Many articles reviewing Australian business directories focus almost entirely on SEO value. In reality, directory listings now have far less impact on search rankings than they once did. Their real value lies in their ability to generate leads and connect businesses with new customers.
That’s why this guide looks beyond traditional business directories and also includes quote and service marketplaces, which have grown rapidly in popularity. In this article, we evaluate each platform based on lead quality, cost-effectiveness, and overall value for businesses.
To make this one of the most comprehensive comparisons available, we also examine the history of each directory.
The Top 10 List
For those who just want to quickly see the ranking order, here is the ranked list of directories:
- Yellow Pages
- Truelocal
- Yelp Australia
- Hotfrog
- Oneflare
- Service Seeking
- Flying Solo
- WOMO
- Start Local
- Service Central
Notable exclusions
Before we look at the top 10 in-depth, here are some notable exclusions:
- Airtasker - Mostly due to their now high % job fees and the fact that you would be competing on price with unqualified gig economy workers.
- Hipages - Similar to AirTasker hipages does not make this top 10 due to their pricing, while established businesses on their platform with lots of positive reviews may make a return on their fees paid, we simply cannot recommend it for businesses starting or looking to grow.
Having said this, you will see later that our current number ten listing has had recent terrible reviews, and as such, we will probably bring one of the above into this list at the next update.
How we assessed the Business Directories' value
Our top 10 ranking is weighted by SEO metrics. The following metrics were used to assess the SEO value and risk of each site:
- Alexa Rank – Alexa is an organisation that ranks the top websites in the world in terms of traffic; all the figures we give below are the rank in Australia rather than the global rank, as that is what is relevant to you.
- Moz Spam Risk - we haven't wasted your time giving you the figures for this, because all the directories here (and our own) have a very low spam rating, but we did check this, and some directories were cut based on this.
- Moz Domain Authority – Often just referred to as DA, I'll let Moz explain this as they developed it:
Domain Authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score …. that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). A Domain Authority score ranges from one to 100, with higher scores corresponding to a greater ability to rank.
MOZ updated their DA metric on March 5th 2019, so you will see that in effect in the 2019 figures onwards.
- Inbound links and linking domains: You’ll notice a significant increase in inbound links and linking domains for most sites between 2015 and 2018. This is mainly due to:
- Changes in what’s recorded, with all link types now included, not just dofollow links
- Improvements in Moz’s crawler, which now captures far more data
- Natural link growth over time
- Value for money: We also considered value for money, focusing on how cost-effective each directory is in terms of lead generation. While all directories offer free listings, paid plans are often necessary to see real results, and we discuss these options where pricing information was available.
- Potential number of leads: Although these platforms can generate enquiries, lead volumes are generally lower than those of more established marketplaces, which should be taken into account when choosing where to list.
Where possible, we have also found comments from business users to get a sense of what people think of the service. We tried to find both positive and negative comments. Generally, only frustrated customers tend to put their comments online, so take the comments with a pinch of salt.
Why Submit Your Site to Local Business Directories?
Before we dig into the full analysis, here are the main reasons why getting listed in a directory might be worth the investment:
1. Business Sales Leads
Let’s face it, the underlying reason for listing in a business directory is to get more sales. If a business directory can achieve all of that, then it’s a great online marketing tool worth using.
2. Quality Relevant Local Backlink
We really believe listing on business directories is much less relevant to SEO, and their ability to help you with your SEO in Australia is limited. Link building should be more focused than ever on quality, not quantity. Having said this, listing a few good high-quality profiles can help raise your website rankings across your chosen keywords.
3. Local SEO and Citations
Most people with some knowledge of SEO know that links help to improve rankings. But what about Business listings?
One of the main ranking factors for Google Places is something called citations. A citation is when an external website, such as a local business directory, includes your business’s address, and it exactly matches the address on your business website.
The important thing to remember is to keep all the details entered across listings consistent with your Google My Business page and your website. This creates trust with Google that your business is indeed located in the specified location and offers the services you are selling.
How many Australian Business Directories should you submit to?
Well, less than you may have in the past, unless you are listing on service marketplaces like Oneflare and Service Seeking, then you only really want to list with the top directories.
