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Citysearch Kills Free Business Listings

By Matt McGee on Jul 28, 2009 in Local Search

UPDATE: Citysearch has reinstated free business listings. Please see this post for details: Citysearch Brings Back Free Business Listings, Adds Twitter.

——————–

Citysearch logoI’ve spent the past two months trying to get an answer from Citysearch to a very simple question: Where on your web site can a small business submit a free listing? The lack of replies from two contacts associated with Citysearch, my own scouring of their web site, and the repeated inquiries I’ve had from small business owners who can’t find a way to add a free listing suggests one thing: Citysearch has killed free listings for small businesses.

There’s some history here that’s worth mentioning: Almost two years ago, I wrote a post, SBS Mailbag: Adding Your Business to Citysearch, in which I answered a reader’s question about where to find the “add a business” page on Citysearch.com. That post now ranks very highly in search engines for “add a business to citysearch” and similar terms.

Citysearch told me at that time that the “Make a Correction” form located at http://national.citysearch.com/corrections could be used to add a new business for free.

Don’t bother clicking that link now, because the page no longer exists. And as best I can tell, there’s no replacement. In several places on Citysearch.com, there are fairly visible links to an advertise with us page … but no mention of a basic, free listing. (Readers: Am I missing it?)

Citysearch might think small businesses aren’t interested in free listings at this point, but the evidence suggests otherwise. Since January 1st of this year, I’ve had referral traffic from 249 different keywords that include the “citysearch” name, and as the chart below shows, search traffic on that keyword started increasing pretty dramatically in early March and hasn’t let up.

citysearch

Citysearch: There are lots of small business owners wanting to add themselves to your web site without having to buy an advertising package. How about bringing that back?

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  1. 24 Comment(s)

  2. By T.M. on Jul 28, 2009 | Reply

    I tried to talk with CitySearch about 6 months ago when I was thinking of going back to massage therapy (as a CMT), and looking at advertising options.

    The guy on the phone told me he appreciated my business and would be in touch with more information within 48 hours.

    I never received a return call.

    I’ve since really ratcheted things up in my online endeavors, and don’t really care to have a listing there on Citysearch, but I REALLY hope, for their sake, that they come around and read your post here. Going the model of “Pay us first, we’ll bring the value later” is just dying out rapidly, and could be hugely detrimental to their business (I think), which would be a shame, because I like Citysearch.

  3. By Adam M on Jul 29, 2009 | Reply

    Hey Matt,
    I’ve been reading your site for the past month or so and really have been finding it valuable.

    I was working on some LB seo and 2 weeks ago I attempted to try to grab a free listing on citysearch. I of course talked to an advertiser and he was spouting off all sorts of stats and packages on the phone. I asked him to send me some data in a file that I could look over and also asked if I could have just a free listing until I decide. He told me they no longer did that directly on their site.

    He did send me the stats and information (which seemed a bit inflated but who really knows) but he never even followed up to see if I was interesting in buying advertising…which I wasn’t, but still!

  4. By Nick Stamoulis on Jul 29, 2009 | Reply

    i think the economy has caught up with them and this is most likely a last breath type of approach.

  5. By Matt McGee on Jul 29, 2009 | Reply

    Sorry to kill a conversation here, but I deleted several comments from people using spammy names. There’s a very obvious “read my comment policy” link right above the text box where you type your comment.

    Adam M – sorry, but also deleted one of yours since you were replying directly to a diff. comment that was deleted. Didn’t make sense to keep it when the original was removed.

  6. By Adam M on Jul 29, 2009 | Reply

    No problem Matt, it’s your blog. Thanks for the good posts ;)

  7. By Rob Sullivan on Jul 29, 2009 | Reply

    Hi there

    I just wanted to let you know that we operate business directories targeting local markets. Our main directory is shopinusa.com, and if you go there and scroll to the bottom of the home page you will see all our city specific directories as well.

    We always have and always will accept free listings. We do have an advertising option as well if you are interested, but please feel free to submit your listing for free to any of our business directories. All we ask is that if you are submitting a regional business, to submit your listing to the city it belongs in.

    All our new submissions are reviewed by humans. We don’t have some software running which arbitrarily accepts or rejects listings.

    We’ve been in the directory business for over 10 years. We’re well established in Canada and have been growing quickly in the US.

  8. By Miriam on Jul 29, 2009 | Reply

    Thanks for the heads up, Matt. I guess that’s one to delete from my to-do list for local business clients. A pity.

