantly, local packs.<\/p>\n Local packs are the top or featured results Google displays when users make a location-based query.<\/p>\n The result typically shows three business listings with details such as the business name, customer reviews and ratings, physical location, opening and closing times, and phone number.<\/p>\n\n You can improve visibility in local packs by listing your local business’ NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) on directories, online business listing sites, and citation sites. Aside from improving your local SEO<\/a>, these can also improve your rankings on search engines because the listings usually link back to your site.<\/p>\n But what is a business listing, and what does it look like?<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n When I was a local SEO specialist, I spent much of my time finding new business listing opportunities to build citations and generate backlinks<\/a> for our local websites. These links allowed us to rank not only in the local packs but also in the main SERPs.<\/p>\n I have a few tips to help you make the most of your listing. Make sure your company listing has the following information once you add it to a directory:<\/p>\n Consistent NAP.<\/strong> If you add or update your business on multiple business listing sites, ensure you provide the same company information across each directory. For instance, don\u2019t use HubSpot in one listing and HubSpot Marketing in another. <\/p>\n A link to your website.<\/strong> Backlinks or inbound links are crucial to your company website’s domain rating. I recommend adding a tracking link<\/a> at the end of URLs from directories to see how much traffic your website specifically gets from the business directories linking to it. <\/p>\n A company description.<\/strong> Ensure you have a detailed description of your business that reflects your organization’s mission, culture, and values. Such descriptions can help you attract the specific type of customers you serve. <\/p>\n Multimedia.<\/strong> Give company searchers a visual taste of your business with a picture or video of your office, employees, or daily business operations. <\/p>\n While there are plenty of location-specific and industry-specific business listing sites, I recommend starting with bigger sites and working your way toward the more niche directories to promote your local business<\/a>.<\/p>\n Before I share my list of the best local directories, let\u2019s discuss the methodology I used to choose the sites.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n I used to build citations for my former company, and I can confidently tell you that there are many, many business directories out there \u2014 and not all of them are good.<\/p>\n I used two simple parameters to curate the best business listing sites you can sign up for right now.<\/p>\n Domain rating is a score given to websites to reflect how well they rank on Google based on their backlink profile. The minimum score is 0, and the maximum score is 100. Domain rating is similar to domain authority<\/a>.<\/p>\n The minimum required domain rating for the directories on this list was 50. I gathered the data from Ahrefs (September 2024), but you can also double-check using your preferred SEO tool<\/a>.<\/p>\n Most of the directories on this list work for any industry or target market. However, I made some reservations for super popular directories that work for specific industries, such as healthcare and real estate.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve included traffic numbers for your reference, but I don\u2019t consider it the most important factor in choosing where to list your business. Any local citation helps you build consistent references to your NAP information online.<\/p>\n With that, let\u2019s go over the top free business directories you can join right now.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n The business listing sites below made the list because they are free and offer an easy process for claiming or creating a profile.<\/p>\n Some online business directories require phone verification or extra steps, but the options below are simple to sign up for. These ten business listings are a great place to start before signing up on more industry-specific listing sites.<\/p>\n Google Business Profile<\/a> (formerly Google My Business) lists you directly on Google\u2019s local pack and search results. A Google Business Profile includes your NAP, business hours, services, customer reviews, photos, and more.<\/p>\n\n Claim your free Google Business Profile<\/a>.<\/p>\n With over 22 billion daily Google searches<\/a>, you\u2019d be doing your business a great disservice if you don\u2019t create a Google Business Profile.<\/p>\n An oldie but a goodie, Yellow Pages is perhaps the most well-known local directory. A Yellow Pages listing includes your NAP, parking information, business hours, and customer reviews.<\/p>\n\n Claim your free business listing on Yellow Pages<\/a>.<\/p>\n Given that Yellow Pages has been around for over 25 years, the site has built a reputation people trust.<\/p>\n Foursquare is a general online directory for a wide variety of local business categories. A Foursquare listing includes your NAP, business hours, logo, and customer reviews.<\/p>\n\n Claim your free business listing on Foursquare<\/a>.<\/p>\n When building citations at my previous company, Foursquare was one of my favorite business listing sites. It\u2019s quick, easy, and painless to add your online listing, and it includes all essential information without many frills.<\/p>\n Better Business Bureau is an online directory site for a wide variety of local business categories. A Better Business Bureau listing includes your NAP, company history, email, and website. You may also apply for optional accreditation.<\/p>\n\n Claim your free business listing on BBB<\/a>.<\/p>\n BBB accreditations add credibility to your listings and help you attract more customers. I also like that you can manage customer reviews and resolve complaints on BBB.<\/p>\n Superpages is a general online directory site for a wide variety of local business categories. A Superpages listing includes your NAP, business hours, and website.