Yellow Pages Group
Yellow Pages Group operates YellowPages.ca and affiliated properties (PagesJaunes.ca, Canada411.ca, Canpages.ca), a Canadian digital business directory connecting consumers searching for local services with SMB advertisers across Canada via subscriptions and display ads.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1908
- HeadquartersMontréal, Canada
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Yellow Pages Group does
Yellow Pages Group, operating through its legal entity Yellow Pages Digital & Media Solutions Limited, is a Canadian performance media and marketing solutions company built around the YellowPages.ca digital business directory. Founded in 1908 and headquartered in Toronto with a Montreal presence, the company operates a horizontally-segmented platform that connects Canadian consumers searching for local businesses, restaurants, home services, healthcare providers, and professional services with the SMBs that supply them. The platform spans YellowPages.ca (English), PagesJaunes.ca (French), Canada411.ca (people search), and Canpages.ca (partner directory), with mobile applications for iOS and Android and supporting products including YP Smart Lists and YP Smart Tips editorial content.
The underlying technology is a directory and local search platform comprising a Canadian business listings database, category and location-based search, mapping and directions integration, a reviews/ratings system, and free self-serve listing management tools for businesses. The company holds registered trademarks on the "Yellow Pages" brand, the "Walking Fingers" logo, YP.ca, YellowPages.ca, and Canada411, and benefits from over a century of brand recognition in Canada. The platform architecture is conventional web/mobile directory technology without disclosed AI/ML differentiation, proprietary large models, or unique data flywheel mechanics.
Yellow Pages generates revenue primarily through SMB-facing advertising on a freemium-to-subscription ladder: free basic listings serve as the entry point, with paid premium advertising packages (enhanced search placement, additional photos/videos, promotional content) and display advertising representing the monetization layer. Distribution combines self-serve web signup for SMBs with a dedicated advertising sales force accessed via solutions.yp.ca. The company is publicly traded on OTCMKTS under ticker YLWDF. Historical strategic activity includes a series of acquisitions between 2003 and 2015 (Advertising Directory Solutions, Trader Media Corporation, 411.ca, Canpages for $225M, Enquiro Search Solutions, DuProprio, and Purplebricks.ca for $50M), but no M&A or funding activity has been disclosed since 2015, consistent with a mature, maintenance-mode operation.
Yellow Pages Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Yellow Pages Group
- Legal name
- Yellow Pages Digital & Media Solutions Limited
- Website
- https://yellowpages.ca
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1908
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Yellow Pages Group operates YellowPages.ca and affiliated properties (PagesJaunes.ca, Canada411.ca, Canpages.ca), a Canadian digital business directory connecting consumers searching for local services with SMB advertisers across Canada via subscriptions and display ads.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Yellow Pages Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Local Business Directory & Digital Advertising
- NAICS
- Directory and Mailing List Publishers (51314)
- SIC
- Retail-Nonstore Retailers (5960)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local Search & Business Directories (BPAMAAAE)
Keywords
Where Yellow Pages Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montréal
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Yellow Pages Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Digital Advertising: Sponsored listings, featured placements, and enhanced business profiles for businesses wanting visibility in search results and category pages
- Display Advertising: Banner advertisements and promotional placements on the YellowPages.ca website and pages
- Premium Business Listings: Enhanced directory listings with additional features such as additional photos, videos, and promotional content
- Free Basic Listings: Basic business listings provided free of charge, monetized through upsell opportunities to premium advertising features
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Free | Free basic business listing with essential contact information and location details |
| Subscription | Annual | Premium advertising packages with enhanced visibility and promotional features |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Yellow Pages Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Yellow Pages Group operates Canada's leading digital business directory, YellowPages.ca, providing consumers with searchable local business listings, reviews, ratings, maps, and contact information across all major Canadian cities in both English and French. The company monetizes the platform primarily through paid advertising solutions sold to local businesses, including premium listings, sponsored placements, and display advertising, alongside a freemium basic listing tier.
Product overview
Yellow Pages Group operates a multi-platform digital business directory ecosystem centered on YellowPages.ca (YP.ca), a comprehensive Canadian online business directory. The portfolio includes PagesJaunes.ca for French-language users, Canada411.ca for people search, and Canpages.ca as a partner brand. Supporting products include YP Smart Lists (curated business recommendations), YP eDirectories (digital directory products), and mobile applications for iOS and Android. The company also offers advertising solutions enabling businesses to list and promote themselves on the platform, serving both free and paid listing options. The platform enables location-based and category-based business search across Canada, covering categories from restaurants and dentists to contractors and professional services, with coverage across major Canadian cities including Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa, Halifax, Gatineau, Mississauga, and London.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- YellowPages.ca (YP.ca) Primary Canadian online business directory platform enabling consumers to search for local businesses, products, reviews, and deals by category, location, or keyword across all major Canadian cities.