You’ll come across other articles listing 50, 100 or even 250 Australian business directory websites. Listing on all will waste your time or even damage your Google ranking. Here is why:
- The websites have no traffic or value, and some are even de-indexed by search engines
- Many directories have broken forms or are abandoned
- They are often scraped from old, outdated lists
- They contain directories requiring payment, or some kind of linking scheme
For more relevant info, here is a video from Google’s Head of Web Spam about links from business directories.
Tips to Add Your Site to Local Business Listings
Adding your website to local business listings can improve visibility and help attract new customers, but it’s important to do it correctly. Use the tips below to make sure your business is listed accurately and effectively.
Tip 1: Check for existing listings
Before creating a new listing, make sure the directory hasn’t already added your business. Many directories scrape data from other websites, so your company may already be listed.
You can search directly on the directory or use a site-specific Google search by typing site: before the domain (for example, site:youtube.com or site:.gov). If you find an existing listing with incorrect details, update or claim it and correct the information.
Tip 2: Track where you list
Keep a record of every directory where you list your business. This helps you avoid duplicate listings and prevents outdated or conflicting information from appearing across different platforms.
Tip 3: Complete every field
Fill out as many details as possible in each listing. Instead of copying text from your website, write unique descriptions to avoid duplication issues. Use this space to clearly explain your services and highlight what makes your business stand out.
Tip 4: Keep details consistent
Ensure your business name, address, and phone number are exactly the same across all directories. This includes suite numbers, unit details, and phone extensions. Consistency builds trust and prevents confusion.
What is a service marketplace?
They connect 'consumers' with service professionals. They generally work like this: The professionals register in one or more service categories, and the consumers list their job on the platform.
The professionals get notified of the jobs in their chosen categories and respond by sending the consumer a quote/proposal. The consumer then looks at the responses and chooses a service provider.
Over the last decade, service marketplaces have been a fast-growing online business model (notably in home improvement).
- The Internet giant Amazon launched Amazon Local Services, now called Amazon Home Services, in November 2014.
- Ebay launched eBay Hire in February 2014 (similar to TaskRabbit in the USA and Airtasker in Australia)
- Google even announced they are building a home services product (but later killed it).
- Freelancer.com started offering local services in addition to their core 'remote services' business model.
#1 - Yellow Pages
As one of the most visited websites in Australia, Yellow Pages is a globally recognised brand of business directories and is still going strong in the online world. Job cuts at Sensis suggest that it is becoming a leaner online business. Since Sensis acquired Truelocal at the start of 2013, they have cross-promoted its advertising services.
Since Telstra sold 70% of Sensis (the directories' subsidiaries) to a private equity firm called Platinum Equity for $454 million, things have changed a lot. Their goals are:
- Complete transition to a stand-alone enterprise.
- Execute on management’s plan to redesign business processes and increase operating efficiency.
- Renew focus on the core directories business, including SEM and TrueLocal.
- Evaluate add-ons of complementary assets in the digital media or directories space.
The transition from print to digital has not been easy for Yellow Pages, as people rely on Google searches and more feature-rich directories. However, they have begun to package up their listings in a more transparent way, and the improved profiles are a more compelling experience for customers.
In 2018, they launched their quoting feature to compete with some of the more recent hybrid directories we discuss below.
Yellow Pages Listing Types and Prices
Yellow Pages Australia offers a free basic online listing that includes business name, address, phone, website, and opening hours, accessible via the myYellow dashboard for self-management.
Paid promotional packages enhance visibility with features like priority placement, photos, videos, lead forms, and live chat. Pricing for Australian paid upgrades is customised based on business category, location, and competition, requiring a sales consultation rather than fixed rates. Contracts often span 12 months, with third-party estimates suggesting basic digital ads start around $59/month and premium options exceed $200.
Worldwide, Yellow Pages variants (e.g., in Singapore or PNG) feature tiered packages with names like Basic, Premium, or Top Placement and fixed prices in local currencies.
