TouchLocal
TouchLocal is a UK online local business directory, founded in 2004, that lets consumers search for nearby SMBs by category and city. It operates as one of five directory brands within Newfold Digital's Scoot Network and monetizes via freemium business listings.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What TouchLocal does
TouchLocal is a UK-focused online local business directory, founded in 2004, that enables consumers to search for and discover nearby businesses across categories including tradespeople, professional services, motoring, property, health and beauty, travel, and retail. The platform is built as a web-based directory with category- and city-level landing pages optimized for local SEO, a self-serve listing management workflow, and supporting features such as testimonials, special offers, event listings, photo galleries, social media integration, and click-to-call functionality.
The company operates as one of five directory brands within the Scoot Network, which is owned by Newfold Digital (formerly Web.com Group) and also powers business directories for Scoot, The Independent, The Sun, and The Mirror — providing advertisers with multi-platform exposure across major UK search and media properties. TouchLocal's commercial model is a freemium directory advertising business: businesses add a free basic listing and can upgrade to paid tiers for enhanced visibility and richer content features, with billing on a monthly cadence. The company reports 101–250 employees and is headquartered in Stockton-on-Tees, United Kingdom, serving all four UK nations (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland).
TouchLocal does not disclose standalone revenue, has no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, and offers no native mobile application. Its value proposition rests on aggregated UK local search traffic and the cross-brand distribution provided by its parent network rather than on differentiated technology.
TouchLocal firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- TouchLocal
- Legal name
- Touch Local
- Website
- https://touchlocal.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- TouchLocal is a UK online local business directory, founded in 2004, that lets consumers search for nearby SMBs by category and city. It operates as one of five directory brands within Newfold Digital's Scoot Network and monetizes via freemium business listings.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
TouchLocal industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Local Business Directory
- NAICS
- Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (51929)
- SIC
- Retail-Nonstore Retailers (5960)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local Search & Business Directories (BPAMAAAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- POI, Local Listings & Business Directory Platforms (BPAMANAD)
Keywords
Where TouchLocal is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
TouchLocal business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Business Directory Advertising: TouchLocal generates revenue by charging businesses to list their services on the directory. Businesses can add their listing for free with basic features, and the platform offers paid features including enhanced visibility, special offers, testimonials, galleries, and social media integration.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free basic listing with optional paid upgrades |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
TouchLocal product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TouchLocal operates a UK-wide online local business directory platform where consumers can search for and discover nearby businesses across categories including tradespeople, professional services, health and beauty, motoring, property, travel, and shopping. Businesses can create free listings with basic information and upgrade to paid premium features such as enhanced visibility, special offers, testimonials, photo galleries, event listings, and social media integration. The platform is part of the Scoot Network and distributes listings across multiple UK media brands.
Product overview
TouchLocal is a UK-based online local business directory platform operated as part of the Scoot Network (Newfold Digital). The platform provides a searchable directory of local businesses across multiple categories including tradespeople (plumbers, painters, decorators, property maintenance), professional services, travel, health, and more. Businesses can create listings with contact information, descriptions, and special offers, while consumers can search by category and location. The platform operates as a unified directory service without modular products or add-ons.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- TouchLocal Business Directory Online local business directory platform enabling UK consumers to search and discover businesses across categories including trades, travel, property, health, professional services, motoring, and shopping. Businesses can create free listings with basic information and upgrade to paid premium features such as enhanced visibility, special offers, testimonials, photo galleries, event listings, and social media integration; listings are also distributed across the Scoot Network partner sites.
Companies that use TouchLocal
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
TouchLocal technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
TouchLocal partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Scoot NetworkcoreTouchLocal is part of the Scoot Network, a leading online search company. The Scoot Network powers business directories for Scoot, Touch Local, The Independent, The Sun, and The Mirror, providing advertisers with visibility across multiple major UK search websites and media brands.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
TouchLocal competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- TrustATrader: TrustATrader is a UK directory focused on vetted tradespeople and home services providers, overlapping with TouchLocal's property and trades categories but specializing in a narrower vertical with membership-vetting as its differentiator.
Direct peers
- Scoot: Scoot is the sister UK business directory brand within the same Scoot Network / Newfold Digital portfolio as TouchLocal, sharing platform, technology, and cross-network distribution — the most structurally comparable peer.
- Bark.com: Bark.com is a UK-headquartered services marketplace that connects consumers with local professionals, monetizing via pay-per-lead — competing with TouchLocal for the same local SMB advertiser wallet with a more transactional model.
- Yell: Yell (Yell.com) is the UK's leading online business directory and the direct legacy successor to Yellow Pages, monetizing UK local business listings via paid advertising and digital services — a near-identical business model and target customer base to TouchLocal.
- Thomson Local: Thomson Local is a long-standing UK online business directory offering category-based local search and paid SMB listings, competing head-to-head with TouchLocal for the same UK local advertiser base.
- FreeIndex: FreeIndex is a UK-focused local business directory with reviews, serving SMBs and consumers in the same category-and-location discovery flow as TouchLocal, with comparable freemium listing economics.
- Checkatrade: Checkatrade is a UK directory of vetted tradespeople and home services businesses selling subscription listings to local SMBs — a direct competitor for TouchLocal's property, trades, and home-services advertiser segments.
- Cylex: Cylex is a UK and European local business directory offering free and paid SMB listings, comparable in scope and category coverage to TouchLocal's UK directory service.
Broad incumbents
- Yelp: Yelp operates a global consumer reviews and local business directory platform with a UK presence, offering similar listing and advertising products to TouchLocal but at significantly larger scale and brand recognition.
- Google Business Profile: Google's free Business Profile product, integrated with Search and Maps, is the dominant local discovery channel for UK SMBs and consumers — the structural incumbent that defines the competitive frame around every UK directory including TouchLocal.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
TouchLocal social profiles
Digital presenceTouchLocal financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
TouchLocal leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
TouchLocal funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
TouchLocal M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about TouchLocal
What does TouchLocal do?
TouchLocal operates a UK-wide online local business directory platform where consumers can search for and discover nearby businesses across categories including tradespeople, professional services, health and beauty, motoring, property, travel, and shopping. Businesses can create free listings with basic information and upgrade to paid premium features such as enhanced visibility, special offers, testimonials, photo galleries, event listings, and social media integration. The platform is part of the Scoot Network and distributes listings across multiple UK media brands.
Is TouchLocal a public or private company?
TouchLocal is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was TouchLocal founded?
TouchLocal was founded in 2004. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is TouchLocal based?
TouchLocal is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does TouchLocal make money?
One revenue line is on record: business Directory Advertising.
Who are TouchLocal's main competitors?
TrustATrader is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Scoot, Bark.com, Yell, Thomson Local, FreeIndex, Checkatrade and Cylex. Broad incumbents are Yelp and Google Business Profile.
Does TouchLocal have an API?
No public API is recorded for TouchLocal.
What industry is TouchLocal in?
TouchLocal's product category is Online Local Business Directory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAAAE, Local Search & Business Directories, with a secondary code of BPAMANAD, POI, Local Listings & Business Directory Platforms. Its NAICS code is 51929 and its SIC code is 5960.