For a Swiss SME, it's worth maintaining a few well-kept directory listings rather than many: the Google Business Profile, local.ch and search.ch, the commercial register entry via Zefix, the trade association's member directory and, where relevant, one or two specialist platforms for your industry. The basic listings are free, and paid upgrades rarely achieve more than a well-maintained free listing. What matters is that the company name, address and phone number match exactly, character for character, across all listings.
Every week, a letter or email lands at Swiss SMEs from a directory offering a listing, often for a fee. You can ignore most of these. A handful of listings, though, belong in your basic toolkit, because customers use them and because Google and AI systems use them to work out whether your company exists and where. This page shows you which ones these are, what they cost and how to maintain them.
Why directory listings still matter
Directories serve two purposes. The first is direct: people search local.ch for a phone number, check opening hours on search.ch or look up Zefix to confirm a company is genuinely registered. The second is indirect: Google cross-checks your company name, address and phone number across all sources. If the details match, trust in your location increases, which matters for local search. Language models like ChatGPT also draw on such directories when asked about companies in a region.
The foundation for this is the Google Business Profile. You'll find out how to set it up correctly at Optimise your Google Business Profile. The directories on this page build on that.
The directories worth listing in
| Directory | What it is | Costs | Who it's essential for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Listing in Google Search and Maps | Free | Every company with a location or service area |
| local.ch | Swiss phone and business directory | Basic listing free, upgrades paid | Local service providers, hospitality, healthcare, trades |
| search.ch | Search portal with phone directory and map | Basic listing free, upgrades paid | Same as local.ch |
| Zefix and commercial register | Official company index from the cantonal commercial registers | Fees for the commercial register entry, lookups are free | All registered companies automatically |
| Trade association | Member directory, for example from trade, fiduciary or hospitality associations | Included in the membership fee | Members, often seen as a quality signal |
| Specialist platforms | Industry-specific portals, for example for hotels, doctors or lawyers | Varies | One or two, depending on your industry |
| Local council or location promotion body | Business directory of the local council or region | Usually free | Local businesses, especially in smaller municipalities |
Apple Maps, Bing Places and similar services sometimes take data from the sources mentioned above; your own listing there is worthwhile, but secondary.
Free or paid?
The basic listings on local.ch and search.ch are free and include what customers need: name, address, phone number, opening hours, website. Paid plans offer images, longer descriptions and better placement within the directory. We don't quote prices here, as they change; check directly with the provider.
Whether a paid plan is worthwhile can be measured: ask new customers how they found you and track the answers over three months. If the directory doesn't come up, the free listing is enough. Unsolicited offers from directories you've never heard of, especially ones with an invoice you didn't order, are a well-known nuisance. Don't sign anything you haven't applied for yourself.
How to list a company
- Set your core details. Once, in writing, binding: company name exactly as in the commercial register, address with the street name written out in full, phone number in one format (for example 071 123 45 67), website with https and with or without www, opening hours. This sheet is the template for every listing.
- Create or claim your Google Business Profile and have it verified.
- Check local.ch and search.ch: an entry from phone directory data often already exists. Claim it instead of creating a second one, and correct the details to match your template.
- Check Zefix: is the address in the commercial register still correct? After a move, the change must be reported to the commercial register office, otherwise official sources will show the wrong address.
- Add your trade association and industry platform listings, using the same core details.
- Search for old listings. Google your old address or old phone number in quotation marks. Have every result corrected or removed.
Consistency: one character's difference counts
Name, address and phone number, often referred to as NAP, must be identical across all sources. Not similar, identical. "Muster AG" and "Muster Schreinerei AG", "Bahnhofstrasse 12" and "Bahnhofstr. 12", "+41 71 123 45 67" and "071 123 45 67" look the same to people, but are discrepancies for automated matching. A short explanation can be found in the glossary under NAP.
The most common sources of discrepancies in Swiss SMEs:
- A move where Google and the website were updated, but local.ch and the trade association weren't.
- A name change following a change of legal form, for example from sole proprietorship to GmbH.
- Two phone numbers, one for the office and one for the mobile, listed in different directories.
- Departments or branches creating their own listings without coordinating with each other.
Maintenance: once a quarter
A listing isn't a project, it's a routine. Set a fixed date once a quarter for someone to go through the list: opening hours, public holidays, new services, photos, reviews. Half an hour is enough. Businesses with seasonal hours, such as landscaping or catering, should check before every change of season.
Directories are the foundation, not the goal. Anyone wanting to be found in their region also needs a website that clearly describes their services and location, and content that answers customers' questions. For the full picture, see the page Local SEO for SMEs, and for the geographic tiers from town to canton, see Getting found regionally in Switzerland.
Frequently asked questions
Is a paid listing on local.ch or search.ch worthwhile?
The free basic listing covers the essentials: name, address, phone number, opening hours. Paid plans offer more space, images and a better position within the directory. Whether this pays off depends on how many of your customers actually search using these directories. Check the current terms directly with the provider and try a short term before renewing.
Do I need to register myself with Zefix?
No. Zefix is the federal government's central company index and shows the data from the cantonal commercial registers. Anyone registered in the commercial register appears automatically. Whether registration in the commercial register is mandatory for your company depends on legal form and turnover and should be clarified with a specialist.
What happens if my address is written differently across directories?
Google and AI systems cross-check company data across sources. Discrepancies in how the street or company name is spelled, or an old phone number, weaken trust in the location. In the worst case, duplicate profiles are created. A consistent spelling, set once and used everywhere, prevents this.
Should I list myself in as many directories as possible?
No. Every listing needs to be maintained, otherwise it becomes outdated and does more harm than good. Five well-maintained listings are better than fifty forgotten ones. You can ignore directories you've never heard of that send you unsolicited offers.