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How Do Online Directories Work?

The concept of online directories is actually a pretty simple one. Online directories are very similar to the Yellow Pages in the real world, only these listings are only online. (Actually, Yellow Pages.com is now one of the largest online directories.)

A directory is a listing place for a number of businesses. Any type of business can be listed in an online directory. Some online directories are huge and cover every industry, while others are very small and specific to a certain niche.

Imagine you are a homeowner and you need the name and phone number of a local plumber. You could look through a huge online directory such as Google Business Profile and find several local plumbers. Or you could look for an online directory that is niche-specific, which means that the entire online directory would include only businesses directly related to plumbing. With a niche-specific directory, you may find even more businesses that are based on your specific interest than you would on larger directories.

Online directories are meant to apply locally to the user.

Someone in Phoenix likely doesn’t need the name of a plumber in New York. With a hyper focus on local businesses, online directories make it easy for customers to find businesses in their immediate area.

Online directories direct users to the businesses they want to find. All consumers have to do is perform a search in the online directory for a specific topic or browse through the various categories until an appropriate business is found. When performing a search, users will be given a list of the businesses related to their search term. Along with those businesses, there may be a description of the business, contact information, and more.

Anyone can use an online directory to find a business. As a small business owner, it’s important to know that this is the main way potential customers will find your business. Now that you understand how online directories work, it is time to see how they can work for your business.