Trovn offers two directory submission modes: SaaS / Startup and Local Business. Pick the wrong one and your submissions get rejected. This article is a decision guide.
Quick Decision Table
| Business Type | Use This Mode |
|---|---|
| Subscription SaaS product | SaaS |
| Mobile/desktop app | SaaS |
| Online course or digital product | SaaS |
| Agency or consultancy (online) | SaaS |
| B2B tool or service platform | SaaS |
| Restaurant, cafe, bar | Local |
| Dentist, doctor, clinic | Local |
| Plumber, electrician, contractor | Local |
| Retail store (physical location) | Local |
| Gym, spa, salon, fitness studio | Local |
| Real estate agency (city-specific) | Local |
| Law firm (city-specific) | Local |
Rule of thumb:
- Does the business serve customers from anywhere online? → SaaS
- Does the business serve customers within a specific geographic area? → Local
The 13 SaaS / Startup Directories
| Directory | Authority | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Product Hunt | DR 93 | Launch platform, massive traffic spike |
| G2 | DR 92 | Dominant B2B software review site |
| Capterra | DR 91 | SMB software comparison platform |
| Crunchbase | DR 92 | Company database, funding data |
| AlternativeTo | DR 85 | "Alternatives to X" searches |
| BetaList | DR 68 | Early-stage product discovery |
| Indie Hackers | DR 84 | Bootstrapped community |
| Wellfound (AngelList) | DR 90 | Startup jobs + company profiles |
| SaaSHub | DR 59 | SaaS comparison |
| GetApp | DR 85 | SMB software (owned by Gartner) |
| Software Suggest | DR 65 | Enterprise software reviews |
| StackShare | DR 73 | Tech stack showcase |
| TrustRadius | DR 83 | Enterprise reviews |
Best first targets: Product Hunt, G2, AlternativeTo, Crunchbase — these give the biggest traffic bump and best backlinks.
The 13 Local Business Directories
| Directory | Authority | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | DR 95+ | Most important — connects to Google Maps |
| Yelp | DR 93 | High trust, strong reviews platform |
| Bing Places | DR 94 | Required for Bing Maps visibility |
| Apple Maps | DR 94 | Required for iPhone/Mac users |
| Foursquare | DR 91 | Data source for other maps apps |
| Manta | DR 76 | US-focused small business directory |
| Hotfrog | DR 65 | Global local directory |
| YellowPages (YP.com) | DR 83 | Traditional local search |
| BrownBook | DR 58 | International local directory |
| Cylex | DR 55 | Europe-focused business directory |
| Chamber of Commerce (local) | DR 60+ | Local authority + networking |
| BBB (Better Business Bureau) | DR 89 | Trust signal for US businesses |
| Angi (formerly Angie's List) | DR 87 | Home services, contractors |
Best first targets: Google Business Profile, Yelp, Bing Places, Apple Maps — these drive the most foot traffic and local search rankings.
What If a Business Is Both?
Some businesses genuinely overlap — e.g. a local web design agency that also sells a SaaS tool, or an e-commerce brand with a flagship physical store.
In that case:
- Add the domain twice (once for each business arm if separate URLs)
- Or run both submission modes on the same domain in sequence — Trovn will skip directories that don't fit and submit to the ones that do
What Trovn Auto-Skips
If a directory doesn't fit the business, Trovn skips it automatically:
- SaaS mode skips directories that require a physical address
- Local mode skips directories that require a product pricing page
- Both modes skip categories the business doesn't match (e.g. Capterra skips non-business-software, Yelp skips online-only businesses)
Tips
- When in doubt, ask the client "Where do your customers find you today?" — If they say "Google Maps, Yelp" → local. If they say "G2, Twitter, Reddit" → SaaS.
- Don't submit to irrelevant directories just to hit the 26 count — Rejected submissions waste time and can hurt your agency reputation on that directory.
- Local businesses should do SaaS directories too — for one specific case: If the local business has an online scheduling tool or booking platform, lightweight SaaS directories like AlternativeTo can help. Otherwise skip.
- SaaS businesses should NOT do local directories — NAP-focused directories will reject SaaS submissions or produce low-quality listings that hurt more than help.