  9. By Kim on Jul 29, 2009 | Reply

    Hmm… I recently ran into this same brick wall. Very disappointing.
    I used to go to Citysearch to search for restaurants and other services, but their lack of valuable info (like listing the business websites) eventually drove me away.

  10. By Sean Callahan on Jul 29, 2009 | Reply

    Let me start by saying I am not a CitySearch user and never really have been. I am also not a know it all and I am probably wrong by saying this, but I will say it anyway.

    I think more and more people today go to Yelp, Google, etc to find reviews and businesses. Even though Yelp is a vertical, I see people all the time going to broad based engines to get their info. In fact, I have people tell me all the time they found a restaurant or a bar or a club or something through Google local, they check the reviews there, etc….

    So, sure maybe Citysearch is done anyway and they realize it. Therefore trying to scrape all the pennies they can. It could just be me but I really think that broad based engines are at the point where you don’t really -need- sites like Citysearch…just my 2 cents and maybe I am just plain wrong, but that is how I feel.

  11. By Sean Callahan on Jul 29, 2009 | Reply

    One more thing…Even though your Citysearch type traffic is rising and the trends are increasing that could be a direct correlation to the prevalence of SEO today. People and businesses who are just hearing about SEO are starting to read [local] SEO guides that are kind of out dated. ALMOST EVERYONE OF THEM says to list your business in citysearch and get that citation across the web of your address….could be something to that….

    Maybe after someone writes a really good (and highly accessable) “local biz seo- how to guide” with current info you would see that trend fall ? Not sure…..I know personally that when I started it was actually kind of a maze to find the trsuted seo’s that provided quality info. Most of them just said the same stuff the last guy said by rewording the sentence. Then I started to find things like, SEOmoz, Cutts blog, THIS SITE, etc etc…that really have valuable information for anyone. Not just the same mumble jumble.

    I guess these 2 cants make the total 4 cents :)

    -Sean

  12. By Danielle Kraft on Jul 29, 2009 | Reply

    Matt,

    I’ve wondered the same thing and just passed it up when I could not find a link either.

    What I find interesting is that UBL (universalbusinesslisting.org) lists CitySearch as one of their submissions for your website business profile. How do they do that? What does UBL know that we don’t?

    Danielle

  13. By Marce on Jul 29, 2009 | Reply

    I suppose UBL indirectly benefits from CitySearch that’s why.. Is there an alternative for CitySearch? I’ve seen from other blogs that CopyOracle can do the as well.

  14. By Marce on Jul 29, 2009 | Reply

    Sorry, I mean I’ve seen from other blogs that Copy Oracle can do the job as well.

  15. By Matt McGee on Jul 30, 2009 | Reply

    Hey gang – update to this post from Citysearch. Please see here for details:

    http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/update-citysearch-free-business-listings/2188/

  16. By Joel McLaughlin on Aug 7, 2009 | Reply

    They are looking for last ditch efforts to succeed… It will be interesting to see what happens.

  17. By Sean Callahan on Aug 7, 2009 | Reply

    That was my first reaction, but I guess they still offer the free listing. Matt put a link to an update at the top. The link is http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/update-citysearch-free-business-listings/2188/

  18. By T.T. on Sep 6, 2009 | Reply

    We’ve spent the last 2 years trying to get some type of response from CitySearch, however, to no avail. It seems that is it an IMPOSSIBILITY to get anything corrected on their listings, not to mention a response. Rather unsettling as many individuals would really like to have use of this site.

  19. By JohnM on Oct 27, 2009 | Reply

    My company has been in the same city for 18 years, had a free listing on CitySearch for years, and with much success. I authored many articles for them in their salad days when they needed genre specific content,etc etc….. a genuine mutually beneficial alliance.
    Last month I realized we had been dropped from the CS site and called to get back on.
    One month, five phone calls, being put on perma-hold, submission requests, later– it came down to this phone call yesterday:
    “Mr.X, I will be in your area all week meeting with business owners. I am very busy, but based on your prior history with CitySearch here are the times I may be able to squeeze you in.”
    The rest of the call was basically,
    Me: I can’t meet with you, nor is it necessary; just email me your literature & I’ll get on it ASAP.
    CS: (cocky) Oh…you’ll meet with me. That’s how it’s done. If I just “email” you some rate sheet you’ll never understand it (laughs). You won’t even know what category we’ll feel is best to build your campaign around.
    Me: I don’t need you to build me a campaign yet, just reinstate my free listing as I had for years. Then we’ll set up my other paid account.
    CS: There are NO free listings. There NEVER were.
    Me: That’s not true. I had one for years; I wrote content for you, reciprocal links on my site, and I can prove it.
    CS: (sarcastically) Wow! How wonderful! (pushy) So, what time on Tuesday are we going to meet?
    Me: I know for a fact that two colleges of mine currently have free listings on CS. So why are you saying there are NO free listings?
    SC: (sigh) That’s because, unlike you, THEY are obviously grandfathered in. (Perky) Hey! My supervisor just authorized me to offer you 50% off your CPC rate. If you sign up now these rates will NEVER change!
    Me: Great!! But, please define “never”. Even 10 years from now? That kind of ‘never’? Will that “rate never changes” be written into my contract?
    If so, let’s meet ASAP.
    CS: (sigh) It’s good for two years.
    Me: Two years is the same as ‘never’? So if my wife tells me “I will NEVER stop loving you”, I should anticipate she’ll be filing for divorce in 24 months?
    I want to talk to the supervisor that authorized that 50% discount and ask her to clarify. I’m ready to sign up for $850 per month, but I want a different sales rep.
    CS: (totally pissed) Sorry to have wasted your time!

