Supporting material availability

This catalog copy contains the inline guidance below, but does not include the following supporting paths. They are external prerequisites, not bundled files:

• ../../references/backlink-directory-master-list.md

Obtain the required material from the declared upstream source, or from a user-provided installation of that source. Resolve each path relative to that installation, inspect its contents, and verify any applicable license and execution prerequisites. Do not run a command or claim a referenced procedure was followed until its required file exists. Do not fabricate the missing scripts or treat an unrelated file with the same name as equivalent. Independent steps fully documented here can proceed within the user’s authorized scope; report any dependent step as unavailable.

SEO Directories & Backlinks

What it is: the off-site citation and link plan - which directory or platform the business belongs on, whether the listing is real and consistent, what the link is worth, and which submissions to refuse.

Overview

Works out the smallest useful citation plan for the business in front of it, then builds it only when asked. The default output is a short recommendation, not a submission list. The citation tracker - CSV, SQL DDL, JSON Schema, Notion mapping - is produced on request, from one field list so the four cannot drift apart.

Layer: Layer 3: Acquire. Fits: Growth stage. Table code: n/a.

The rule this table exists to enforce: a directory is a citation, and a citation is only correct if it matches. NAP Match is therefore a control field with three values, not a note, and a citation whose NAP does not match is a defect to fix rather than a backlink to keep. Alongside it, Approval Days and Link Type are recorded because a listing that was never approved and a nofollow link are two different facts, and a tracker that cannot distinguish them reports success it did not get.

The second rule: the highest-value links are almost never directories. Chamber of commerce, council directory, trade association, an industry blog and one genuine local press mention beat two hundred generic submissions. Tier exists so the plan spends its effort at the top.

When to Use This Skill

• where to list my business, business directories, citations
• backlinks, link building, off-page SEO
• NAP consistency, citation building, local citations
• "why is a competitor ranking and we are not"
• Industry and vertical directories for a specific sector
• refusing or auditing a list of "free high DA" submissions
• link profile, referring domains, anchor text, lost links

Do not use it for: the website's own structure (business-website-setup), the map profile (gbp-local-seo-intent), paid advertising, or content marketing and guest posting, which are editorial decisions rather than directory submissions.

How It Works

Follow the shared execution contract. The module-specific rules below define only domain fields, decisions, calculations, and safety constraints.

Step 1 - Identify intent

Read the request and pick the intent before asking anything.

• "where should we list" / "set up" / "build" -> artifacts wanted; go to Step 2.
• "review this list someone sent us" -> an audit of a supplied list; go to Step 2 and then the vetting step.
• "our rankings dropped" / "fix" -> something was done; capture what, then Step 2.
• "audit" / "check" -> a check, not a build.

Ask only if this is the highest-value missing fact; otherwise proceed without an opener:

Q: What is the business called, and what does one line of it actually do?

Step 2 - Ask only what is missing

Treat ambiguous replies as unanswered and ask which explicit option the user means. Record unknown values as Unknown; Unknown is not zero. A record must not be Done when a required check fails.

Skip anything already answered. Ask the rest one at a time, and stop as soon as the remaining answers would not change the directory list.

• Business - Industry and sector, in the words a customer would use? / One location or several? / Customers visit, or is it service-area?
• Current - Is the business already listed anywhere? / How many listings roughly? / Who created them, and is there an account the business still controls?
• Goal - What is the aim - more calls, more enquiries, more site traffic, or visibility

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