The Importance of Online Directories and Proper Directory Management in 2020

With thousands of companies all competing for customers’ dollars and attention, how are you going to get heard? One tool is through online business directories.
Twenty years ago, companies had to buy ad space in the local Yellow Pages to get noticed. Now, however, business directories are digital, and instead of one or two, there are hundreds.
Beyond just Google My Business there are many other directories that are imperative for digital marketing and driving traffic. Not only should you be listed in all these directories, but you also need to ensure these listings are consistent.
Here are some of the most important 70+ directories in the market today. 

1. 2findlocal: Yext described this as, “a local search directory that helps connect searchers with relevant deals in their area. In addition to helping business owners post deals on their products and services, 2findlocal provides consumers a unique way to discover local businesses by enabling them to see what searches are trending in their town.”
2. 8coupons: 8cupons send people coupons and alert them to deals in their local area.
3. ABLocal: This is a local directory, but unlike most, it’s curated which means that it only shows the best businesses, not all of them.
4. AirYell: This is an app that not only provides listings but will also give users directions to local businesses.
5. Allonesearch: This search directory gives in-depth information on different companies. You can search by category or by the search bar, finding, “millions of businesses all with one search.”
6. Amazon Alexa: Alexa is a voice assistant on Amazon devices similar to Siri. Users can ask it questions such as, “Where are local Chinese Restaurants?”
7. AmericanTowns: This “digital town-square” has information, not just on businesses but on local events and venues. They also publish articles such as “The 10 Best Bookstores in Nashville.”
8. Apple: Apple Maps is primarily a navigation app, but people also use it to find businesses. With how popular iPhones are, you won’t want to miss out on this.
9. AroundMe: This app will show you all the businesses that are around you. You can find the nearest bank or restaurant.
10. Avantar: “Avantar is a local search company that operates a suite of phone directory apps including Yellow Pages and White & Yellow Pages, as well as the Movies search apps Showtimes and One Tap Movies.”
11. Bing Places for Business: This is Bing’s version of Google My Business. Bing may not be as popular as Google (who controls an astonishing 90% of the market), but it’s still the default for Internet Explorer.
12. Bizwiki: “Bizwiki is a free directory of businesses published online. Bizwiki.com aims to become one of the largest, most comprehensive directories of US business on the Web.”
13. Brownbook.net: Brownbook is like Wikipedia in that anyone can edit listings in its database. According to Search Engine Journal, “it receives around 100,000 visits per month.”
14. ChamberofCommerce.com: “ChamberofCommerce.com is a platform that helps small businesses grow by allowing our members to promote themselves using effective tools and features on the Chamber website.”
15. Citysearch: This website helps people find businesses near them.
16. CitySquares: A directory that helps small businesses compete. According to CitySquares’ website, “CitySquares provides small, independent businesses an opportunity to reach a qualified, local consumer audience through a profile on its highly trafficked, consumer-facing website. CitySquares provides its content to users in a hyper-local context, that is, neighborhoods and other relevant localities.”
17. Credibility Review: According to Yext, “Dun & Bradstreet’s Credibility Review includes over 20M business records in one directory. Credibility Review provides its users with unique insights, with a focus on business credit reports, competitive landscape, industry benchmarks, company revenue, and much more.”
18. DexKnows: “Dexknows.com is the expert when it comes to online business listings. Each month, we help connect millions of consumers with local businesses and provide them with the information they’re looking for—from phone numbers and driving directions to ratings, reviews, and special offers.”
19. Facebook: If you don’t have a Facebook page, you’re missing out on a community so massive that if it were a country, it would be the world’s largest. By a lot. It may not be as popular as it once was, but Facebook has over 2 billion monthly users.
20. Yahoo!: Like Bing, Yahoo may not be as large as Google, but it’s still a search engine people use and a good source of potential traffic.
21. Yelp: This site is most famous for its reviews. Yelp lists businesses and allows customers to leave reviews and score them from one to five. According to their site, there have been 192 million reviews as of June 2019, and there are 77 million monthly unique mobile users. It is free for businesses to use.
22. Yellow Pages: Just like in 1990, your business should be listed in the Yellow Pages, except that now, the Yellow Pages are online (and not yellow). It’s free to use. Also, according to the Search Engine Journal, “60 million people visit YP.com every month, 91 percent of whom contact a business within 24 hours.” Thus, this site has a great conversion rate.

There are many others including Banks.com, Cylex, eLocal, EZlocal, Factual, Find Open, Foursquare, GetFave, GoLocal247, Google My Business, HERE, HotFrog, iBegin, iGlobal, Insider Pages, Local.com, LocalDatabase, LocalPages, LocalStack, MapQuest, MerchantCircle, My Local Services, n49, Navmii, Opendi, Pitney Bowes, Pointcom, Postmates, pr.business, Property Capsule, ShowMeLocal, Snapchat, Soleo, Superpages, Telenav, The Internet Chamber of Commerce, TomTom, TripAdvisor, Tupalo, Uber, USCity.net, VotefortheBest, Waze, Where To?, White & Yellow Pages, Yalwa, Yandex, YaSabe, YellowMoxie, YellowPageCity, YellowPagesGoesGreen, and Zomato.
It is imperative to be found in these various different online directories.  People are always searching!  Not only will you get in front of searchers in these directories if your business is listed, you will also get a high-profile backlink to your own website for each that does!  But it can be tricky to get them all updated, with the traditional method of mailing verification codes and two-way authorizations and the like for each directory.  If that sounds like a lot of work, there’s no need to fret – JLB will handle directory management services for you, adding your business to all the directories above; contact us today and let’s get started!