December 2008 list of 20 best Local Business Listing Websites of United States

Updated on December 2008

Local business listings in local search engines, Yellow pages, local data provider sites and local business networks is one of the best online marketing strategies that is available today. The added advantage of the local business listings is that businesses even without a website can be effectively promoted online to increase the sales and to get more exposure to the business. With more and more people using the Internet each day, the local business listings will be very effective. Here is the December 2008’s list of 20 best local business listing websites exclusively for United States.

1. Google Local (free): The Google local business listing enables local businesses to get listed in Google Maps and Google business searches. The listings can be done even if the business has no website. However, a local fixed land phone number and a physical address for the company are mandatory. There are three different listing activation methods: Postcard, SMS and through telephone. While the SMS and telephone activation will be done instantly, the postcard method will take atleast one week. Google will send you a postcard with the steps to activate the listings. Once the activation is done, the listings will appear in the searches in 2-3 weeks time.
Account creation: Gmail account (free)
Type: Local Search

2. Yahoo local (free and Paid): Yahoo, the serious competitor of Google also offers the same kind of local business listing service. In yahoo local the business name, website, address, phone number, relevant categories, hours, payments accepted and many other details about your business can be added. There is also a paid listing option available with Yahoo local which increases the visibility of your business in the local searches. The listings will be activated automatically within 2 weeks
Account creation: Yahoo account (free)
Type: Local Search

3. InfoUSA (Free): InfoUSA is the top local business data providers of the United States. They share the local business data with thousands of affiliates. Hence listing your business in InfoUSA will get great exposure to your business in USA. Though the business listings will take upto 30 days for activation, this single listing will appear in many other popular yellow pages and maps. A local fixed landline telephone number is mandatory for the listings. The listings will be automatically activated  after confirmation of the address.
Account creation: InfoUSA account (free).
Type: Local Business Data Provider

4. Superpages.com (Free and paid): Superpages.com is one of the largest and most popular yellowpages of United States. With thousands of affiliate sites, the local business data listed in Superpages will be shared between all of them. A single free business listing done in Superpages will get you more business from thousands of its affiliate sites. The listings will be activated automatically within 2-3 weeks.
Account creation: Superpages account (free).
Type: Local Business Data Provider

5. Yellowpages.com (Free and Paid): With many affiliates, listing in Yellowpages.com will also appear in hundreds of their affiliate sites. Once a free account is created, you will be able to list your business which will be activated automatically within 2-3 weeks. There is an enhanced paid listing available for added exposure of your business.
Account creation:  A free Yellowpages.com account.
Type: Internet Yellow page

6. True Local (free and Paid): Truelocal.com is another popular local search engine like Google Local. Like the Google local and Yahoo local, business name, website, address, phone number, relevant categories, hours, payments accepted and many other details about your business can be added in true local too. The added advantage is that no account registration is needed for free listings. The listings will take several weeks to get activated.
Account creation: No account creation. (direct listing)
Type: Local Search Engine

7. Local.com (free and paid): Local.com is yet another local search engine exclusively for United States. Getting your business listed in local.com will make it appear in the local business searches. There are some affiliate sites too where the listing in local.com will be shared automatically. Like all the other local search engines, the listings will take several weeks to get activated.
Account creation: Free local.com account
Type: Local Search Engine

8. Localeze (Free and Paid): Localeze is another local business data provider of the United States which shares the data with 40 of the largest search engines. A single submission of your business in Localeze  can drive traffic and get more business from the 40 affiliate sites. The advantage of using Localeze is that it has a cool merchant profile manager where you can edit the details of your business with ease. The listings will be activated automatically within 30 days.
Account creation: Free Localeze account
Type: Local Search Engine

9. Yellowbot (Free): Yellowbot is one of the best Business Networks of the United States. The free listings of your business in Yellowbot can get reviews and ratings from other users too. This increases the credibility of your website along with increasing sales. The business listings in Yellowbot will be activated automatically within 2 days after the listing.
Account creation: Free Yellowbot account
Type: Business Network

10. Insider Pages (free and paid): Insiderpages.com the competitor of Yellowbot, has all the features that is available in most of the Business networks. The Business listings in Insider pages can also receive user reviews, comments etc.
Account creation: Free Yellowbot account (paid account for enhanced visibility)
Type: Business Network

11. Tupalo (Free): Tupalo is another business network with many added features. Tupalo allows users to add business spots in the United States. The added features like maps, addition of pictures (company logo) and much more are available with tupalo.
Account creation: Free Tupalo account
Type: Business Network

12. Ibegin (free): Ibegin is one of the most popular local business data providers of the United States. Ibegin accepts both United States and Canadian listings. The listings will be shared across many populat YP and local search engines. 
Account creation: Free Ibegin account
Type: Local Business Data provider

13. Metrobot (free): Similar to Ibegin, Metrobot allows users to add their business name, address, zip, business type, events, polls, maps and more. The listings will be activated automatically within 2-3 weeks and will be shared with many other local sites too.
Account creation: Free Metrobot account
Type: Local Business Data Provider

14. Windows live Local (Affiliate of InfoUSA): Windows live local is a Microsoft product for Business listings. The data is gathered from InfoUSA and will be made available in the live local searches and live maps. The listings will take several months to get updated. 
Type: Local Search

15. MapQuest (Affiliate of InfoUSA): MapQuest is another InfoUSA affiliate. The business that is listed in InfoUSA will be updated in MapQuest automatically. The listings will be made available in MapQuest search results and the map results pages. Many users prefer mapquest because they can even find the driving routes to the local businesses. Hence it is the best place to get more exposure to your business.
Type: Meta Search Engine

16. Yahoo YP (Affiliate of InfoUSA): Yet another yahoo product that shares information from InfoUSA. The listings in Yahoo YP will appear in the yellow page search results. The listings will be automatically included from InfoUSA in 60 days.
Type: Internet Yellow page

17. USA-Local-Search.com (Free): USA-Local-Search.com is a free local business listing site with a PR of 4. The local businesses listed in USA-Local-Search.com will show up in the map of United States presented in the website. The listings will be activated quickly in just 2 days.
Type: Local Map listing.

18. Anywho (Affiliate of Yellowpages.com): With the local business data obtained from Yellowpages.com, Anywho is one of the best local yellow pages of the United States. The listings will be automatically added from yellowpage.com and will appear in the searches in just 2 days.
Type: Internet Yellow page.

19. Bigbook (Affiliate of Superpages): Bigbook, the popular yellow page accepts both free and paid listings. The data for the free listings are automatically collected from Superpages. Hence to get listed in Bigbook, the business has to be added in Superpages.
Type: Internet Yellow page.

20. Webfetch (Affiliate of Superpages): The listings for Webfetch has to be submitted through Superpages.com. Webfetch.com is one of the best local meta search engine of the United States. All the data will be collected from superpages and will be listed automatically in 60 days.
Type: Local Meta Search Engine.