You chaps and dames in the UK may drive on the wrong side of the road and confuse beer with cocoa (only one of which should be served warm!), but at least the challenge of getting a business visible in Google Places is the same across the pond as it is here in the States.
OK, fine, so maybe even the Google Places / local-search-visibility puzzle is different in the UK from how it is here. That is, you need to list your business on different third-party sites in order to get maximum local visibility (which isn’t news to you).
The first step, of course, is to know what those third-party sites are.
Enough of me mates have asked me to cough up my list of UK local-search citation sources. It’s about bloody time I do so.
Here’s the full monty:
(extra-important sites in bold)
118.com (www.118.com/user/login.mvc?view=AddListing)
118Information.co.uk (www.my118information.co.uk/Search.aspx)
123Bang.com (www.123bang.com/add.php)
AgentLocal.co.uk (www.agentlocal.co.uk/add-business)
ApprovedBusiness.co.uk (www.approvedbusiness.co.uk/register.aspx)
BizWiki.co.uk (www.bizwiki.co.uk/write.htm)
Britaine.co.uk (www.britaine.co.uk/add)
BTLinks.com (www.btlinks.com/advertise.htm)
BusinessNetwork.co.uk (businessnetwork.co.uk/register/)
BView.co.uk (www.bview.co.uk/accounts/preregister.html)
City-Listings.co.uk (www.city-listings.co.uk/add_listing/service)
City-Visitor.com (add listing from homepage)
CityLocal.co.uk (www.citylocal.co.uk/changelocation-all.php?type=business)
CompaniesintheUK.co.uk (www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/AddCompany/AddCompany)
Cylex-UK.co.uk (www.admin.cylex-uk.co.uk/firma_default.aspx?step=0&d=cylex-uk.co.uk)
Fortuna.co.uk (www.fortuna.co.uk/Login/AddUser.aspx)
FreeIndex.co.uk (www.freeindex.co.uk/myfreeindex(display-details).htm)
Fyple.co.uk (www.fyple.co.uk/add-business/)
GoMy.co.uk (www.gomy.co.uk/signup/faccountinfo)
HotFrog.co.uk (www.hotfrog.co.uk/AddYourBusiness.aspx)
It2.biz (http://it2.biz/d/Advertise)
Local.TrueKnowledge.com (www.local.trueknowledge.com/add_business/)
LocalDataCompany.com (www.localdatasearch.com/edit-business.php)
LocalDataSearch.com (www.localdatasearch.com/edit-business.php)
LocalMole.co.uk (www.business.localmole.co.uk/enquiry)
LocalLife.co.uk (pick a city, then find the “Add” button in the top-right)
LocaTrade.com (www.locatrade.com/business.php)
Manta.com (www.manta.com/world/Europe/United+Kingdom/)
MarketLocation.com (www.marketlocation.com/data.php)
MisterWhat.co.uk (www.misterwhat.co.uk/content/add-company)
MySheriff.co.uk (http://www.mysheriff.co.uk/users/)
Opendi.co.uk (www.opendi.co.uk/entry/add/step-1.html)
Qype.co.uk (www.qype.co.uk/business_users/find?qlb_path=HeaderB1)
Scoot.co.uk (www.scoot.co.uk/advertise/free-listing.html)
SmileLocal.com (www.smilelocal.com/get_listed.php)
TheBestof.co.uk (add listing from homepage)
TheDirectTree.com (www.thedirecttree.com/the-direct-tree/free-premium-listing)
TheDiscDirectory.co.uk (www.workingfeedback.co.uk/the-disc-directory-new-listing-request/)
ThomsonLocal.com (www.thomsonlocal.com/free-listing.aspx)
Tipped.co.uk (www.tipped.co.uk/login)
TouchLocal.co.uk (www.stings.touchlocal.com/touch/)
UFindUs.com (www.ufindus.com/get_on_ufindus.php)
UK.MerchantCircle.com (www.uk.merchantcircle.com/signup/)
UK.Uhuw.com (www.uk.uhuw.com/logon?ReturnUrl=%2faddbusiness)
UK.WowCity.com (www.uk.wowcity.com/login_register.php)
UK-Local-Search.co.uk (www.uk-local-search.co.uk/add-listing.aspx)
UKSmallBusinessDirectory.co.uk (www.uksmallbusinessdirectory.co.uk/advertising/free.asp)
UpMyStreet.com (www.upmystreet.com/findmynearest/premium-listing/free-business.html)
Wampit.com (http://www.wampit.com/individual_register.aspx)
WheresBest.co.uk (www.wheresbest.co.uk/claim-venue.php)
WhoseView.co.uk (www.whoseview.co.uk/claim-your-business-1.html)
Yell.com (www.yell.com/free-listing/)
Yelp.co.uk (www.biz.yelp.co.uk/)
Zettai.net (www.zettai.net/Add/add.php)
Now comes the fun part: listing your business on all the above sites. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, links to the “Add business” pages are on the right, so at least you don’t have to hunt around for them.
I’ve added all of the sites to my Definitive List of Local Search Citations as well—where they mingle with their Yank counterparts.
Last but not least, credit goes to David Mihm for listing a number of these sites in a great blog post he did a few years ago on top UK citation sources.
I’m sure I’ve missed quite a few, so please leave a comment if you have any sites to suggest.
Cheers!
Hi Phil
Truly appreciate the extent of your selfless sharing of valuable information. This will save me hours of work trying to find UK citation sites when I set up my own UK entity . Highlighting the main ones are even more of a godsend. Many, many thanks again for all your insights.
Capital effort old boy
All the very best to you and yours over the the festive season.
Warmly
JasRoy
@JasRoy,
Not a problem, mate! Thanks for your compliments. I tend to compile lists like this for my own purposes and clients anyway, so simply posting one isn’t too much work.
I’d be interested in any of your suggestions for other sites or for how to improve the current list.
Hope you and yours have a great Holiday season, too!
One of the fastest growing business directories is Wampit.com now in UK, USA, AU, EU and CA
They include video and your twitter feed for free in their listings
Looks good; I’ve added Wampit. Thanks for the tip!
Useful list! From time to time we get down to see what kind of online business directories are out there, draw a table and analyze statistics a bit.
http://cylexuk.blogspot.com/2011/11/online-business-directories-in-2011.html
Hey, thanks for the compliments! That’s a very handy table you’ve created.