Today, when you want to look for a new establishment to shop or a local service provider, you would only need to sit on your desktop and search on Google to find them. As of now, not having an online presence is like putting your business in the middle of a desert – away from everybody else. You need to expose your business to everyone, and a good way to do that is through the use of business directories.
These directories not only gives you a new platform in which your business can be found, they also contribute to your local SEO rankings which you will greatly need if you want to show up more in Google’s localized search results. There are a so many business directories out there and as much as you can, you need to list your business on all of them. Here are fifty of the best business directories as of today.
Top Local Business Directories

This is the undisputed business directory, for number of reasons. It features a very detailed profile section which will also show up whenever your viewers look at your profile. It has a review system, in which your viewers or previous clients can write a thing or two about your business. This is very important as those reviews also count as customer referrals.
Another great thing about it is that when you’ve finished inputting all the necessary details like your business NAP (Name, Address and Phone number), those details will show up on Google Maps and your business address will be pinpointed directly on it. Finally, all the details that you’ve supplied your Google+ Business profile will show up on Google Search – the map pack, the reviews with the ratings, everything.
Bing

This is another preferred online directory and should be added on your list as well. Bing’s online directory has a couple of similarities with Google’s such as the capability to input multiple locations all at once, for businesses with a couple of branches to manage.
Yahoo

Available on basic and Localworks, you can either index your website by paying Yahoo or not. As for their premium services, using it will guarantee you a citation of your business in more than fifty local directories and allows you to modify your listings even more. You can also provide updates much easier and track the progress of your citation campaigns.
Yelp

Yelp is also a major key player in the local business field. It is basically a review site of various establishments ranging from hotels, home services, automotive and a lot more. Users can post interactive reviews of a certain establishment and then it will show up on the most recent feeds of the website. These reviews can speak volumes to any establishments so listing down your website here is already a benefit to you.
Merchant Circle

This is a free business listing website where a business owner can modify the listing, including the reviews to suit his/her preferences. That means they can put the positive ones first while leaving the negative ones buried deep. While this may not be as good as the other directories, listing your website here would still be great regardless.

This is an online business directory and social networking site rolled into one. While it focuses more on the users, LinkedIn also has the option of listing own ones business by adding a company page – the user will need an official LinkedIn account first though.
Yellowpages

This is a reputed local business directory that only caters within the U.S territory.