Focus directories are up to three directories you mark as especially important. They cost nothing extra, and they can still move you up a position. Because with equal budgets, the focus decides.
You will find the selection in the dashboard under Top placement > Directories, right below the budget slider.
How to pick them
Open Top placement > Directories.
Click into the field labelled "Please select up to 3 focus directories".
Choose a directory from the list. You can also type to filter it.
Repeat for at most three directories.
Save the selection together with the budget using "Start Budget Now" and confirm the prompt.
Every selected directory appears as a small tile in the field. The x on a tile removes that one, the x on the right edge clears the whole selection.
Two things that often cause confusion:
The list only offers directories your profile is already listed in. If a directory is missing from the list, you are not part of it yet. In that case the first step is not the focus, it is adding the matching service to your profile.
The selection on its own is not saved yet. It goes out with the form, so only when you press the start button. The ranking simulation below does update immediately, but that is only a preview.
What the focus does
The order of the top slots in a directory comes from three criteria, in exactly this order:
Budget amount. Whoever spends more stands higher.
Focus directory. With equal budgets, the provider who marked this directory as a focus comes first.
Feedbax score. With equal budget and equal focus, profile quality decides.
So the focus only kicks in on a tie. That sounds like an edge case. It is the normal case.
Why ties are so common
The budget slider has fixed steps: 0 €, 25 €, 50 €, 75 €, 100 €, 150 €, 200 €, 250 €, 300 €, 400 € and 500 €. There are no values in between. Every provider in a directory therefore picks from the same short list, and round amounts like 100 € or 200 € are especially popular.
As a result, several providers regularly end up on exactly the same budget. And that is where the focus decides.
Do the maths once: moving from 100 € to 150 € costs you 50 € per month, so 600 € a year. The focus costs you nothing and buys you the same position on a tie. That is why it pays to hand out your three slots deliberately instead of leaving them empty.
The focus also applies to the location directories
A directory like "Software Development Agencies" has many location subpages: "... Hamburg", "... Berlin" and so on. That is why the ranking simulation shows a number behind the directory name, for example "(99 locations)".
If you mark the directory as a focus, the focus applies in all of its location subpages too. You do not have to set anything extra there, and the locations do not use up any of your three slots.
Together with the budget rule this adds up to a very favourable calculation: one budget for every directory, one focus for every location of a directory.
How to choose the right three
First: your core business. Put the focus where you actually want to sell. One enquiry from the matching directory is worth more than three from a side area, because it turns into a proposal faster.
Second: the contested directories. Check the ranking simulation for directories where many providers run a budget. Hover over the logos there: the tooltip shows you their budget. Where several sit on the same step, the focus does the most for you. In a directory where you are the only provider with a budget, it does nothing, because there is no tie to break.
Third: check instead of guessing. Change the selection and watch how the column "Ranking Based on New Settings" reacts. That costs nothing and is visible right away. How to read that table is explained in Reading the ranking simulation.
What the focus does not do
It does not replace a budget. Without a budget there is no top slot, focus or not.
It does not beat a higher budget. Someone spending 200 € stands above you on 150 € with a focus.
It does not change your organic ranking. The normal provider list below the top slots still follows the Feedbax score.
It does not change your Feedbax score.
The Feedbax score stays your third lever
If two providers spend the same budget and both marked the same directory as a focus, the Feedbax score decides. The focus is therefore not a substitute for a good profile, it is a layer above it.
The score is also why work on your profile pays off twice: it lifts you in the organic list, and it decides the paid slot when budget and focus are equal. Which factors count is explained in How does ranking in the directories work?.
What you need
Focus directories are part of top placement and therefore need the same things:
An active subscription: Business, Premium or Enterprise.
Feedbax credit matching the budget you want to spend.
Without an active subscription the page cannot be saved. The plan gives you more than the unlock here: it includes yearly credit that can flow straight into top placement, plus a bonus on every top-up. Details are in the article Topping up your credit.
Frequently asked questions
Do focus directories cost extra?
No. They are part of top placement and included in your budget. There is no surcharge per focus.
Why can I only pick three?
Because otherwise the focus would have no effect. If everyone marked everything, there would be no difference again. The limit forces a real decision, and that decision is exactly where the advantage comes from.
Why can I not find a specific directory in the list?
Because your profile is not listed there. The list only contains directories you already appear in. Add the matching service to your profile and the directory shows up here too.
Can I change the focus at any time?
Yes. Change the selection and save again. The new focus applies from the moment you save, your running period and your budget stay untouched.
Does the focus help me if I do not spend a budget?
No. Without a budget you are not in top placement at all, so there is nothing for the focus to act on.
Do I have to mark location directories separately?
No. A focus on the directory automatically covers all of its location subpages.
What happens if two providers have the same budget and the same focus?
Then the Feedbax score decides. Whoever has the better kept profile and the better reviews stands first.