Citysearch
CitySearch is a US web-based local business directory and city guide, founded in 1995, that helps consumers find local businesses by city and category. It serves SMB advertisers through paid listings across hundreds of US cities and operates under parent CityGrid Media.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersWest Hollywood, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Citysearch does
CitySearch is a US-based online local business directory and city guide founded in 1995 and headquartered in West Hollywood, California. It operates as a web-based, self-serve platform that allows consumers to discover local businesses by city and category across hundreds of US cities and all 50 states. The platform covers a horizontal range of service categories including restaurants, automotive repair, home services (plumbers, electricians, contractors, HVAC), healthcare providers, hotels, entertainment, and professional services, with city-specific landing pages structured for organic search discovery.
The underlying technology is a category- and geo-indexed web directory with city-specific URL structures; there is no native mobile application or disclosed API/SDK surface, and no AI/ML capabilities are evident from available data. Distribution relies on organic SEO and a maintained social presence on Twitter and Facebook. The company has not raised institutional capital since a 1997 seed round from Upfront Ventures and operates today as a brand under CityGrid Media, a diversified digital media parent.
CitySearch monetizes primarily through local business advertising, charging SMBs for visibility and listings across the directory. Customer segments are split between individual consumers searching for local services (primary use case) and local small businesses seeking online discoverability (the revenue-paying side). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. There are no named enterprise customers, partnerships, awards, or patent portfolio disclosed in the available data, and headcount is reported at 251-500 employees, with only one named executive (VP of Human Relations).
Citysearch firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Citysearch
- Legal name
- CityGrid Media
- Website
- https://citysearch.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- CitySearch is a US web-based local business directory and city guide, founded in 1995, that helps consumers find local businesses by city and category. It serves SMB advertisers through paid listings across hundreds of US cities and operates under parent CityGrid Media.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Citysearch industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Local Business Directory
- NAICS
- Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local Search & Business Directories (BPAMAAAE)
Keywords
Where Citysearch is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- West Hollywood
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Citysearch business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Local Business Advertising: CitySearch generates revenue through local business listings and advertising. Local businesses pay for visibility in the directory across categories such as restaurants, home services, healthcare providers, and hospitality.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Citysearch product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CitySearch operates a web-based local business directory platform that lets consumers search for local businesses by city and service category, covering restaurants, hotels, automotive repair, dentists, plumbers, contractors, spas, veterinarians, and similar services across hundreds of US cities. The platform monetizes primarily through paid business listings and advertising placements purchased by local businesses seeking online visibility.
Product overview
CitySearch is a single unified local business directory platform (founded in 1995) that enables users to search for local businesses across various cities and service categories. The platform provides city-specific pages covering major US metropolitan areas and includes category-based search functionality for local services such as restaurants, hotels, automotive repair, dentists, and other professional services. The core offering consists of a searchable directory with city and category navigation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CitySearch Local Business Directory A web-based local business directory platform that helps users find local businesses by city and category, covering service areas such as restaurants, hotels, plumbers, dentists, automotive repair, electricians, contractors, HVAC, veterinarians, spas, and shopping. Targeted at individual consumers searching for local services and at local businesses seeking online visibility.
Companies that use Citysearch
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Citysearch technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Citysearch partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Citysearch competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Yelp: Yelp is the dominant US local business directory and reviews platform, directly comparable to CitySearch in consumer use case (find local businesses by category/city) and SMB advertising model.
- TripAdvisor: Tripadvisor operates a reviews-led local business and travel directory with strong overlap in hotels, restaurants, and attractions categories where CitySearch also lists businesses.
- Angi (formerly Angie's List): Angi is a leading local services marketplace (home services, contractors) directly overlapping CitySearch's home services, HVAC, plumbing, and electrician categories.
- Foursquare: Foursquare provides local discovery and place data via apps and APIs, comparable to CitySearch as a local business discovery platform for consumers and SMBs.
- Superpages: Superpages is a legacy online local directory (originally printed Yellow Pages digital) competing in the same local business listing and SMB advertising space as CitySearch.
- DexKnows: DexKnows is a digital local business directory with city/category navigation, closely mirroring CitySearch's product format and SMB advertising monetization.
- MapQuest: MapQuest combines mapping and local business search, overlapping CitySearch's local discovery and SMB listing use cases, especially for driving-direction-driven queries.
Broad incumbents
- Google Business Profile / Google Maps: Google's local search and business listing product is the broadest incumbent in local discovery; comparable to CitySearch as a destination for SMB listings and consumer local search, with much larger scale.
- Yellow Pages (YP / Thryv): Thryv (formerly YP) is the digital evolution of Yellow Pages, offering local SMB marketing software and directory listings broadly comparable to CitySearch's SMB advertising offering.
Emerging players
- Nextdoor: Nextdoor is a neighborhood-level local discovery platform where consumers find local services and businesses, partially overlapping CitySearch's hyperlocal SMB discovery use case.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Citysearch social profiles
Digital presenceCitysearch financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Citysearch leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Citysearch funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Citysearch M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Citysearch
What does Citysearch do?
CitySearch operates a web-based local business directory platform that lets consumers search for local businesses by city and service category, covering restaurants, hotels, automotive repair, dentists, plumbers, contractors, spas, veterinarians, and similar services across hundreds of US cities. The platform monetizes primarily through paid business listings and advertising placements purchased by local businesses seeking online visibility.
Is Citysearch a public or private company?
Citysearch is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Citysearch founded?
Citysearch was founded in 1995. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Citysearch based?
Citysearch is headquartered in West Hollywood, United States, in the North America region.
How does Citysearch make money?
One revenue line is on record: local Business Advertising.
Who are Citysearch's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Yelp, TripAdvisor, Angi (formerly Angie's List), Foursquare, Superpages, DexKnows and MapQuest. Broad incumbents are Google Business Profile / Google Maps and Yellow Pages (YP / Thryv). Nextdoor is listed as an emerging player.
Does Citysearch have an API?
No public API is recorded for Citysearch.
What industry is Citysearch in?
Citysearch's product category is Local Business Directory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAAAE, Local Search & Business Directories. Its NAICS code is 519290 and its SIC code is 7311.