If you’re an SEO professional building citation profiles or link portfolios for clients, you know that not all business directories are created equal. Some pass real link equity through dofollow backlinks. Others slap a nofollow tag on every outbound link, making them useful for NAP consistency but worthless for link building.
This guide breaks down what to look for in a business directory from a link building perspective, and where Bunity fits in the landscape.
What Makes a Directory Worth Submitting To?
Before you add a client to any directory, evaluate it on these criteria:
Link type matters most. A dofollow backlink from a directory with a strong domain rating passes actual PageRank to your client’s site. A nofollow link doesn’t. Most major directories - Yelp, Yellow Pages, BBB - use nofollow on outbound business website links. They’re still valuable for NAP citations and brand visibility, but they won’t move the needle on domain authority.
Domain authority of the directory itself. A dofollow link from a DR 20 directory is worth less than a nofollow link from a DR 90 directory in terms of trust signals. But a dofollow link from a DR 50+ directory? That’s the sweet spot for cost-effective link building.
Cost per link. Enterprise directories can charge $50-500+ per year for a listed profile. At scale - if you’re submitting 20-50 clients - that adds up fast. The economics of directory submissions favor platforms with low one-time fees over recurring annual charges.
Listing permanence. Annual fees mean your client’s backlink disappears if the subscription lapses. One-time fee directories give you a permanent link that compounds in value over time as the directory’s domain authority grows.
The Dofollow Directory Landscape
Most general business directories have moved to nofollow in recent years, partly to comply with Google’s link spam policies and partly because they were being abused by SEO spammers. That’s made the remaining dofollow directories more valuable - and more scrutinized.
Here’s what matters when evaluating a dofollow directory:
Is the directory moderated? Google’s SpamBrain algorithm specifically targets unmoderated directories that freely distribute dofollow links. A directory that requires payment, verification, or both before granting a dofollow link is safer than one that hands them out to anyone with an email address.
Does the directory have real traffic? A directory that exists solely as a link farm - no real users, no organic traffic, just SEO submissions - is a liability, not an asset. Check SimilarWeb or Semrush for actual traffic numbers before submitting.
How many outbound links per page? A business profile page with 3 outbound links passes significantly more equity per link than a page with 50. Look for directories where each business gets its own dedicated profile page with a limited number of outbound links.
Where Bunity Fits
Bunity is a global business directory with over 29 million listings across 190+ countries. Here’s the breakdown from an SEO professional’s perspective:
Link type: Dofollow for claimed (paid) listings. Unclaimed listings use rel="ugc nofollow" - which means the dofollow link is a gated benefit, not a freebie. This is actually a positive signal because it means the directory is moderated and doesn’t freely distribute link equity.
Cost: $3 one-time fee. No recurring charges. At that price point, submitting 50 clients costs $150 total - permanently. Compare that to directories charging $30-50/year per listing where the same 50 clients would cost $1,500-2,500 annually.
Profile quality: Each claimed listing gets a dedicated profile page with the business name, address, phone, website link (dofollow), description, photos, gallery, and category tags. The profile page has LocalBusiness JSON-LD schema, which helps Google understand the business entity.
Coverage: 190+ countries means Bunity works for international clients, not just US-based businesses. Most affordable directories are US-only.
How to Get the Most Value from a Directory Listing
Regardless of which directories you use, these practices maximize the SEO value:
Complete every field. A profile with just a name and website link is a thin page. Add a unique description (not copy-pasted from the client’s website), upload a logo and cover photo, and fill in all available fields. Richer profiles rank better in the directory’s internal search and pass more contextual relevance through the backlink.
Use consistent NAP data. The business name, address, and phone number should exactly match the Google Business Profile. Inconsistencies across directories hurt local SEO rankings.
Write a unique description. Don’t paste the same 200-word boilerplate across 50 directories. Google can detect duplicate content across domains. Write a unique 2-3 sentence description for each directory submission that describes the business differently while targeting relevant local keywords.
Check the link periodically. Directories change their policies. A directory that was dofollow last year might have switched to nofollow. Verify the link attributes every 6-12 months using a tool like Ahrefs or Screaming Frog.
The Bottom Line
For SEO professionals working at volume, the math on directory submissions comes down to cost per dofollow link, domain authority of the directory, and whether the link is permanent or subscription-based. Bunity’s $3 one-time model with dofollow links on claimed profiles and global coverage makes it one of the more cost-effective options available in 2026 - particularly for agencies managing international client portfolios.
Bunity is a global business directory operated by Cedar Creek Ltd (London, UK). Claim your business listing for a one-time $3 fee.