Business Listing Websites: What to Check Before You Trust One

The first thing to check on business listing websites is whether anyone is maintaining them. Look for stale listings, closed businesses still shown as active, and duplicate profiles. Those are signs the directory is unmanaged and the listings are not checked.

A maintained directory removes what does not belong. Business listing websites that let expired profiles sit for years are not doing the work, and the results are less trustworthy because of it.

A directory's categories tell you whether it understands the industry. Business listing websites with generic categories that could apply to any business probably do not serve your industry well. Categories that describe real distinctions within the service are a better sign.

That category quality is what separates a useful directory from a link farm. Business listing websites built around one industry get the categories right because they only have to serve that one industry.

A directory run by a real operator with a portfolio of sites is more accountable than an anonymous listing site. Business listing websites operated as part of a network have someone responsible for keeping them clean, which is the difference between a directory and a dumping ground.

Directory Holdings runs its portfolio that way: each site maintained, each category specific, and each listing accountable to an operator who cares whether it is right.