22 Business Directories You Need to Use
Business listings help search engine users find your business, increase your search engine rankings, and provide confidence for potential customers.
There are many types of online business listings. Some are lists, while other are located in maps, or on search engine results pages.There are hundreds of online directories, many of which you probably have never heard of. Let's start with the top 22 places your business information should be included.First, you have to make sure that your company name, address, phone, website URL and email address are exactly the same in all your listings. Develop a concise business description that utilizes your main keywords for the listings that allow a business description.
5 CATEGORIES OF BUSINESS LISTINGS
1. Search Engines and Maps:
Google Business Profile (for local Businesses) https://www.google.com/business/
Google Maps (if you’re not a local business, open Google Maps, right click on map, select “add your business” from the drop down).
Apple Maps: https://register.apple.com/placesonmaps/
Bing Places: https://www.bingplaces.com/
Yahoo. Yahoo uses Yext for their business listing services. Yext will try to get you to pay for a business listing, however you do not need to do this. Eric Shanfelt of Local Marketing Institute published a useful how-to article on listing your business for free on Yext: https://localmarketinginstitute.com/yahoo-free-business-listing/
2. Broad Business Directories
Alignable https://www.alignable.com/
Better Business Bureau (listing is free, accreditation cost has set up fee and annual fee based on employee count)
Hubspot Directory https://offers.hubspot.com/solutions-directory-listing
Crunchbase https://www.crunchbase.com/home
3. Local Business Directories
Yelp listinghttps://business.yelp.com/
Trip Advisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/Owners
Next Door https://nextdoor.com/create-business?
Merchant Circle https://www.merchantcircle.com/signup#step=stepOne
Local.com https://www.local.com/
WhitePages (to list your business with WhitePages, enter your business info into Data-Axle and wait for it to show up in White Pages)
4. Data Aggregators
FourSquare: https://foursquare.com/venue/claim
Data-Axel: https://local-listings.data-axle.com/search?query=house%20nine%20portland%20oregon
5. Social Media
Linkedin
Facebook Business Page
Instagram Professional Account
Twitter
TikTok
6. Voice Search
By covering the above directories, you will be well covered for voice searches. The voice search solutions such as Siri, Alexa and others use a combination of the directories above.
Most businesses do not change their basic business information often. If you do change your business information (name, address, location, contact info, etc), make sure you update all the listings that your business is included in!Also, it’s important to reply to comments and interact with your users on your business listings. Upload photos, mitigate negative reviews, and provide helpful responses to questions. Business listings are another great opportunity to communicate with your customers.