    What I leared from this call:
    1- Yes, there apparently are those with FREE listings, but they are “grandfathered in”.
    2- Being one of the original 10 listed businesses in my city, and long time (no charge) content contributor does not qualify me as “grandfathered in”.
    3- CS sales reps are being instructed to push really hard for a face-to-face, and offer huge discounts with insane promises– as long as you don’t commit them to paper.
    4- CS reps are told that if someone is not willing to meet with you then they are not worth the time.
    5- Deny any knowledge of free listings at any time. If pushed by someone that seems to have proof contrary to to this, just tell them anything to change the subject.
    6- The CS reps must be so heavily commission oriented that regardless of budget, a rep will not turn over a lead if they can’t have the full commission.
    Nothing like building a unified, dedicated team.

    As an early adopter and supporter of CS, I resent this disrespect (but am not surprised at all). But, as a business owner, I am actually surprised at their willingness to make wild promises that they know business owners will hold them accountable for.
    I had allocated a $850/per month budget for CitySearch; a fact this rep clearly knew. She trapped herself in lies and lost the deal.

    I don’t get their methods; and they don’t get my $9,700 this year.
    Frigging stupid.

  20. By Jerome G. on Nov 9, 2009 | Reply

    I work for a major media company as a sales manager (we’re one of cs’s largest competitors) and what’s happening here is that this sales rep is calling you because they have a quota. This quota is how they get paid, how they buy their kid’s christmas gifts, how they take vacations, etc. These reps don’t get paid to see the big picture. They care about revenue and that’s it. When they hear a customer like you mention free it’s the equivalent of meeting a woman at the bar talking about how you should meet her parents – it’s a major turn off even if this girl is planning on going home and doing the nasty. Which in this case you had allocated $850 per month to ‘do the nasty’ with City Search.

  21. By Mike on Nov 16, 2009 | Reply

    What about all of the SEO Bull puckey out there. I have thought about learning the stuff, but every time I buy somthing, it’s useless. How about some USEFUL INFORMATION from the SEO guys.

  22. By Mark Pelloth on Jan 3, 2010 | Reply

    I currently have another browser tab opened to a citysearch page that allows me to add a business- in this case my own- but I’m taking a moment to google the process to avoid unexpected consequences.

    To get to this page, all I did was to type my business name into the citysearch search box, and click the ‘add a business’ link which accompanied the ‘no results found’ message. I created a new citysearch account, and one of the tabs available to me is labeled ‘my business (beta)’, which is now open in the aforementioned browser tab, awaiting my input.

    I hope this helps those of you who can’t find the free listing option, but the general tone of this forum makes me wonder if it’s worth bothering with citysearch at all; it sounds ready to go belly up.

    What do you think? Is citysearch viable?

  23. By Matt McGee on Jan 3, 2010 | Reply

    Hey Mark — yeah, I had posted about these new listings here:

    http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/citysearch-brings-back-free-business-listings-adds-twitter/2534/

    but failed to update this post. My apologies. A free listing on Citysearch is a good idea.

  24. By frustrated on Jan 28, 2010 | Reply

    can you recommend how to get city search to remove a listing? my company somehow was listed on citysearch. I did not list myself. I am listed as a restaurant which i am not and i have some unfavorable comments posted on my listing from what i suspect is either a competitor or former employee. city search refuses to remove my listing and when i asked them to remove the negative reviews they suggest i advertise with them and say they will then remove…help!

  25. By Matt McGee on Jan 28, 2010 | Reply

    Can you show me the listing you’re referring to on Citysearch? What’s the link?

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