Business.com aims to help business owners make informed decisions to support and grow their companies. We research and recommend products and services suitable for various business types, investing thousands of hours each year in this process.
As a business, we need to generate revenue to sustain our content. We have financial relationships with some companies we cover, earning commissions when readers purchase from our partners or share information about their needs. These relationships do not dictate our advice and recommendations. Our editorial team independently evaluates and recommends products and services based on their research and expertise. Learn more about our process and partners here.
These websites allow you to list your business for free. Here’s why you should list your business in online directories and how to do it effectively.
In the digital age, it’s essential to ensure that your company’s name, contact details and services are available on numerous listing websites. Major platforms such as Yelp and Google Business Profile yield significant visitor traffic, making them ideal spots to showcase your business.
Although it’s crucial to have your business on these high-traffic listing websites, smaller listing platforms can also serve as avenues for your company to attract new clientele. Many listing websites don’t charge to post your company’s details. Enhancing your company’s online presence on these listing websites could unlock your next significant business opportunity.
Are you eager to amplify your business’s brand awareness and get featured on the most relevant listing websites and search engines? Here’s a compilation of the top 50 listing websites where you can showcase your business for free. After the list, you’ll find some tips for optimizing your profiles on listing websites.
Expand your business reach with Yelp. This business listing behemoth touts more than 74 million monthly visitors, and a Yelp study found that 57 percent of users contact a business they found on Yelp within one day.
After adding or claiming your business on this listing website, you can keep your page updated, respond to feedback, view analytics and leverage advanced promotional tools. Businesses with complete Yelp business pages (those with a photo, website, phone number, business hours and other relevant information) receive an average of 7.6 times more page views per month than businesses without those details do, the study found.
Interact with your audience on Google without incurring any charges. This listing website offers more than just a business profile; your free profile lets you connect with customers easily across Google Search and Maps. This is great for visibility: Birdeye reported that verified Google Business Profiles receive about 200 interactions per month, and nearly half (48 percent) of these interactions are website clicks.
Add your business to Bing for free and help online customers discover your business, or claim your profile if Bing has already listed your business. For businesses with multiple branches, Bing offers a bulk upload tool.
Here are 50 websites where you can list your business information for free. Keep in mind that some of these websites cater to specific industries. Using listing websites that match your industry will help the right customers find your business.
1. Angi | 11. Cybo | 21. Here.com | 31. Opendi | 41. Turbify |
12. Cylex | 22. HomeAdvisor | 32. SalesSpider | 42. USCity | |
13. Data Axle | 23. Hotfrog | 33. ShowMeLocal | 43. USdirectory | |
4. Bing | 24. iBegin.com | 34. Sitejabber | 44. White Pages | |
15. Dun & Bradstreet | 25. Insider Pages | 35. Superpages | ||
16. eLocal | 26. Jayde | 46. Yellowbook | ||
17. EZlocal | 27. LinkedIn | 37. Thomasnet | 47. YellowBot | |
8. Citysearch | 18. Facebook | 28. Manta | 38. Thumbtack | 48. Yelp |
19. Foursquare | 39. Tripadvisor | 49. Yext by Mapquest | ||
10. CitySquares | 20. Google | 40. Trustpilot | 50. YP |
Listing your business on prominent listing websites can significantly boost your online visibility. Each of these listing websites may have its own unique process, but the general steps to get your business listed are often similar. Here’s a guide to help you navigate the process on most listing websites.
Your business may already have a placeholder page on some listing websites. They are often incomplete profiles that either the platform itself or a user has created to ensure your business has some presence in their directory.
If your business doesn’t have a profile on the listing website yet, it’s easy to make one.
“Businesses can create free accounts and list their business on free listing websites by providing information such as [their] name, website, address, phone number, social media handles and contact persons,” Shraddha Mehta, founder of the digital marketing agency Skysail Digital, told us. “Typically, most [websites] require a phone number to validate, while some … ask for a video record to prove the existence and legitimacy of a business.”
After you claim or create your business page on listing websites, it’s crucial to provide comprehensive and up-to-date information to ensure potential customers get a full picture of your business. Include the following business details:
Karl Blaza, founder of the digital marketing company G10 Digital, emphasized the importance of reviewing this information regularly.
“Something that’s often overlooked is keeping on top of NAP (name, address and phone number),” Blaza said. “It’s important that these are consistent across the internet, so update them across listings if they ever change. If it is too time-consuming or you’re unsure where you’re listed, you can hire companies to do it on your behalf.”
Given the open nature of the internet, it’s conceivable for someone to falsely claim your business profile on listing websites. To prevent that, the platforms require a verification step that ensures you are the legitimate owner of the business. Typically, that involves receiving a unique code via text, email or a phone call, which you then input on the listing website to confirm your identity.
To maximize the benefits of the listing websites, follow the checklist below. It will ensure that your presence on the platforms enhances your visibility for mobile and local internet searches.
Blaza suggested going beyond reviews and building on your listing with other additions. “If a listing drives traffic, keep it updated with [your] latest products or case studies, and encourage reviews,” Blaza said. “A well-looked-after listing will stand out compared to a poorly maintained one.”
Below are some of the numerous benefits of registering your business on listing websites, social media platforms and review sites.
In the pre-internet era, businesses relied on phone books, newspaper ads, and other forms of traditional offline marketing and advertising to make themselves known. In the online era, however, no marketing plan is complete without maximizing your online presence. It’s essential to establish a business profile on every conceivable listing website, review platform and social media site.
Building as many listings as possible “creates footprints on the internet about the presence of a business and its digital and physical information,” Mehta said. “Users are able to look up and find businesses via these listings. These listings also get indexed in search engines and often appear in results when users search for services or businesses.”
Local search engine optimization (SEO) is important to the success of businesses that target an audience in a specific geographic region. Without a proper presence on listing websites, your business may fail to reach a potential customer who could travel minutes from their home to get what they need from your company. To ensure your business stands out locally, prioritize its presence on the listing websites mentioned.
“Listing sites send some local SEO signals to Google, which will help boost visibility for local queries,” Blaza said.
Want potential customers to know when your store is open, how to get in touch, what services you provide, and how much other customers trust you? Listing websites are instrumental in disseminating such crucial information. They allow businesses to share their hours of operation, contact information and addresses on platforms where users can search for businesses based on their specialty, location and ratings.
Even customers who ultimately choose another business over yours or don’t click your link will see your business’s name on the listing websites. That cements your brand’s reputation in potential customers’ minds ― especially if your ratings are high ― and increases the chances that they’ll choose you in the future.
If you’re looking to get noticed by a wider audience or reach members of your local community, listing websites are a great (and free) place to start. The 50 sites listed above give you an effective way to improve your chances that your audience finds you online. Plus, all of these websites are free to use, so the risk is minimal — and the return on investment could be sky-high.
Skye Schooley contributed to this article.