Directory submission, the process of listing your business on web directories, is a very effective SEO and internet marketing technique.

There are several benefits of directory submissions. It can be equally effective for promoting your business internationally as well as in the local market. According to a report by Borrell and Associates (a media research group) in March 2012, online directories have a 12.6% share of the $19 billion local online advertising pie. This is one of the largest shares of the local online advertising revenue out of all options for small businesses.

There are thousands of online business directories where you can list your business. These include global, local as well as niche directories that target specific industries e.g. web design directories.

Here are 5 business directories targeting UK businesses.

1. Yell.com

Google PageRank – 7
Alexa Traffic Rank – 3,104

Yell is one the leading online business directories with over 6 million monthly users. Yell.com allows both free and paid business listings. Prices of paid listings range from £300 to £600 depending on the business category. According to several reports the search term “yellow pages” was in the top 5 highest revenue generator of all search terms in Google’s AdWords program in 2010.

2. Business Directory UK

Google PageRank – 5
Alexa Traffic Rank – 53,683

Established in 1999, Business Directory UK – covers England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It offers a free business listing for UK businesses and companies on search engine friendly, high PR pages. Paid featured listing on UK Business Directory offers great value for money and is much cheaper than others. The site claims to have the second highest referrals after yell.com.

3. UK Small Business Directory

Google PageRank- 5,
Alexa Traffic Rank- 43,260

Based in Warwickshire, this is a Free Business Directory providing free advertising, free business listings, local business search and Free Online Advertising with an option to upgrade if required. If you are a small business in the UK or an international business targeting customers in UK, this is the right website to promote your business. The directory has more than two hundred categories and more than two thousands professionals and business listings.

4. Free Index

Google PageRank – 5
Alexa Traffic Rank – 6,803

Free Index is an established and in-depth business directory and can prove to be an excellent source of traffic and publicity if used correctly. The site offers a number of ways to promote your business. The more effort you put in, the better the result will be. The site offers rewards for positive reviews on your listing left by your customers. These rewards can then be used in email signatures and on your websites to gain trust and credibility among customers.

5. Biz-Dir Business Directory

Google PageRank – 4
Alexa Traffic Rank – 213,656

Launched in December 2006, Biz-Dir is a UK based search engine friendly directory providing links to a range of business related websites. Biz Dir ranks high on UK search engines including MSN and Yahoo. The categories and individual business pages are optimised making it a great way for businesses to get targeted UK traffic.

Conclusion:

Listing your business on online business directories is a great way to grow your business on the internet. Directories are used by consumers all over the world to find businesses or services they are looking for. This makes directory submissions a very effective marketing tool to promote your business and target local as well as international markets.

Whether you run a small or established business, you can benefit by listing your business on directories.

Do you use online business directories to promote your business? We would like to hear from you. Please leave a response by leaving a comment below.