The short answer
Every US business should claim six free listings first: Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Business, Yelp, a Facebook Page and a LinkedIn Page. They cost nothing, they put you on the maps and search engines your customers already use, and together they take an afternoon. After those, add Nextdoor, BBB and a few directories that fit your audience.
This guide covers ten free business listing sites, what each one is good for, and the order to set them up in. Every platform here has a free tier; where a paid upgrade exists, we say so.
At a glance
- Google Business Profile: Google Search and Maps. Free. Best for every local business.
- Bing Places for Business: Bing, Bing Maps and Microsoft Copilot. Free. Best for every local business.
- Apple Business: Apple Maps, Siri, Spotlight and Safari. Free. Best for businesses with walk-in customers.
- Yelp: Yelp app and site. Free; ads are paid. Best for restaurants, home services and local shops.
- Facebook Page: Facebook and Facebook search. Free. Best for businesses that post updates or offers.
- LinkedIn Page: LinkedIn. Free. Best for B2B companies and professional services.
- Nextdoor: neighborhood feeds and Local Faves. Free; ads are paid. Best for home services and local trades.
- Better Business Bureau: BBB.org. Profile free; accreditation paid. Best for contractors, finance and trades.
- Foursquare: apps and maps that license Foursquare data. Free. Best for venues, restaurants and retail.
- RankYouSite: the RankYouSite directory. Free; featured listing paid. Best for one more citation and backlink.
10 free business listing sites for US businesses
1. Google Business Profile
If you only claim one listing, make it this one. Your Google Business Profile is what appears in the map pack and the panel on the right of Google Search, with your hours, phone number, photos, reviews and directions.
- Cost: free.
- Setup: search for your business at google.com/business, claim it or add it, then verify. Google may ask for a video, phone or postcard check.
- Tip: pick the most specific primary category you can, add real photos, and reply to every review.
2. Bing Places for Business
Bing Places controls how you appear on Bing, Bing Maps and Microsoft Copilot answers. Microsoft relaunched it in October 2025 with a faster import from Google Business Profile, so if your Google profile is done, this takes minutes.
- Cost: free.
- Setup: sign in with a Microsoft account at bing.com/forbusiness, choose the Google import, and pick how often to sync.
- Tip: turn on regular sync so your hours and phone number stay matched with Google.
3. Apple Business (formerly Apple Business Connect)
Every iPhone user who asks Siri or opens Apple Maps sees Apple's place card for your business. Apple renamed Business Connect to Apple Business in April 2026 and moved existing listings across automatically.
- Cost: free. Apple Maps ads are a separate paid product.
- Setup: sign in with an Apple Account, claim or add your location, and submit it for verification. Review usually takes several business days.
- Tip: add a logo and a cover photo; a bare place card looks abandoned next to competitors.
4. Yelp
Yelp still matters for restaurants, home services and local shops, and many customers check it before they call. Yelp often creates a page for you from public data, so check before you add a new one.
- Cost: free to create or claim. Yelp Ads are optional and paid.
- Setup: go to biz.yelp.com, search for your business, and verify ownership, usually by phone.
- Tip: claiming a page does not make you an advertiser. You can ignore the ad offers and still use the free page.
5. Facebook Page
A Facebook Page gives you a searchable business profile with hours, contact details, reviews and posts. For businesses that run offers or events, it is often the page customers check for updates.
- Cost: free.
- Setup: create the Page from your personal account, choose a category, and fill in address, hours and website.
- Tip: use exactly the same business name and phone number as on Google.
6. LinkedIn Page
For B2B companies, agencies and professional services, a LinkedIn Page is where buyers and job candidates check that you are real. It also gives you a link back to your website from a trusted domain.
- Cost: free.
- Setup: create a Company Page from your LinkedIn account and add your logo, website and a short description.
- Tip: ask staff to list the company as their employer so the Page links to real people.
7. Nextdoor
Nextdoor is where neighbors ask "who do you recommend for a plumber?" A claimed Business Page lets you collect recommendations and post to nearby neighborhoods. Nextdoor redesigned its free business pages in the US in September 2026.
- Cost: free page and free posts. Ads are paid.
- Setup: go to business.nextdoor.com, search for your business, and claim it or create a page.
- Tip: share your page link with existing customers and ask for a recommendation.
8. Better Business Bureau (BBB)
BBB keeps profiles on many businesses whether or not they pay. The profile is free; accreditation is a separate paid program with its own standards. For contractors, finance and trades, a complete BBB profile reassures cautious buyers.
- Cost: profile free; accreditation paid.
- Setup: search bbb.org for your business, then contact your local BBB to update or add your details.
- Tip: answer any complaints on your profile. How you respond is visible to everyone.
9. Foursquare
Foursquare closed its City Guide app in December 2024 and its website in April 2025, but its places database is still licensed to many apps and maps. Claiming your listing keeps that data correct wherever it spreads.
- Cost: free.
- Setup: search for your venue in Foursquare's claim portal and verify that you represent the business.
- Tip: fix duplicates. Old user-added copies with wrong addresses are common.
10. RankYouSite
RankYouSite is our own free business directory, so read this entry with that in mind. You can add a listing with your category, city, contact details and website link, and our team reviews each one before it goes live. It is one more consistent citation and a link back to your site.
- Cost: free. A featured listing, shown first in results, is an optional paid upgrade.
- Setup: add a free business listing in a few minutes.
- Tip: use the same name, address and phone number you used on Google.
How to get the most from free listings
The listings help most when they all say the same thing. Search engines compare your name, address and phone number (NAP) across sites; when they match, the engines trust the details more.
- Write your NAP once. Put your exact business name, address, phone number, website and hours in a note, and copy from it every time.
- Start with Google Business Profile. Bing can import it, and the other sites often check against it.
- Do Bing, Apple, Yelp, Facebook and LinkedIn next. Together they cover most of the maps and search people use.
- Add Nextdoor, BBB, Foursquare and directories in your niche. A plumber gains more from a home-services directory than from a general one.
- Use the same photos and description. Adjust the length for each site, but keep the facts identical.
- Check every few months. When you move, change your phone number or update your hours, update every listing the same week.
A listing is a starting point, not a ranking plan. If you want help turning these profiles into calls, our local SEO services cover listing clean-up, citations and reviews.
Free vs paid listings
For most small businesses, the free tier is enough. Paid upgrades on Yelp, Nextdoor and Apple Maps buy ad placement, not a better listing. Try paid options only after your free profiles are complete and you can measure the calls they bring in.
Be careful with services that charge to "submit your business to 100 directories." Many of those directories get little traffic, and a long list of low-quality links does not help your rankings.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free business listing site?
Google Business Profile. It controls how you appear on Google Search and Google Maps, where most local searches start.
Are free business listings worth it?
Yes. They cost only your time, help customers find your hours and phone number, and give search engines consistent details about your business.
How many business listings do I need?
Start with the six core listings: Google, Bing, Apple, Yelp, Facebook and LinkedIn. Then add directories that your customers actually use.
Do I need a website to list my business?
No. Most of these sites accept a listing without a website, but a site gives every listing somewhere to send people.
How long until my listing appears?
It depends on the site. Some publish within a day; others, like Apple Business and Bing Places, verify first, which can take several days.
Add your business to a free business directory
Once your core profiles are live, add a free business listing on RankYouSite. It takes a few minutes, it is reviewed by a person, and you can browse the free business directory to see how other businesses in your category present themselves.