Local Citations for UK Businesses: The Listings That Matter | How-to Guide

A practical list of UK citation sources for small firms: Yell, Thomson Local, FreeIndex, Checkatrade, TrustATrader, trade bodies and Companies House, plus how to keep your details consistent.

British customers check different places from American ones. Yelp is a minor player here, while trade-vetting sites and old directory brands still get real visits. This guide covers the UK listings worth your time and the ones you can skip.

Map platforms first

Google Business Profile, Apple Business and Bing Places for Business come before anything else. Google states in its Business Profile help that a complete and accurate profile helps it match you to relevant searches, and that prominence reflects things like how many sites link to you and how many reviews you have. Apple Maps is the default on every iPhone, and Bing feeds Microsoft Copilot's local answers, so all three are worth claiming even if Google sends most of your calls.

UK general directories

  • Yell. The online successor to the Yellow Pages. A free listing is available; you do not need the paid advertising package to be listed accurately.
  • Thomson Local. Another long-running directory with a free basic entry.
  • FreeIndex. Useful for service firms and freelancers, with its own review system.
  • Scoot and Cylex UK. Smaller, but they supply data to other sites, so an error there can spread.

Trade-vetting platforms

For builders, electricians, plumbers and other tradespeople, the sites homeowners trust most are the ones that check members. Checkatrade, TrustATrader, MyBuilder and Rated People each have different joining terms and fees, so read them before signing up. If you are Gas Safe registered, NICEIC approved or a member of a trade association such as the Federation of Master Builders, make sure their public register shows the same trading name and contact details as your website. Those registers are exactly the kind of independent confirmation that people and search engines rely on.

Companies House and your trading name

If you trade as a limited company, your registered company name is public on Companies House. Many firms trade under a shorter name. That is fine, but say so on your site ("Smith Heating is a trading name of J Smith Services Ltd") so that a person checking you out, or an AI assistant comparing sources, can connect the two.

Local and community sources

Your local Chamber of Commerce, a business improvement district, the parish or town council's business list and local Facebook groups are genuine local references. A sponsorship of a youth football team that lists you on the club website is a citation that also says something true about you.

Keep one format

UK addresses invite inconsistency: building names, flat numbers, localities and postcodes can all be written several ways. Choose one version, matching Royal Mail's format for your postcode, and copy it exactly. Use one main phone number. If you switched from a landline to a mobile, find and update the old number wherever it appears.

Service-area firms

If you work from home and visit customers, you can hide your address on Google and list a service area instead. Do the same on directories that allow it, and avoid creating listings at addresses you do not staff, which Google's guidelines for representing your business treat as ineligible.

Back it up on your own site

Directories copy each other and make mistakes. Your website should carry the definitive version of your name, contact details, opening hours, the towns you cover and the work you do, in plain text that crawlers can read.

When the listings are tidy, steady service pages are what keep you visible. SEO God Mode turns the services already on your We.Inc site into weekly topic ideas and drafts you approve by email before anything goes live.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to pay for Yell to be listed?

No. Yell offers a free listing. Paid packages add advertising placement, not accuracy, so the free entry covers the citation itself.

Is Checkatrade a citation?

Yes. Any public profile with your name and contact details is a citation, and trade-vetting sites are among the ones UK homeowners actually read.

Should my listings use my Companies House name?

Use the name customers know you by, consistently. Mention the registered company name on your site so the two can be linked.

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