The free business listings every contractor should set up

When someone needs a plumber or a power washer, Google is usually the first place they look, but it isn't the only one. Many people check Yelp, ask their neighbors on Nextdoor or look a company up on Facebook before they call. Each of these sites lets you list your business for free, and most take less than 20 minutes to set up.

Why your listings need to match

When your business name, phone number and website are the same on every site, it's easier for Google to confirm that your business is real and where you work. When one site has an old phone number or a different spelling of your name, it creates doubt, and it also sends some customers to a number you don't answer anymore. Pick one version of your business name and phone number and use it everywhere.

The eight listings to start with

1. Google Business Profile. This is the most important one, because it's what shows up in the map box at the top of Google. If you don't have a shop, you can hide your address and list the towns you serve instead. Our post on the Google map pack explains how Google picks the businesses that show there.
2. Bing Places. Bing is much smaller than Google, but it only takes a few minutes because Bing lets you import your Google profile and keep the two in sync.
3. Facebook. A business page gives people a place to see photos of your work and read reviews. Use the same name, phone number and website as your Google profile.
4. Yelp. Yelp is free to claim, and plenty of homeowners still check it before they hire someone. Yelp will offer you ads, and you don't need them for your listing to show up.
5. Nextdoor. Neighbors ask each other for contractor recommendations on Nextdoor all the time. A free business page lets people tag you when someone asks.
6. Better Business Bureau. You can have a free BBB profile without paying for accreditation. Some homeowners look there before they call.
7. Angi.
8. Thumbtack. Angi and Thumbtack both let you create a profile for free and charge when you buy leads. Whether paying for leads makes sense for you is a separate decision, and the free profile is worth having either way.

Listings that depend on your trade

• Houzz if you do remodeling, landscaping or exterior work that shows well in photos.
• Your trade association's directory, such as the PWNA directory for power washers.
• Apple Business Connect if customers come to your shop or office. It's built mostly for storefronts, so if you work out of a truck you can skip it.

What you can skip

You don't need to pay a service to list you on hundreds of small directories, because most of those sites get very few visitors. Be careful with services that manage your listings for a monthly fee as well. With some of them, your listings can go back to the old information when you stop paying.

How to keep them up to date

Keep a simple list of every site you're on, along with the login for each one. When you change your phone number, move or rename the business, go down the list and update every site on the same day. If you skip one, it can keep showing the old number for years.

If you want help

You can do all of this yourself in an afternoon. If you'd rather not, setting up these listings is included in every SiteHike plan when you start. You can read more about what's included on our local SEO services page, or request a free audit and we'll check your Google profile and listings for you.