If you’re starting an online business, knowing where to register your business in the UK can make a real difference to how easily customers find and trust you. From Google and Bing to Apple, LinkedIn and UK business directories, there are several places worth setting up a business profile.
Start with Google Business Profile
For many businesses, Google Business Profile should be one of the first places you register.
It allows your business to appear in Google Search and Google Maps, and gives customers access to important information such as your opening hours, website, telephone number, photos and reviews.
However, there is an important restriction.
Google Business Profile is designed for businesses that have some form of face-to-face contact with customers. That might mean customers visit your premises, or you travel to them.
If your business operates entirely online and you never meet customers in person, you may not be eligible. If you do qualify, setting up and maintaining your profile should be a priority.
Set up Google Search Console
Google Search Console is not a business directory, but it is one of the most important tools you can set up for your website.
It shows you how Google sees your site and gives you information about:
- which searches your website appears for
- how many people click through to your site
- which pages are being indexed
- whether Google has found technical problems
- which pages are gaining or losing visibility
You can also submit your website’s XML sitemap to help Google discover your pages.
If you are serious about SEO, Search Console is essential.
Use Google Merchant Center if you sell products
If you run an ecommerce business and sell physical products, Google Merchant Center should also be high on your list. It allows Google to understand your products, including their names, prices, availability and images.
Your products may then become eligible to appear across areas such as Google Shopping, Search and Images. For an online shop, this can be much more valuable than submitting your business to dozens of generic directories.
Register with Apple Business Connect
Apple Business Connect is often overlooked.
It allows eligible businesses to manage how their information appears across Apple services, including Apple Maps. With so many people using iPhones, it makes sense to make sure your business information is accurate there too.
This is particularly useful for businesses with a physical location or service area.
Claim your business on Bing Places
Google gets most of the attention, but Bing should not be ignored.
Bing Places for Business allows you to manage your business information across Microsoft’s search services.
It is particularly worth doing because Bing is built into a large number of Windows devices and Microsoft products. You do not necessarily need to spend much time maintaining it, but claiming and completing your listing is worthwhile.
Create a LinkedIn Company Page
If you provide professional services or work with other businesses, LinkedIn can be particularly useful.
A company page gives your business another presence in search results and allows potential customers to see more about what you do.
It is especially useful for businesses such as: consultants, designers, marketers, accountants, virtual assistants, business support providers and other B2B services.
It also gives you somewhere to share useful content and build some authority around your area of expertise.
Set up Facebook and Instagram
Facebook and Instagram are not essential for every business, but they remain useful for visibility and credibility.
A customer may discover you through Google and then check your Instagram or Facebook page before deciding whether to buy from you.
For visually driven businesses such as design, food, beauty, fashion, retail and creative services, Instagram can be particularly useful.
The important thing is to keep your information consistent and avoid creating social media accounts that are then abandoned for years.
One active profile is better than six neglected ones.
Consider Yell and other UK directories
Yell is still one of the better-known UK business directories and offers free business listings.
It is unlikely to become your biggest source of customers, but it can still provide another legitimate reference to your business online.
FreeIndex is another UK directory that may be worth considering.
I would not, however, recommend spending hours submitting your business to every directory you can find.
There was a time when businesses were encouraged to submit their websites to hundreds of directories for SEO purposes. That approach is outdated.
Focus on quality rather than quantity.
Think about Trustpilot and customer reviews
Reviews can have a major influence on whether somebody chooses to buy from you.
Trustpilot is one option for collecting and displaying independent customer reviews.
You do not necessarily need to prioritise it before you have any customers, but once your business starts generating regular sales or enquiries, having a structured way of collecting reviews can be useful.
Depending on your business, Google reviews may be equally or more important. The key is to build reviews gradually and genuinely rather than suddenly trying to collect dozens at once.
Do not forget the official registrations
Business directories and search engines are only one part of the picture.
You also need to make sure your business is properly registered in the UK. If you run a limited company, this normally means registering the company with Companies House.
If you operate as a sole trader, you may need to register for Self Assessment with HMRC depending on your income and circumstances.
These registrations are not primarily about SEO, but they are part of running a legitimate business and should take priority over most marketing directories.
