Yell, Checkatrade, Trustpilot: which UK listings still help?

Short answer: Three listings are non-negotiable for almost every UK business: Google Business Profile, Bing Places and Apple's business listing for Maps, because they feed the maps people actually use. After that, pick the one or two review or trade platforms your customers already check (Checkatrade or similar for trades, Trustpilot for online sellers, Yell as a free baseline) and keep every detail identical. Skip the long tail of obscure directories; they cost time and rarely bring a single enquiry.

The old local SEO advice was "get listed everywhere". In practice, a listing is only worth having if a customer might see it, or if Google can use it to confirm you're a real, well-known business. Everything else is admin.

Why listings matter at all

Google's own help page on local ranking says results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, and that prominence draws on information such as how many websites link to your business and how many reviews you have. It also states there is no way to pay for a better local ranking. So a listing can help in two ways: it can bring customers directly, and it can be one more consistent mention of your business on the web. A listing with an old phone number does the opposite on both counts.

Tier 1: Must have

Google Business Profile

This is where most "near me" searches end. Verify it, fill in the address (or service area), hours including special opening hours, categories, attributes and photos, and reply to reviews. Google lists each of those as a way to improve local visibility.

Bing Places for Business

Free to claim, and it feeds Microsoft's search results. On Bing's own page the pitch is simple: list your business on Bing for free. It takes about twenty minutes, and it covers the people who search on Bing or through Microsoft products rather than Google.

Apple Maps

iPhone users asking Siri or opening Maps see Apple's place card, not Google's. Apple's portal at businessconnect.apple.com (now presented as Apple Business) is where you put your business on the map and manage what customers see. Claim it and make it match your Google profile.

Tier 2: Should have, if it fits your customers

Yell

Yell offers a free business profile. Its business site says you can invite customers to leave reviews on Yell, add photos and testimonials, and that it shares your details across Apple, Amazon Alexa and Microsoft. A free listing is a reasonable baseline for most UK firms. Its paid marketing packages are a separate decision; judge them as you would any ad spend, by enquiries you can count.

Checkatrade (and its rivals), for trades

Checkatrade is a paid membership, not a free directory. Its join page describes the model: you choose your trade, the postcode areas you want, and the number of leads per year, complete an ID, address and documentation check, and pay a monthly cost for a flow of leads. Customers can call you, request a quote or book from your profile. That makes it closer to a lead marketplace than a citation.

When it makes sense:

Your customers are homeowners who check trade platforms before calling.
You have capacity and want a predictable flow of jobs.
You will track every lead's outcome, so after a few months you know your real cost per job won.

Check current prices and contract terms on Checkatrade's own pages before signing. The same logic applies to similar trade platforms; one you actively use beats three you pay for and ignore.

Trustpilot, for online sellers and services sold nationally

Trustpilot fits businesses whose customers compare brands online, such as e-commerce shops, broadband and insurance brokers, or courses. As of November 2026, Trustpilot's pricing page says the Free plan includes 50 review invitations a month, and its help centre walks you through completing the profile, picking a primary category plus up to five more, setting up invitations and adding a widget. Paid plans add more invitations and features.

For a local plumber or café, Trustpilot usually adds little: local customers read Google reviews. Pick the review platform your buyers look at, not the one with the biggest brand.

Tier 3: Skip (or do once and forget)

Directories nobody visits. If you've never heard of it and it doesn't appear when you search your trade and town, it is unlikely to bring a customer.
Paid "submit to 200 directories" bundles. They create listings you can't maintain, and every one becomes a place your old number lives on after you change it.
Duplicate listings on the same platform. Two profiles for one business confuse customers and split reviews. Merge or remove the extra one.
Platforms that only exist to sell you ads. A free listing there may be harmless; the upsell rarely is.

Keep one master record

Every listing should match your website, character for character:

Field	Example of what to standardise
Business name	Exactly as on your signage, no keywords added
Address	Same format everywhere, including unit numbers
Phone	One main number, written the same way
Website	The same URL, https and with or without "www" consistently
Hours	Including bank holiday changes
Categories	The closest match each platform offers

Keep this in a simple spreadsheet with the login for each platform. When you move, rebrand or change number, work down the list in one sitting.

FAQ

Do directory links still help SEO?

Google says links to your business are part of what it uses for prominence. A few relevant, accurate listings help; hundreds of low-quality ones don't.

Should I pay for Yell or Checkatrade to rank on Google?

Paying a directory doesn't buy Google ranking; Google states there's no way to pay for better local ranking. Pay only if the platform itself sends you customers you can count.

I've moved premises. Which listings do I update first?

Google, Apple Maps and Bing first, then your website, then the trade and review platforms you're on.

Can I copy my Checkatrade or Trustpilot reviews onto my website?

Showing a widget or linking to your profile is common. Check each platform's own rules on reusing reviews before you paste text into your site.

If your business details differ across half a dozen listings and you'd rather hand the clean-up to someone, send us your business name and postcode.