SEO Metrics for Yellow Pages
| 2012 | 2014 | 2015 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moz Domain Authority | 88 | 85 | 86 | 77 | 56 | 57 |
| Inbound Links | 133,000 | 111,000 | 125,000 | 5.1m | 5.6m | 5.5m |
| Linking Domains | 3640 | 3282 | 3504 | 31,700 | 30,700 | 32,300 |
| Alexa Rank | 118 | 150 | 402 | 306 | 553 | |
| 'Dofollow' Link | No | No | No | No | No | No |
In 2014, Yellow Pages had a massive 600% increase in the number of indexed pages. This suggests more content, more business listings, more results pages. In 201,5 their DA increased by 1; it has decreased more recently, mostly due to the change in the MOZ algorithm.
Final Thoughts
Yellow Pages listings tend to be more functional than platforms like TrueLocal, but much of that value only becomes available on higher-priced plans. For many small local businesses, Yellow Pages can act as a practical alternative to running a standalone website, as building a site with similar features could cost thousands due to back-end development requirements.
That said, relying solely on the Yellow Pages limits long-term business growth. An owned website offers far greater flexibility and scalability, while Yellow Pages confines businesses to its ecosystem. Cost per lead is another important consideration—historically, Yellow Pages leads have been more expensive than Google Ads, although newer listing packages may have improved pricing compared to older models.
From an SEO perspective, Yellow Pages profiles use nofollow links, meaning they don’t pass direct ranking value to a business website. However, the platform still performs well in Google search results for competitive local keywords and remains easy for users to navigate. Despite a steady decline in usage since 2007, Yellow Pages continues to hold a larger market share than many competing directories.
Finally, while the platform itself remains powerful, businesses should proceed cautiously. The parent company, Sensis, has received poor reviews on ProductReview.com.au, making it important to carefully evaluate any long-term contracts before committing.
#2 - True Local
True Local, acquired by Sensis from Telstra, is one of Australia’s well-known business directories, although claims of it being the second most popular are difficult to verify.
The platform regularly appears in Google search results for local services and benefits from referral traffic and visibility through partnerships with sites such as CareerOne, mX, White Pages, and other Sensis-owned properties.
In terms of traffic, TrueLocal ranked as the 98th most visited website in Australia in 2014. By November 2018, its ranking had fallen to around 851st, with reports indicating a further decline to approximately 1,150th in subsequent years.
True Local Listing Prices
Truelocal Australia offers a free basic listing that includes essential business details, photos, and reviews. Paid options exist, such as entry-level premium listings ranging from $55-120 per month and mid-tier from $150-250 per month, based on third-party analyses.
Precise pricing for upgraded listings typically requires direct inquiry through sales, with flexible contract terms like 3, 6, or 12 months reported.
Truelocal Australia's free listing supports a nofollow link to your website along with options for price lists and deal promotions, offering more features than many basic directories.
Paid Basic listings enhance branding with search result highlights and improved rankings, similar to expanded eBay-style profiles, including additional photos and descriptions.
Priority and premium options add video embeds, performance analytics like click/view reports, and potential 1300 number integration with messaging, positioning higher in results; pricing varies by industry and locations, available upon sales request.
SEO Metrics for True Local
| 2012 | 2014 | 2015 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moz Domain Authority | 79 | 76 | 72 | 75 | 61 | 63 |
| Inbound Links | 112,888 | 77,669 | 386,000 | 2.5m | 2.4m | 2.4m |
| Linking Domains | 839 | 721 | 875 | 26,700 | 25,800 | 27,200 |
| Alexa Rank | 98 | 234 | 851 | 1,150 | 1,985 | |
| 'Dofollow' Link | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Final Thoughts
Business profiles on True Local are fairly basic when compared to Yellow Pages and offer limited options for strong branding. However, the introduction of consumer profiles and review badges has helped True Local compete more effectively with platforms like Yelp.
Since 2014, TrueLocal has placed greater emphasis on promoting “Local Stars,” users who are passionate about leaving reviews. This initiative, similar to Yelp’s Elite program, was a positive step forward in encouraging engagement and content quality.
