Don’t Discount These 6 Business Directories & Social Sites

Julie Miller

October 16, 2018

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How visible is your business online, really?

You have no doubt established a presence on major social networks, like Facebook and LinkedIn, but what about lesser-known web directories that nevertheless draw millions of unique monthly visitors?

These six are worth a closer look. Are you on any already?

1. MerchantCircle

MerchantCircle is an effective local search directory for consumer-facing businesses. While it doesn’t have the visibility of Yelp or the credibility of Groupon (see below), it is quite useful for small businesses with small marketing budgets and constrained web presences. As this MerchantCircle search results page indicates, many businesses that would otherwise fail to rank well for common search terms enjoy outsize visibility here.

2. Crunchbase

Crunchbase is a well-trafficked database for B2B and B2C businesses — as well as their principals. Its international scope allows family-operated service firms such as Asia-Pacific based Asiaciti Trust to reach audiences within and without their trade areas, boosting credibility and establishing new sales channels in the process.

3. Groupon

It may finally be time to change how we think of Groupon.

The site that started the daily deal revolution served that purpose well, but the market has moved on. Today’s Groupon bears little resemblance to Groupon in its late-aughts, early-teens heyday.

This is not to say that Groupon has no value for consumer-facing businesses. It remains one of the most heavily-trafficked websites in the United States, and its mobile app includes powerful local search functions that rival Yelp’s. While it is unwise to expect your next Groupon promotion to pay for itself, the mere fact of its existence may do much to burnish your brand.

4. Manta

Yelp and MerchantCircle are not the only local search directories worth exploring. Though it has fewer interactive features, Manta is a no less potent platform for consumer-facing businesses with multiple discrete locations. It’s particularly useful for larger chains looking to crowd out competitors in local search rankings, and it’s easy to scale: aside from the address and contact details, this Five Guys Burgers & Fries Manta listing in Maryland is basically identical to corresponding listings from New Jersey to Washington State.

5. Better Business Bureau

Like Groupon, the Better Business Bureau of today bears little resemblance to the BBB of yore. These days, BBB is less an impartial business vetting organization than a sounding board for consumers sharing positive, negative, and neutral experiences with listing vendors. An active, well-managed BBB presence dramatically increases marketplace credibility.

6. YP.com

Americans of a certain age remember the Yellow Pages, the ubiquitous commercial phone book. Now that virtually every consumer-oriented business has a website, YP.com has reinvented itself as a local search hub. With even fewer frills than Manta, YP.com’s primary value is as a near-automatic first-page rank for your company’s exact-match search terms. Like Manta, it’s also an effective aid for multi-location chains in major markets, as this roundup of Indianapolis-area Chipotle restaurants shows.

What’s Your Favorite Corporate Directory Site?

Do not over-interpret the absence of your favorite corporate directory site or social platform from the above list. Dozens of such sites and platforms exist; all offer value for one user group or another. Ultimately, you and your associates are best-positioned to determine the relative usefulness of a particular web asset — and to decide whether that asset is worth investing in.