<\/p>\n\n Claim your free business listing on Superpages<\/a>.<\/p>\n The listings here are super detailed. You can pay for targeted ads to have your listing reach the right people at the right time.<\/p>\n Hotfrog is a general online directory site. A Hotfrog listing includes your NAP, business hours, business description, and website.<\/p>\n\n Claim your free business listing on Hotfrog<\/a>.<\/p>\n Hotfrog\u2019s user interface is simple, so users can quickly find the businesses they\u2019re looking for. You also get valuable insights from Hotfrog about how users find your business.<\/p>\n Merchant Circle is a general online listing site. A Merchant Circle listing includes your NAP, logo, payment options, business hours, business description, and website.<\/p>\n\n Claim your free business listing on MerchantCircle<\/a>.<\/p>\n What\u2019s great about Merchant Circle is that you can network with other business owners with listings on the site.<\/p>\n EZLocal is a general online directory for a wide variety of local business categories. An EZLocal listing includes your NAP, parking information, business hours, and website.<\/p>\n\n Claim your free business listing on EZLocal<\/a>.<\/p>\n Business listings on EZLocal are often synchronized with other directories, thus improving your visibility on search engines like Google and Bing.<\/p>\n eLocal is a general local directory. An eLocal listing includes your NAP, business description, website, and payment options.<\/p>\n\n Claim your free business listing on eLocal<\/a>.<\/p>\n In addition to free listings, you can pay to have eLocal boost your business to potential customers.<\/p>\n A Manta listing includes your NAP, business hours, services, website, business description, and social media links. You may also apply for Manta verification.<\/p>\n\n Claim your free business listing on Manta<\/a>.<\/p>\n Aside from listing websites, Manta has an all-in-one business management software to help small businesses grow online.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n When listing your business online, you aren\u2018t limited to using the free sites above.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve compiled the best directories on the web for listing your business, whether paid or unpaid (most, however, should be free).<\/p>\n In my years as a local SEO and citation builder, I found most of these relatively easy to sign up on, but a few sites may require additional verification or a pending period. The good news is that there is little to no chance that these sites will reject your listing.<\/p>\n Facebook Pages is one of the best places to list your business online and get visibility through both organic search and Facebook\u2019s internal search feature.<\/p>\n A Facebook Page includes both basic NAP information and updates from your business. With 31% of people<\/a> preferring to use social media for search, you don\u2019t want to neglect your presence there!<\/p>\n\n Create your free business listing on Facebook Pages<\/a>.<\/p>\n Like Facebook, Instagram is another valuable place to list your business\u2019 NAP information for visibility, local SEO, and social media marketing. An Instagram profile will include your business\u2019 NAP information, photos, and updates that you post directly.<\/p>\n\n Create your free business listing on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n LinkedIn offers a directory of business pages (called LinkedIn Pages<\/a>), where most companies and businesses can add a profile for free. Like Facebook and Instagram, you can list your NAP and publish updates and jobs.<\/p>\n Companies are listed alphabetically on the Company Directory landing page, and users can find your business by navigating to \u201cBrowse By\u201d and selecting the first letter of your business name.<\/p>\n\n Create your free business listing on LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p>\n You can also post directly from your LinkedIn business account and get found by over 1 billion LinkedIn users<\/a>.<\/p>\n If people visit your business in person, adding it to navigation apps and services is always a good idea. Apple Maps isn\u2019t technically a business listing site, but it\u2019s still an essential citation. You can now easily get started by using Apple\u2019s new Business Connect portal.<\/p>\n\n Create your free business listing on Apple Maps<\/a>.<\/p>\n Whether you run a restaurant, a local boutique, or a repair shop, Yelp is an invaluable directory to list your business online. It boosts your credibility with customer reviews and provides one more citation with your NAP, business hours, services, and more.<\/p>\n\n Create your free business listing on Yelp<\/a>.<\/p>\n Bing may not feel as essential as Google, but it\u2019s still an important citation, especially because some of your customers might use Bing as their primary search engine. For instance, in China, where Google is banned, Bing is the primary search engine<\/a>.<\/p>\n Adding your business to Bing also allows users to navigate directly to you using Bing Maps.<\/p>\n\n Create your free business listing on Bing Places<\/a>.<\/p>\n Formerly known as Angie\u2019s List, Angi is a valuable citation for home services \u2014 from plumbing to landscaping to maintenance and renovations.<\/p>\n\n Create your free business listing on Angi<\/a>.<\/p>\n Thumbtack is another excellent business directory for providers of home renovation and maintenance services. Other industries that could add a business listing to Thumbtack include electronics repair specialists and web designers.<\/p>\n\n Create your free business listing on Thumbtack<\/a>.<\/p>\n Nextdoor is a neighborhood guide and a free online business directory for local businesses of any category. I especially recommend it if you offer home services or products at a local shop.<\/p>\n\n Create your free business listing on Nextdoor<\/a>.<\/p>\n Zocdoc is an online directory that makes it easy to book appointments with healthcare specialists. I recommend it if you provide healthcare services.<\/p>\n You can set your availability on the website and receive and manage client reviews. The only drawback is that this site is only available in the United States.