That same year, TrueLocal partnered with Quotify (and previously ServiceSeeking), but those partnerships have since ended. With Quotify long shut down, TrueLocal no longer integrates with quote or service marketplaces and now appears more focused on cafés and destination-based businesses rather than service providers.
#3 - Yelp Australia
Yelp is a huge brand in the USA and launched in 2011 in Sydney and Melbourne. Since its launch, Yelp has really been kicking goals. It had a strong partnership with Sensis (Yellow Pages profiles included reviews from Yelp) and was growing steadily. While they are mostly focused on hospitality, they also include service categories.
Their domain authority shot up a while back, and the number of indexed pages is over 27 million, an increase of 630%. Interestingly, the number of links dropped, so they are clearly cleaning up their link profile, which has worked well for them.
It’s important to note that in the case of Yelp Australia, fewer links and linking domains but more indexed pages, have made a significant increase in DA. This supports that fewer high-quality links are more important than lots of low-quality links.
Their review system is famous and can be easily aggregated across different websites. Depending on how Yelp and Google are getting along, reviews on Yelp will likely contribute to ranking in the three businesses in the Google local pack.
Yelp Listing Pricing
Yelp provides a free basic listing for all businesses, with paid upgrade options including an "Upgrade Package" currently priced at an average of $6 per day (offering a 14-day free trial).
Yelp's primary advertising is through a Cost-Per-Click (CPC) program similar to AdWords, where businesses bid on clicks to their profiles, with average monthly spends ranging from $400–$1,200.
Enhanced listings or upgrades typically add features like image galleries, competitor ad suppression in some views, and performance dashboards, while CPC focuses on targeted visibility in search results.
SEO Metrics for Yelp Australia
| 2014 | 2015 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moz Domain Authority | 58 | 63 | 65 | 56 | 56 |
| Inbound Links | 2,489 | 279 | 789,200 | 626,300 | 825,500 |
| Linking Domains | 163 | 51 | 10,800 | 10,300 | 11,100 |
| Alexa Rank | 302 | 315 | 819 | 959 | 2,859 |
| 'Dofollow' Link | No | No | No | No | No |
In terms of SEO, Yelp Australia was the fastest-growing business directory out of these ten back in 2014/2015. However, they have run out of steam in recent years.
#4 - Hotfrog
Back in 2014, Hotfrog was estimated to have the highest share of monthly visitors, and the assumption was that Hotfrog was using user-generated content to build traffic. Hotfrog enables its users to publish announcements, which are displayed on the homepage. This creates online real estate where users compete for attention, and in the process, Hotfrog generates regular, unique content.
This explains how, in 2014, Hotfrog got 5,910,000 pages indexed by Google’s indexed compared to 1,700,000 for True Local. However, in 2015, the number of pages dropped 16%. This was likely due to a natural decline in users, which leads to less user-generated content.
The announcements are a mutually beneficial arrangement since every update generates a unique page of content with a backlink to your website. Hotfrog can provide you with more than just a profile link back to your website; it provides you with what is essentially a PR tool that can generate links every time you post.
The profiles themselves are basic and not very visually appealing. The paid profile does allow for a basic image gallery, but that’s about it. Compared to what the Yellow Pages offers, Hotfrog profiles aren’t going to replace the need for a website.
Hotfrog Listing Price
Hotfrog offers a free basic business profile alongside its paid Hotfrog AdVantage plan, previously around $19.95 per month with no lock-in contracts in some regions.
Benefits include no competitor ads on your profile, ads appearing in search results and on competitors' pages, logo/image support, priority placement, image galleries, and analytics.
Current exact pricing and full feature availability vary by country; their support confirms AdVantage as an optional upgrade without detailed public rates matching the claim precisely.
SEO Metrics for Hotfrog
| 2012 | 2014 | 2015 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moz Domain Authority | 78 | 63 | 59 | 69 | 51 | 51 |
| Inbound Links | 166,240 | 11,335 | 51,055 | 6.4m | 4.4m | 5m |
| Linking Domains | 713 | 912 | 754 | 13,000 | 12,700 | 13,300 |
| Alexa Rank | 743 | 966 | 10,167 | 4,334 | 6,498 | |
| 'Dofollow' Link | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Final Thoughts
Hotfrog can be a reasonable option for businesses working with a tight budget. While it doesn’t have the same visibility as larger directories, its low cost makes it accessible for small operators.