Keep your business information consistent
One of the most important things you can do is use the same business information everywhere.
For example, avoid calling your business:
Design Freak
on one website, then:
DesignFreak UK
somewhere else, and:
Design Freak Web Design
on another.
Choose the official version of your business name and use it consistently.
Ideally, your listings should all contain the same core information:
- business name
- website address
- telephone number
- email address
- address or service area, where relevant
- business description
- opening hours
- social media links
In local SEO, this is often referred to as NAP consistency, meaning Name, Address and Phone number.
Consistency helps customers and search engines understand that all these listings belong to the same business.
Industry-specific directories can be even more valuable
Generic directories are useful, but industry-specific platforms can sometimes be much more valuable.
The best places to register will depend heavily on what you sell.
A tradesperson might benefit from platforms such as Checkatrade, while a freelancer, restaurant, wedding supplier or accountant would have a completely different set of useful directories.
This is why I would not recommend following a generic list of 100 business directories.
Ask a simpler question: Where would somebody realistically look for a business like mine?
Those are the platforms worth prioritising.
Which platforms should you start with?
For most small UK businesses, I would start with:
- Google Business Profile, if eligible
- Google Search Console
- Google Merchant Center, if you sell products
- Apple Business Connect
- Bing Places
- Facebook and Instagram
- Yell
- Relevant industry directories
- Trustpilot or another suitable review platform
You can always expand later. The goal is not to have your business listed everywhere.
The goal is to make sure your business appears in the places where both search engines and potential customers would reasonably expect to find it.
A handful of accurate, well-maintained listings will usually be more useful than hundreds of forgotten profiles scattered around the internet.
Which Business Platforms Should You Prioritise?
Not every platform needs the same level of attention. Some are essential, while others are only worth using if they are relevant to your type of business.
| Priority | Platform | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| ★★★★★ | Google Business Profile | Essential for local search, Google Maps and customer reviews if your business is eligible. Best suited to businesses that meet customers in person or travel to customers. |
| ★★★★★ | Google Search Console | Essential for monitoring how your website performs in Google, checking indexing issues and seeing which searches bring people to your site. |
| ★★★★★ | Google Merchant Center | A priority for ecommerce businesses selling physical products. Helps your products appear across Google Shopping and other Google services. |
| ★★★★☆ | Apple Business Connect | Helps eligible businesses manage how they appear across Apple Maps and other Apple services. |
| ★★★★☆ | Bing Places for Business | Helps your business appear across Bing and Microsoft search services. |
| ★★★★☆ | LinkedIn Company Page | Particularly useful for professional services, freelancers, consultants and B2B businesses. |
| ★★★★☆ | Facebook Business Page | Useful for credibility, customer discovery, reviews and paid advertising. |
| ★★★☆☆ | Instagram Business Account | Particularly useful for visual businesses such as design, retail, food, beauty and fashion. |
| ★★★☆☆ | Yell | A recognised UK business directory that can provide an additional business citation and online presence. |
| ★★★☆☆ | Trustpilot | Useful once you are generating regular customers and want to build independent reviews and social proof. |
| ★★★☆☆ | Industry-specific directories | Often more valuable than generic directories because they put your business in front of people actively looking for your type of service. |
| ★★☆☆☆ | FreeIndex | A useful additional UK business listing, but lower priority than the major search, social and industry platforms. |
A Simple Starting Order
For most UK small businesses, I would prioritise them in this order:
Google Search Console → Google Business Profile, if eligible → Google Merchant Center, if relevant → Apple Business Connect → Bing Places → LinkedIn → Facebook/Instagram → industry directories → Yell → Trustpilot → FreeIndex.
The exact order will vary depending on your business. An ecommerce shop should prioritise Google Merchant Center, while a local service business should put more effort into Google Business Profile and customer reviews.
The main point is not to register with as many websites as possible. Focus on the platforms that customers actually use and make sure your information is accurate and consistent across all of them.
Conclusion
Getting your business listed in the right places is a simple step, but it can make a real difference to how easily people find and trust you online. Start with the platforms that matter most for your type of business, keep your details consistent, and build from there. You do not need to be everywhere. You just need to be visible in the places your customers are actually looking.