Directory Backlinks: Are They Worth It? We Checked 40 Listed Directories
We checked 40 directories from a 2026 submission list and read 12 ranking guides. Most visible listing links were nofollow. Here is when a directory is still worth five minutes.
Directory backlinks still help when the directory is one people actually use to find businesses like yours, such as a local citation site or a niche industry list. Generic "submit your site" directories mostly give nofollow links, or none, and Google lists low-quality directory links as an example of link spam. We took the first 40 directories from the largest submission list we found ranking in October 2026, opened a real business listing on each and read the link to the business's website. Then we read 12 ranking guides on directory backlinks to see what they tell you. Below are the results, a five-step check and a shortlist of the directories worth claiming.
The short version#
- Of the 15 directory listings where we could see the business's website link, 9 were nofollow, 4 were followed and 2 had no website link at all. The other 25 hid the link behind a map app, a login or a bot wall.
- The followed links came from small sites. One of the four sits in a network of about 20 sister "free listing" sites that all link to each other.
- Lists age badly. The list we sampled ran its own check of 655 directories from ranking lists and found 71 dead, 10 parked or for sale, and 5 now hosting gambling pages.
- The guides agree too easily. All 12 say directory links can still help. 11 of the 12 publishers sell a related service or tool. Only one quotes Google's spam policy, and only three mention nofollow.
What we found on 40 directories from a 2026 list#
We used TheGuideX's "Directory Submission Sites List 2026: 182 Live Directories I Checked", updated September 29, 2026, the biggest of the three current lists we found. We took entries in list order from its "start here", US and UK tables. On October 27, 2026 we fetched each homepage, found one real business listing, and read the rel attribute on the link to that business's website. We also checked each listing for a noindex tag and noted whether submission was free or paid.
Four things stood out:
- Nofollow is the default on the directories you can inspect. MerchantCircle, Hotfrog, Akama, Fyple, USCity.net and CityLocal Pro put rel="nofollow" directly on the website link. Cybo, SmartCustomer (formerly Sitejabber) and ZipLeaf route it through an internal redirect that is also nofollowed.
- The followed links are from small, low-traffic sites. iBegin, CitySquares, Find-us-here and BizBangBoom gave a plain followed link. BizBangBoom's listing footer links about 20 sister "FREE Listing Sites", so it is one site in a network, not 20 independent votes.
- The big names were not inspectable this way. Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Business and MapQuest show listings inside a map app. Yelp, Yellow Pages, Manta, Yell, Trustpilot, G2, Capterra and Clutch blocked a plain request with a bot check. That is fine: you list on those for customers, not for the link.
- None of the 15 listing pages we read carried a noindex tag. So the listing can be found in Google even when the link to your site is nofollow.
This is one list and a small sample, so read the 9 of 15 as a pattern, not a rate for every directory. Our sample also had no dead sites, because the list's author had already pruned them. His own check is the better guide to how fast lists rot: of 655 directories he pulled from ranking lists, 71 were dead and 5 "now host gambling pages", because owners let the domains expire.
Are directory backlinks dofollow?#
Mostly not, on the directories worth being in. A nofollow link is not worthless. Google said in 2019 that "sponsored, ugc, and nofollow" are "treated as hints about which links to consider or exclude within Search." But you cannot count on a nofollow link passing ranking value, so do not list on a site for the link alone.
The directories that advertise "dofollow" are usually the ones you should be most careful with. Two of the 12 guides we read push dofollow directories as the better kind. TheGuideX puts it more honestly: "Are directory submission backlinks dofollow? The trusted ones mostly are not, and that is fine." Our dofollow vs nofollow links post explains what each rel value tells Google.
Does Google penalize directory links?#
Google does not ban directory links. It bans manipulative ones. Its spam policies define link spam as "creating links to or from a site primarily for the purpose of manipulating search rankings," and the list of examples includes "Low-quality directory or bookmark site links." The same list names "Using automated programs or services to create links to your site," which covers the bulk submission tools that post you to hundreds of directories at once.
The line is the reason you list. A profile on a directory that customers use is a normal business listing. Hundreds of listings on directories nobody visits, built to move rankings, is what the policy describes. If you already have a pile of those, our toxic backlinks guide covers when to clean up and when to leave them.
What 12 directory backlink guides say#
We read 12 guides ranking for "directory backlinks", "directory submission" and "are directory links worth it" on October 27, 2026: LinkGraph, Loganix, Search Engine Journal, dofollow.com, Directorist, Respona, TheGuideX, Stellar SEO, Ahrefs (help center), Semrush, Cleanfax and Alex Cloudstar.
