Top Free Business Directories and Listings in the US

Let’s be honest; the internet is a noisy place. A lot of brands are trying to get your attention, but only a few of them do.

This is the truth: your business is invisible if it doesn't show up where people are looking.

That’s where business directories come in.

They're not just outdated online phone books. They are strong platforms that help the search engine (Google) and your customers know that your business is real, exists, and is worth trusting.

Getting your business listed in trusted directories can make a big difference in how visible and authoritative it is, whether you run a coffee shop, a plumbing service, or a law office.

How can I get my business listed on free citation sites in the US?

It doesn't have to be that complicated to get your business listed. You can get free listings on high-authority sites that bring real customers your way if you take a few smart steps. Here’s a quick plan:

Start with Major Players
Start with the "Big Four" directories: Yelp, Google Business Profile, Apple Maps, and Facebook. These sites are the most popular for maps and search results, and anyone can join them for free.

Profile for Google Business: To verify your business by postcard, phone, or email, go to google.com/business, sign in with your Google account, and follow the instructions.

Apple Business Connect: To claim your Apple Maps listing, go to businessconnect.apple.com.

Page for a Business on Facebook: Go to facebook.com/business to make or claim your page. Then, add your contact information and turn on the reviews.

Yelp for Owners of Businesses: You can add your profile, upload photos, and manage reviews on biz.yelp.com.

Audit your NAP Consistency
Check that your Name, Address, and Phone (NAP) are the same on all platforms before you list them. Search engines can get confused by even small differences, like "St." vs. "Street."

Add Full Details
Don't stop with just the basics. Add your:
Type of business
Description (with real keywords)
Pictures and videos
Hours of business
Links to websites and social media

Submit to Secondary Directories
After your main profiles are up and running, you should add them to other free, high-quality directories like Foursquare, YellowPages, and ChamberofCommerce.com. You can find more citation opportunities based on your industry and location with tools like BrightLocal, Moz Local, or Whitespark.

Verify, Monitor and Update Regularly
A lot of directories need you to verify your email or phone number. After your listings are approved, check them every few months to make sure the information is up to date, respond to reviews, and get rid of duplicates. This consistency keeps your SEO signals strong and new.

Start with Major Players
Start with the "Big Four" directories: Yelp, Google Business Profile, Apple Maps, and Facebook. These sites are the most popular for maps and search results, and anyone can join them for free.

Profile for Google Business: To verify your business by postcard, phone, or email, go to google.com/business, sign in with your Google account, and follow the instructions.

Apple Business Connect: To claim your Apple Maps listing, go to businessconnect.apple.com.

Page for a Business on Facebook: Go to facebook.com/business to make or claim your page. Then, add your contact information and turn on the reviews.

Yelp for Owners of Businesses: You can add your profile, upload photos, and manage reviews on biz.yelp.com.

Audit your NAP Consistency
Check that your Name, Address, and Phone (NAP) are the same on all platforms before you list them. Search engines can get confused by even small differences, like "St." vs. "Street."

Add Full Details
Don't stop with just the basics. Add your:
Type of business
Description (with real keywords)
Pictures and videos
Hours of business
Links to websites and social media

Submit to Secondary Directories
After your main profiles are up and running, you should add them to other free, high-quality directories like Foursquare, YellowPages, and ChamberofCommerce.com. You can find more citation opportunities based on your industry and location with tools like BrightLocal, Moz Local, or Whitespark.

Verify, Monitor and Update Regularly
A lot of directories need you to verify your email or phone number. After your listings are approved, check them every few months to make sure the information is up to date, respond to reviews, and get rid of duplicates. This consistency keeps your SEO signals strong and new.

Start with Major Players
Start with the "Big Four" directories: Yelp, Google Business Profile, Apple Maps, and Facebook. These sites are the most popular for maps and search results, and anyone can join them for free.

Profile for Google Business: To verify your business by postcard, phone, or email, go to google.com/business, sign in with your Google account, and follow the instructions.

Apple Business Connect: To claim your Apple Maps listing, go to businessconnect.apple.com.

Page for a Business on Facebook: Go to facebook.com/business to make or claim your page. Then, add your contact information and turn on the reviews.

Yelp for Owners of Businesses: You can add your profile, upload photos, and manage reviews on biz.yelp.com.

Audit your NAP Consistency
Check that your Name, Address, and Phone (NAP) are the same on all platforms before you list them. Search engines can get confused by even small differences, like "St." vs. "Street."

Add Full Details
Don't stop with just the basics. Add your:
Type of business
Description (with real keywords)
Pictures and videos
Hours of business
Links to websites and social media

Submit to Secondary Directories
After your main profiles are up and running, you should add them to other free, high-quality directories like Foursquare, YellowPages, and ChamberofCommerce.com. You can find more citation opportunities based on your industry and location with tools like BrightLocal, Moz Local, or Whitespark.