From an SEO perspective, Hotfrog was significantly impacted by Google algorithm changes in 2014. It lost around 15 points in Moz authority and more than 161,000 links, performing worse than Yellow Pages and TrueLocal.
This downward trend continued into 2015, when it became clear that Hotfrog was struggling to compete with platforms like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and emerging service marketplaces. However, by 2018, Hotfrog regained some momentum, supported by a substantial increase in inbound links.
If you run a well-optimised listing and make use of Hotfrog’s user update features, it’s possible to generate leads that outweigh the monthly cost. That said, be sure to select the “No Telemarketers” option, as user feedback suggests contact details may otherwise be shared with telemarketing companies.
#5 - Oneflare
Oneflare operates as a hybrid business directory and quote marketplace, with a strong focus on selling leads rather than simple listings. Since 2014, it has achieved solid SEO growth and gained attention through strategic acquisitions, including Renovate Forum and WOMO, which expanded its user base and review ecosystem.
While Oneflare previously took risks by using paid link badges that conflicted with Google’s guidelines, it later adjusted its approach by switching from monetary rewards to a points-based system to comply with link policies. The platform features a clean, user-friendly interface that makes it easy for customers to find businesses and request quotes.
Although profile links are nofollow, Oneflare still supports local SEO by displaying business addresses and strengthening NAP citations. By 2015, Oneflare showed strong performance improvements, including increased domain authority, more linking domains, and a significant rise in indexed pages.
In May 2016, the domain group made a $15 million investment in Oneflare, acquiring a 35% stake. In 2018, they made two acquisitions: first Urbanyou in July, and in November, they acquired Tidyme.
Oneflare Listing Price
Oneflare has shifted from fixed monthly plans with quote limits to a credit-based system. Businesses now purchase Credit Packs or subscribe to Credit Plans, where credits are spent per lead quote. Pay-as-you-go Credit Packs range from $25 (for 20 credits) to $2,500 (for 2,500 credits), all expiring in one month; app purchases cost more due to fees.
Monthly subscriptions provide better value with bulk credits: 110 Credit Plan for starters, up to 5,000 Credit Plan for enterprises, including perks like directory listings, auto-quoting, and account managers.
There are no explicit lowest-price confirmations for cleaning, but credits for such routine jobs typically cost less per lead than high-demand categories. Average cleaning rates remain $30–$75/hour.
SEO Metrics for Oneflare
| 2014 | 2015 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moz Domain Authority | 38 | 44 | 60 | 47 | 46 |
| Inbound Links | 159 | 732 | 9.1m | 10.1m | 11.6m |
| Linking Domains | 58 | 154 | 5,600 | 5,500 | 6,000 |
| Alexa Rank | 1,158 | 1,303 | 1,237 | 676 | |
| 'Dofollow' Link | No | No | No | No |
Final Thoughts
Quote marketplaces are a great idea, but they generally favour the consumer getting quotes. Looking at the product review page for Oneflare and Service Seeking, we see that most of the reviews are from consumers who are happy to have so easily obtained quotes. However, it is often difficult to find businesses with positive experiences.
#6 - Service Seeking
Service Seeking is part of a growing group of Australian results-driven service platforms, alongside AirTasker, Oneflare, and Home Improvement Pages. Rather than relying on passive business profiles, the platform operates on a lead-generation model where service providers pay for qualified sales leads generated through customer quote requests.
As one of the earliest platforms in this space, Service Seeking initially gained momentum through a partnership with TrueLocal prior to its acquisition by Sensis. Although that partnership ended, the platform continued to receive traffic through other website partnerships.
From an SEO perspective, Service Seeking experienced significant growth in indexed pages and backlinks between 2014 and 2015. Indexed pages nearly doubled, and linking domains increased substantially.
Despite this expansion, the site’s domain authority fell from 48 to 42 during that period, reinforcing the idea that link quality outweighs sheer volume. Domain authority improved between 2015 and 2018, before declining again in line with broader market trends in 2019 and 2020.