Every guide says directory links can still help, and 11 of the 12 publishers sell something related: link building services, citation building, an SEO tool or a directory plugin. The useful advice is in the minority. Seven say to check whether a directory gets real use. Six separate local citation sites from generic web directories. Respona is the bluntest: "Most directory backlinks won't move your rankings, and they won't bring meaningful traffic." Of 26 numeric claims across the 12 guides, only 6 cite a source.
When are directory backlinks worth it?#
When people use the directory to find a business like yours. That covers three kinds:
- Local citation sites. Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Business, Yelp, BBB and the main data aggregators in your country. Google's own local ranking help says prominence is "based on info like how many websites link to your business and how many reviews you have." These are worth claiming for customers and consistency, whatever the link attribute.
- Niche and industry directories. G2 and Capterra for software, Clutch for agencies, Houzz for home services, a trade body's member list for regulated work. Buyers browse these and compare.
- Curated directories with editorial review. A human approves entries and the directory still ranks for its own category pages. These are rare.
Everything else, the general "submit your URL" web directories with hundreds of unrelated categories, is a skip. Our local link building post covers the local side in more depth.
How to vet a directory in five steps#
- Ask whether customers use it. Search your service plus your city or category. If the directory's pages show up for those searches, people find businesses there. If you never see it, skip it.
- Check it is alive and on its own domain. Load the homepage. Expired directories get bought and turned into spam or gambling sites, and a link from one of those is a liability.
- Open a real listing and read the link. View the page source of an existing listing and find the link to the business's website. Note the rel value and whether it goes through a redirect. Then decide if the listing is worth it without the link.
- Check for editorial review and real neighbours. Look at the businesses already listed in your category. If they are unrelated, thin or obviously spam, your listing will sit among them.
- Keep your details identical and record it. Use the same business name, address, phone and URL everywhere, and log each listing so you can update it later.
Directories are the floor, not the plan. Once your listings are claimed, the links that move rankings come from relevant sites choosing to cite you. GenLink's backlink agent finds those sites, writes each pitch and sends it from your own mailbox.
Should you pay for directory submission?#
Pay for a directory when you are paying for customers, not for a link. MerchantCircle's premium listing costs $360 a year billed annually, and iGotBiz charges $49.99 a year for its basic, non-featured listing. Neither price buys a followed link: MerchantCircle's website link is nofollow even on the listing we read.
Bulk submission services are a different thing. They sell placement on hundreds of directories at once, which is the "automated programs or services to create links" pattern Google names as link spam. Google's guidance is that paid placements should carry rel="sponsored". So if a paid directory promises you a followed link, you are buying a link. Our buying backlinks post covers that risk, and our free backlinks post lists the free sources that are worth your time.
Directory backlinks vs earned links#
A directory listing gets you found by people already searching a directory. It rarely moves rankings on its own, because every competitor can get the same listing for the same five minutes. Links that move rankings are the ones a competitor cannot simply sign up for: a mention in an industry article, a guest post, a resource page that cites your guide.
So treat directories as hygiene. Claim the dozen that matter, keep them accurate, then spend your time on link building outreach to sites that choose to link. The full process is in our link building guide.
Frequently asked questions#
Are directory backlinks still worth it? Only on directories that people use to find businesses like yours, such as Google Business Profile, Yelp, BBB or an industry directory. Generic submission directories rarely help, and Google lists low-quality directory links as an example of link spam.
Are directory backlinks dofollow? Usually not on the directories worth being in. Of 15 listings we inspected from a 2026 submission list, 9 nofollowed the business link, 4 were followed and 2 had no website link.
Can directory links hurt my site? Low-quality ones can count as link spam under Google's policies, especially in bulk or from automated submission tools. A handful of normal business listings will not hurt you.
How many directories should I submit to? There is no right number. Claim the main local and industry directories your customers use, often a dozen or so, and stop there.
What is the difference between a citation and a directory backlink? A citation is any mention of your business name, address and phone number, with or without a link. A directory backlink is a link from a listing to your website. Local directories usually give you both.
Should I use a directory submission service? Not for links. Services that post you to hundreds of directories at once match the automated link building Google calls spam. A citation tool that keeps your main listings accurate is a different, legitimate job.
Your first brief takes one sentence. Describe the sites you want links from in plain English, for example "relevant DR-60+ blogs in my niche", and the agent starts finding and pitching them. The free plan costs $0 and runs on a GenLink-branded domain, so you can try it before you pay anything.