Verify, Monitor and Update Regularly
A lot of directories need you to verify your email or phone number. After your listings are approved, check them every few months to make sure the information is up to date, respond to reviews, and get rid of duplicates. This consistency keeps your SEO signals strong and new.

How Do We Make This Thing Useful?

Look, this isn't rocket science. You don't have to hire a fancy design agency. Step one is simple: Be Human. Ditch the robotic "404 Error" text. Try something light and real, like "Whoops! Looks like this page is packed in its bags." That’s immediately better.

Step two is the most critical move: Give Them a Way Out. They are currently stranded. Don't leave them there. All you need are a handful of simple features:

The Lifeline: A huge, unmissable search bar and a clear link straight back to your homepage. Standard procedure.

The Bait: Use that space to feature your trending products or your best, stickiest blog posts. It's a second chance to catch their eye.

The Safety Net: Throw in a contact form or, even better, an instant-response chatbot. If they're truly lost and frustrated, they can get help instantly. That’s premium customer service.

You aren't building a whole new website here, just putting up a few helpful signposts.

Step two is the most critical move: Give Them a Way Out. They are currently stranded. Don't leave them there. All you need are a handful of simple features:

The Lifeline: A huge, unmissable search bar and a clear link straight back to your homepage. Standard procedure.

The Bait: Use that space to feature your trending products or your best, stickiest blog posts. It's a second chance to catch their eye.

The Safety Net: Throw in a contact form or, even better, an instant-response chatbot. If they're truly lost and frustrated, they can get help instantly. That’s premium customer service.

You aren't building a whole new website here, just putting up a few helpful signposts.

Step two is the most critical move: Give Them a Way Out. They are currently stranded. Don't leave them there. All you need are a handful of simple features:

The Lifeline: A huge, unmissable search bar and a clear link straight back to your homepage. Standard procedure.

The Bait: Use that space to feature your trending products or your best, stickiest blog posts. It's a second chance to catch their eye.

The Safety Net: Throw in a contact form or, even better, an instant-response chatbot. If they're truly lost and frustrated, they can get help instantly. That’s premium customer service.

You aren't building a whole new website here, just putting up a few helpful signposts.

Nitty-Gritty Technical Stuff

Making a nice, user-friendly page is essential for the people, but these two fixes are what really get you points with Google:

301 Redirects are Your Friend: If you deleted a piece of content, but you know exactly where the new, relevant stuff is, for heaven's sake, don't let the old link hit a 404. Set up a 301 permanent redirect. This sends the user and more importantly, the SEO juice of the old page right to the new one. It’s a must.

You Need to Track This: How can you fix it if you don't see it? You need to actively monitor all those 404 errors in Google Analytics and Google Search Console. This data is gold. It instantly tells you which specific links are dead so you can prioritize setting up those 301s or fixing any broken links you have internally.

Making a nice, user-friendly page is essential for the people, but these two fixes are what really get you points with Google:

301 Redirects are Your Friend: If you deleted a piece of content, but you know exactly where the new, relevant stuff is, for heaven's sake, don't let the old link hit a 404. Set up a 301 permanent redirect. This sends the user and more importantly, the SEO juice of the old page right to the new one. It’s a must.

You Need to Track This: How can you fix it if you don't see it? You need to actively monitor all those 404 errors in Google Analytics and Google Search Console. This data is gold. It instantly tells you which specific links are dead so you can prioritize setting up those 301s or fixing any broken links you have internally.

Making a nice, user-friendly page is essential for the people, but these two fixes are what really get you points with Google:

301 Redirects are Your Friend: If you deleted a piece of content, but you know exactly where the new, relevant stuff is, for heaven's sake, don't let the old link hit a 404. Set up a 301 permanent redirect. This sends the user and more importantly, the SEO juice of the old page right to the new one. It’s a must.

You Need to Track This: How can you fix it if you don't see it? You need to actively monitor all those 404 errors in Google Analytics and Google Search Console. This data is gold. It instantly tells you which specific links are dead so you can prioritize setting up those 301s or fixing any broken links you have internally.

The Best Business Listing Sites

In the following Top Citation Sites Hub, you’ll discover the very best business listing sites to use for the local citation-building aspect of your SEO plan.

We’ve created different lists of the top sites for a variety of industries and locations, so you can discover the best options for your business.

In the following Top Citation Sites Hub, you’ll discover the very best business listing sites to use for the local citation-building aspect of your SEO plan.

We’ve created different lists of the top sites for a variety of industries and locations, so you can discover the best options for your business.

In the following Top Citation Sites Hub, you’ll discover the very best business listing sites to use for the local citation-building aspect of your SEO plan.

We’ve created different lists of the top sites for a variety of industries and locations, so you can discover the best options for your business.