Service Seeking Listing Prices
ServiceSeeking's pricing has evolved beyond simple fixed rates tied solely to work radius. Current plans are customised by expected leads, service type, and package level (e.g., Starter from $49/month).
Plans depend on service industries, location, and radius, but recent updates emphasise lead volume and fairness over strict radius tiers.
Monthly options start low for most members, with higher tiers like Platinum/Diamond reaching $150–$375 for 30-day periods post-2026 hikes (though these may mix contexts). No direct confirmation of the exact $33/4km or $46/7km persists in available data.
SEO Metrics for Service Seeking
| 2014 | 2015 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moz Domain Authority | 48 | 42 | 59 | 42 | 41 |
| Inbound Links | 14,026 | 360,000 | 187,000 | 179,100 | 190,600 |
| Linking Domains | 1,666 | 4,110 | 7,300 | 7,000 | 7,300 |
| Alexa Rank | 609 | 902 | 2,751 | 1,305 | 1,390 |
| 'Dofollow' Link | No | No | No | No | No |
Final Thoughts
Service Seeking is one of the biggest quote marketplaces in Australia. However, this also means having to compete with many other suppliers. You will quote against as many as 12 other people.
The lack of personalisation when quoting also makes it difficult to differentiate your business, especially against businesses that already have a large number of positive reviews.
#7 - Flying Solo
In 2014, Flying Solo was ranked the 356th most-visited website in Australia. It dropped as low as 11,225 in late 2018, but in 2020 is back to 2,589th. Flying Solo is more than just a directory for advertising services; it’s a real community with strong participation
Flying Solo also has an excellent blog that accepts guest posts and covers a range of topics such as Technology, Finance and Marketing. If you are looking to get exposure through blogging to a community of over 76,000, then Flying Solo is the place to do it. And of course, any posts you write can link back to your website (within guidelines) or to your directory profile.
The directory listings are very basic, but they do have a spotlight series to draw attention to newcomers and businesses they want to highlight, along with their own advertising system. Unfortunately, the administration tools are pretty clunky, and the interface can be slow to load at times.
Flying Solo Listing Prices
Flying Solo maintains a free basic membership alongside its primary paid tier, Business Class, currently priced at $149.95 plus for the first year (promo rate), renewing at $299.95 per year thereafter.
The free plan offers core access to forums, articles, and resources without premium perks. Business Class adds exclusive benefits like a full-page Member Spotlight feature (part of their spotlight series), priority directory promotion with dofollow links, social media mentions (Facebook following around 39,000), discounted site-wide ads, and member-only events/podcast features.
These extras aim to boost visibility for solopreneurs, with the Spotlight providing substantial promotion space and SEO value. Special offers, like 50% off via partners (e.g., CommBank), periodically apply to the first year.
SEO Metrics for Flying Solo
| 2014 | 2015 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moz Domain Authority | 57 | 53 | 52 | 50 | 50 |
| Inbound Links | 14,340 | 39,141 | 73,300 | 67,200 | 149,900 |
| Linking Domains | 668 | 751 | 3,700 | 3,700 | 3,900 |
| Alexa Rank | 356 | 785 | 11,225 | 3,687 | 2,589 |
| 'Dofollow' Link | Yes (paying member) | Yes (paying member) | Yes (paying member) | Yes (paying member) |
Final Thoughts
The value really depends on what your area of business is. If you are looking to learn how to market your business better, you might just want to join their free plan to get involved with their friendly discussion forums.
For marketing and finance professionals, you will find it has a very active community, which means you will likely find sales leads just by participating. Since they are also very active on social media, they will generate qualified traffic that might find your profile if you are advertising there.
#8 - WOMO
WOMO was founded in 2007, and during that time, it was one of the fastest-growing online review sites in Australia, with over 417,000 reviews. It was acquired by Oneflare early in 2015. Its DA has actually gone down since.
In addition to a business profile, WOMO has an offers section that allows businesses to promote local deals, which is a nice marketing tool for local businesses and a great way for WOMO to get user-generated content.