<\/p>\n\n Create your business listing on Zocdoc<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Those aren\u2019t all the online directories you can join. Below are some of the best options for businesses of any category.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll notice that some of them have low organic traffic numbers. Remember: The main benefit of adding your company to business listing sites is to build citations with your NAP information.<\/p>\n Even if an online directory only receives a few organic visits per month, that\u2019s okay \u2014 the main value is having a listing with your correct name, address, and phone number (NAP).<\/p>\n Don\u2019t worry about upgrading any of these listings. I never did when I was building citations. Most people no longer visit online business directories; instead, they use Google or other popular websites like Yelp.<\/p>\n HubSpot offers an online directory for marketing and advertising agencies. If you fall into this category, I highly recommend signing up for free.<\/p>\n Add your free business listing to HubSpot\u2019s Solutions directory.<\/a><\/p>\n While the traffic numbers here are low, people who visit this directory know precisely what they\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n City-Data is a neighborhood forum and online directory covering the entire U.S. I like how City-Data provides demographic and statistical data. Here, you can find stats like median household income and unemployment percentages.<\/p>\n
\n What is a business listing?<\/a>
\n Free Business Listings<\/a>
\n How I Chose the Best Online Directories<\/a>
\n Best Online Directories for Local Businesses<\/a>
\n Best Business Listing Sites<\/a>
\n Benefits of Listing Your Business in Local Directories<\/a>
\n Before You List Your Site<\/a> <\/p>\nHow I Chose the Best Online Directories<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Domain Rating<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Category<\/strong><\/h3>\n
1. Google Business Profile<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Domain Rating: 92<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Monthly Organic Traffic: 3.5B Visits<\/strong><\/h5>\n
2. Yellow Pages<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nDomain Rating: <\/strong>90<\/strong>
\n<\/h5>\nMonthly Organic Traffic: 2.1M Visits<\/strong><\/h5>\n
3. Foursquare<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Domain Rating: 91<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Monthly Organic Traffic: 6.2M Visits<\/strong><\/h5>\n
4. Better Business Bureau<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Domain Rating: 93<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Monthly Organic Traffic: 7.2M Visits<\/strong><\/h5>\n
5. Superpages<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Domain Rating: 85<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Monthly Organic Traffic: 60K Visits<\/strong><\/h5>\n
6. Hotfrog<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Domain Rating: 80<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Monthly Organic Traffic: 6.2K Visits<\/strong><\/h5>\n
7. Merchant Circle<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Domain Rating: 85<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Monthly Organic Traffic: 12.6K Visits<\/strong><\/h5>\n
8. EZLocal<\/strong>
\n<\/h3>\nDomain Rating: 80<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Monthly Organic Traffic: 8.6K Visits<\/strong><\/h5>\n
9. eLocal<\/strong>
\n<\/h3>\nDomain Rating: 77<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Monthly Organic Traffic: 20.1K Visits<\/strong><\/h5>\n
10. Manta<\/strong>
\n<\/h3>\nDomain Rating: 87<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Monthly Organic Traffic: 412K Visits<\/strong><\/h5>\n
\nBest <\/strong>Online Directories for Local Businesses<\/strong>
\n<\/h2>\n1. Facebook Pages<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Domain Rating: 100<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Monthly Organic Traffic: 1.7B (Facebook.com)<\/strong><\/h5>\n
2. Instagram for Business<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Domain Rating: 99<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Monthly Organic Traffic: 1.6B (Instagram.com)<\/strong><\/h5>\n
3. LinkedIn Company Directory<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Domain Rating: 98<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Monthly Organic Traffic: 7.1K<\/strong><\/h5>\n
4. Apple Maps<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Domain Rating: 97<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Monthly Organic Traffic: 125K<\/strong><\/h5>\n
5. Yelp<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Domain Rating: 95<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Monthly Organic Traffic: 98M<\/strong><\/h5>\n
6. Bing Places<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Domain Rating: 82<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Monthly Organic Traffic: 413K<\/strong><\/h5>\n
7. Angi<\/strong>
\n<\/h3>\nDomain Rating: 90<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Monthly Organic Traffic: 4.3M<\/strong><\/h5>\n
8. Thumbtack<\/strong>
\n<\/h3>\nDomain Rating: 90<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Monthly Organic Traffic: 1M<\/strong><\/h5>\n
9. Nextdoor<\/strong>
\n<\/h3>\nDomain Rating: 90<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Monthly Organic Traffic: 3.8M<\/strong><\/h5>\n
10. Zocdoc<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Domain Rating: 88<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Monthly Organic Traffic: 2.1M<\/strong><\/h5>\n
\nBest <\/strong>Business Listing Sites<\/strong>
\n<\/h2>\n1. HubSpot Solutions Online Directory<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Domain Rating: 93<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Monthly Organic Traffic: 100 Visits<\/strong><\/h5>\n
2. City-<\/strong>Data<\/strong>
\n<\/h3>\nDomain Rating: 84<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Monthly Organic Traffic: 730K<\/strong><\/h5>\n