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Indexing & SubmissionsApril 22, 2026

How to Use Directory Submissions to Build Backlinks

The Directory Submissions tab pre-fills and tracks submissions to 26 high-authority directories. Instead of retyping the same business description 26 times, Trovn scrapes the site once and auto-fills every form.

Step 1 — Pick a Directory Type

Open the Directory Submissions tab. Choose one of two modes:

  • SaaS / Startup — Product Hunt, BetaList, Indie Hackers, AlternativeTo, Crunchbase, G2, Capterra, Wellfound, and 5 more.
  • Local Business — Yelp, Bing Places, Foursquare, Manta, Hotfrog, YellowPages, BrownBook, and 5 more.

Pick the one that matches your client's business. See SaaS directories vs local business directories if you're not sure.

Step 2 — Let Trovn Scrape and Extract

Click Auto-Extract Business Info. Trovn's LLM visits the client's domain and pulls:

  • Business name
  • Tagline / one-liner
  • Long description (150–300 words)
  • Category/industry
  • Logo URL
  • Social profiles (Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook)
  • For local: address, phone number, hours

The extracted info appears in an editable form. Review it and adjust anything the scraper missed or got wrong.

Step 3 — Pre-Fill All Directories

Click Pre-Fill All Directories. Trovn takes the extracted info and formats it for each directory's specific field requirements:

  • Product Hunt wants a tagline under 60 chars — Trovn auto-shortens if needed
  • G2 requires a product category from their taxonomy — Trovn maps it
  • Yelp needs NAP (Name, Address, Phone) in a specific format — Trovn formats it

Step 4 — Submit to Each Directory

For each directory you see:

  • Not submitted
  • 🔵 Ready to submit (form is filled)
  • 🟡 Pending (submitted, awaiting approval)
  • 🟢 Approved (live on directory)
  • 🔴 Rejected (with reason if provided)

Click Submit on any directory. Most directories open in a new tab with the form pre-filled via query params or copy-paste buttons. A few (Bing Places, Yelp) require manual CAPTCHA or login.

Step 5 — Track Status Per Directory

After submitting, click Mark as Pending. Trovn tracks status per directory per domain. As directories approve your submission, update the status manually (or let Trovn auto-check via the directory's public profile URL when available).

Why Directories Matter

Each approved directory submission gives you:

  • A backlink — Usually DR 30+ (some are DR 80+ like Product Hunt, Crunchbase)
  • NAP consistency (for local) — Google trusts businesses with consistent Name/Address/Phone across the web
  • Real referral traffic — Directories like G2, Product Hunt, and Yelp send actual visitors, not just SEO juice
  • Trust signals — Approved directory listings improve how users perceive the business

Plan Limits

PlanDirectories per Domain
Trial3
Starter10
ProAll 26
AgencyAll 26, unlimited domains

Tips

  • Submit to your best directories first — Product Hunt and G2 (SaaS) or Yelp and Bing Places (local) are the highest-ROI targets. Start there.
  • Keep submissions spaced out — Submit 2–3 directories per day rather than all 26 at once. Spacing makes the backlink profile look natural to Google.
  • Follow up on rejections — Rejected listings usually have a fixable reason (duplicate entry, missing field, wrong category). Update and resubmit.
  • Re-check quarterly — Some directories change their rules, remove listings, or merge duplicates. A quarterly audit keeps listings live.