The main difference between WOMO and a traditional directory is that WOMO amplifies the review content on the website so that when looking for a service, you are searching and evaluating based on what people have said about the business.
SEO Metrics for WOMO
| 2015 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moz Domain Authority | 55 | 52 | 41 | 40 |
| Inbound Links | 982 | 1.7m | 1.8m | 2m |
| Linking Domains | 275 | 5,900 | 5,900 | 5,900 |
| Alexa Rank | Unknown | 1,281 | 4,273 | 3,238 |
| 'Dofollow' Link | No | No | No |
Final Thoughts
WOMO may be worth taking the time to create a profile on. However, depending on how much time you have, managing and responding to reviews across many sites can become difficult.
There is also a trust factor with these reviews. If anyone can review, how reliable are they? There are potentially many fake negative reviews causing problems for you and fake positive reviews, which mislead the consumer (and won't help the dishonest companies in the long run).
#9 - Start Local
Start Local was acquired by hipages in 2016. The Catalogues section of the website promotes retail catalogues; it looks like it just recycles content from www.cataloguecentral.com.au. It’s not clear if the brands pay to promote their catalogues on Start Local.
Startlocal used to allow a dofollow link and promotional tools, and for that reason, was still fifth on our list. As of May 2020, we can see both of these are now gone, and it really does seem the main purpose of the site is now simply to channel people to hipages; as such, it has dropped to ninth on this list.
SEO Metrics for Start Local
| 2014 | 2015 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moz Domain Authority | 56 | 55 | 62 | 48 | 48 |
| Inbound Links | 15,241 | 44,179 | 359,800 | 283,800 | 294,000 |
| Linking Domains | 299 | 405 | 9,000 | 7,900 | 8,000 |
| Alexa Rank | 1,069 | 1,586 | 8,915 | 15,767 | 20,400 |
| 'Dofollow' Link | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Final Thoughts
Start local's Starpoints system rewards users for reviewing businesses with points, which can be redeemed for cash prizes.
On the surface, it’s a good idea, but the quality of those reviews can be pretty low since the user is really only interested in the prizes. Yelp had the same problem, so it started an Elite users program, which focused on getting reviews from people genuinely interested in providing reputable reviews.
As for the profile's capacity to generate leads, it’s something you will need to test. You can buy a featured listing for a whole region and test it for a month. I recommend using Google’s URL builder to track any links you put on their site.
#10 - Service Central
ServiceCentral was one of the pioneers in the Services Marketplace space and the first to launch the model in Australia in 2005, since adopted by the likes of Service Seeking and Oneflare. It was a services marketplace with verified reviews.
ServiceCentral no longer ranks high in visited sites in Australia; in fact, now in 2020, the Alexa Rank does not offer a figure for Australia. I have read that the vast majority of the work that Service Central distributes is for Commercial Services, so it might be that it has a base of existing users.
ServiceCentral was acquired by tradingpost.com.au in 2016. Unfortunately, there has been a flood of negative reviews from the service providers' perspective on productreview.com.au since then, and it seems that Trading Post itself is no longer Australian-owned.
SEO Metrics for Service Central
| 2015 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moz Domain Authority | 40 | 52 | 45 | |
| Inbound Links | 60,099 | 4.4m | 4.3m | |
| Linking Domains | 224 | 5,800 | 5,500 | |
| Alexa Rank | 4,253 | 47,066 | 36,984 | Not on radar |
| 'Dofollow' Link | No | No | No | No |
Final Thoughts
It has an awful lot of recent negative comments on productreview.com.au, which is why it is now at the bottom of our list. I am not calling it in the 'top ten' at this point, and unless the situation changes very soon, we will remove it from this list entirely.
Conclusion
Business directories no longer deliver strong SEO value on their own. Their real benefit today is lead generation and local visibility when used strategically.
Rather than listing everywhere, businesses should focus on a small number of high-quality directories or service marketplaces that match their goals and budget. Track results, watch cost per lead, and review performance regularly.
When combined with a solid website, the right directory listings can still support growth, but they should never replace owning and controlling your own online presence.
