Free10 core directoriesAbout 90 min
Claim the Core Citation Sites
These ten are the most trusted business directories. They feed Google, Maps, Apple Maps, and AI search results. Every one is free to claim.
Why this matters
Get all of these before touching anything niche. They build the base citations Google uses to confirm your business is real and where it says it is.
✓ How to do it
- Work down the list below, claiming or creating your profile on each.
- Paste your master NAP into every field exactly.
- Add your logo, photos, hours, categories, and a description to each.
- Verify each listing. Google may verify by phone, text, email, or a short video. Bing Places can import your Google profile. Do these first, since they take longest.
Done whenAll ten core listings are claimed or submitted, and each link is logged in the master sheet.
Tools for this stepGoogle Business ProfileBing PlacesApple BusinessYelp for BusinessFacebook PagesFoursquare for BusinessBetter Business BureauYP.comNextdoor for BusinessLinkedIn Pages
Reference list
Core free citations. Claim all ten
- Google Business Profile
- Bing Places for Business
- Apple Business (formerly Apple Business Connect, for Apple Maps)
- Yelp
- Facebook Business Page
- Foursquare (claim through Foursquare for Business)
- Better Business Bureau (free profile)
- Yellow Pages (YP.com)
- Nextdoor for Business
- LinkedIn Company Page (B2B)
From the field. Supercanic, Hemet, CA
For our own shop, the Google Business Profile sends a large share of the calls, and many of those callers never visit the website at all. Supercanic holds a 4.9 star Google rating. That is why the core citations come before anything clever. They are what Google checks the profile against.
▶ Our Story. From Hemet Mobile Mechanic to Supercanic Nationwide