- PagesJaunes.ca French-language version of the Canadian business directory serving Quebec and Francophone Canadian users with the same local business discovery capabilities as YellowPages.ca.
- Canada411.ca People search service enabling users to find individuals by name, phone number, or address, providing reverse phone lookup and people finding services within the YP ecosystem.
- YP eDirectories Digital directory products and digital book resources offered to businesses and organizations as part of the YP product portfolio.
- YP Advertising Solutions Advertising and marketing solutions for businesses to increase visibility on the YellowPages.ca platform, including sponsored listings, featured placements, enhanced business profiles, banner and display advertising, and both free basic and paid premium listing options.
Companies that use Yellow Pages Group
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Yellow Pages Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Yellow Pages Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Canada411.caminorAffiliated people search directory service operated by the same parent company (Yellow Pages Digital & Media Solutions Limited), providing reverse phone lookup and people finding services as part of the YP ecosystem.
- Canpages.caminorPartner directory service listed in the YellowPages.ca partners section, providing additional local business discovery options for users.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Yellow Pages Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Yelp: Yelp operates the leading North American local business review and directory platform with advertising for SMBs, closely overlapping YP's core business model of monetizing local business discovery through paid placements and enhanced profiles.
- TripAdvisor: Tripadvisor is a reviews-driven local discovery platform that monetizes through sponsored placements for restaurants, hotels, and attractions, closely paralleling YP's premium listing and advertising model for SMBs.
- Angi (formerly Angie's List): Angi operates a leading home-services directory with paid lead generation for SMBs, directly comparable to YP's home-services vertical and recurring subscription plus advertising model for local service providers.
- Thryv (formerly Dex Media / Yellow Pages US parent successor): Thryv is the SMB software and marketing platform that emerged from the US Yellow Pages business, selling subscription marketing, listings, and SaaS tools to small businesses — closely analogous to YP's Canadian SMB offering.
Broad incumbents
- Google Business Profile: Google's free business listing and advertising product embedded in Search and Maps is the dominant substitute for standalone directories; YP competes directly with it for Canadian SMB local advertising dollars as part of Google's broader ads portfolio.
- Apple Maps Connect: Apple's business listing product within Apple Maps is a default local-discovery channel on iOS devices, competing with YP for Canadian mobile local-intent queries as part of Apple's broader ecosystem.
Emerging players
- Thumbtack: Thumbtack is a local services marketplace that matches SMBs with consumers, using paid lead-gen and pro subscriptions. It overlaps with YP's home-services and professional-services verticals while representing a more transaction-oriented model.
- Nextdoor: Nextdoor is a neighborhood-level local platform increasingly adding business discovery and advertising features for SMBs, competing with YP for hyperlocal Canadian advertising intent.
- Houzz: Houzz is a home-services and renovation discovery platform with paid business listings and advertising, overlapping with YP's home-services category and SMB advertising monetization.
Others
- Better Business Bureau: BBB is a membership-based trust and business directory organization with accredited business listings in Canada and the US, adjacent to YP in that it provides verified local business information and charges for accredited membership tiers.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Yellow Pages Group social profiles
Digital presenceYellow Pages Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Yellow Pages Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Yellow Pages Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Yellow Pages Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A8 records
Investments5 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Yellow Pages Group
What does Yellow Pages Group do?
Yellow Pages Group operates Canada's leading digital business directory, YellowPages.ca, providing consumers with searchable local business listings, reviews, ratings, maps, and contact information across all major Canadian cities in both English and French. The company monetizes the platform primarily through paid advertising solutions sold to local businesses, including premium listings, sponsored placements, and display advertising, alongside a freemium basic listing tier.
Is Yellow Pages Group a public or private company?
Yellow Pages Group is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Yellow Pages Group founded?
Yellow Pages Group was founded in 1908. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Yellow Pages Group based?
Yellow Pages Group is headquartered in Montréal, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Yellow Pages Group make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Digital Advertising is the primary driver. The others are display Advertising, premium Business Listings and free Basic Listings.
Who are Yellow Pages Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Yelp, TripAdvisor, Angi (formerly Angie's List) and Thryv (formerly Dex Media / Yellow Pages US parent successor). Broad incumbents are Google Business Profile and Apple Maps Connect. Emerging players are Thumbtack, Nextdoor and Houzz. Better Business Bureau is listed as an others.
Does Yellow Pages Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Yellow Pages Group.
What industry is Yellow Pages Group in?
Yellow Pages Group's product category is Local Business Directory & Digital Advertising. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAAAE, Local Search & Business Directories. Its NAICS code is 51314 and its SIC code is 5960.