Go to one of the most well known local search related websites,GetListed.org, and the first thing you see is a free tool to help you get listed on some of the top 
local directories (they call them local search engines). In fact, as you might have surmised based on the name of the site, GetListed.org is all about helping organizations get accurate, consistent listings on the most important local directories.
Read blogs like Andrew Shotland’s LocalSEOGuide, Chris Silver Smith’s Nodal Bits, and David Mihm’s Mihmorandum (to name a few), and you’ll see plenty of posts about the importance of local directories.
It’s no secret that having accurate listings in the top local directories is important for your local search results.
But that begs the question, which are the top local directories?
We know there are some obvious choices: Google Places,Yahoo Local and Bing Local. And there are many others like Yelp, CitySearch, Local.com and a slew of Internet Yellow Pages. Many of these “other” directories are important. But we can’t optimize them all.
So, which are the best local directories to be listed in?
One way to find an answer is by engaging the wisdom of the local search community. To this end, I have created a survey form so you can easily share your thoughts on this topic.
You can find it here: Top Local Directory Survey.
I want to thank those who have tread this ground before. Here are some posts and list on this topic I have found useful (in no particular order):
Local Search Engines & Providers (eMarketing Matador)
Top 10 Local Search Directories By Importance (GrowMap)
Where to Get Citations to Improve Your Local Search Engine Rankings (GetListed.org)
Top 10 local UK business directories compared & rated(Blumenthals)
Top 10 Reviews Sites In Google Place Search (LocalSEOGuide)
IYP SEO Rankings Report 2009 (LocalSEOGuide)
List of Top Local Search Directories (Web Savvy Marketing)
The 20 Best Local SEO Citation Sources for The United States (Powered by Search – Dev Basu)
Top US Citation Sources For Local SEO (ramitnarang.com)
And, for those of you wondering “with all these other lists of top local directories, why do we need one more?”
Here’s why.
This list will be more than a list. it will be a report that will list the top directories, based on a number of factors. I’ll consider information such as the wisdom of the local search community (a.k.a. this survey), objective rankings of directories (such as Page Rank and Alexa) and rankings of directories in lists like those referenced above.
If you have any comments or suggestions for this part of the process, please feel free to contact me or comment below or use the survey form noted above. I’m wide open to input from people who want to make this process more useful.
