Skip to content
← All Projects

Multi-Vertical Directory Platform

Local Directory Network

A fully automated local business directory platform that discovers, scores, and ranks contractors across multiple service verticals and geographic markets — 38+ live directory sites, 3,000+ pages, and a multi-tenant SaaS portal, all managed from a single system.

Overview

The Local Directory Network combines AI-driven content generation, automated business intelligence, and a multi-tenant SaaS portal to deliver high-quality, SEO-optimized directory sites that generate leads for local service businesses. Every site in the network is built from the same codebase, powered by the same data pipeline, and deployed from a single system.

From business discovery to content writing to grading and deployment, AI automates what would take a traditional team months. The result is a scalable directory platform that can expand into any service vertical or geographic market with minimal marginal effort.

For architecture diagrams, pipeline specifications, and deployment playbooks, request our technical whitepaper.

Three Pillars in Action

The Local Directory Network is a working example of all three Arcate Labs solutions — combined into a repeatable, scalable system.

Automation Engineering

  • 10-stage AI pipeline: discovery → scraping → classification → content → deploy
  • n8n webhooks for claim verification, lead routing, notifications
  • Bidirectional Airtable ↔ Supabase sync with crash recovery
  • AI agents (Claude, Perplexity, Gemini) at every stage
Learn more →

SEO Development

  • 3,000+ pre-rendered pages with structured data across 38+ sites
  • AI-researched articles with citations and structured snippets
  • Service taxonomy and internal linking built by AI
  • Programmatic page generation from structured data
Learn more →

Digital Assets

  • 38+ independent directory sites — each a standalone digital property
  • Multi-tenant SaaS portal with tiered subscriptions
  • Claim/verify pipeline converting free listings into paying customers
  • Repeatable system — spin up new verticals with minimal effort
Learn more →

By the Numbers

38+

Live Directory Sites

3,000+

Total Pages

7,900+

Businesses Indexed

150+

AI-Assisted Articles

The Network

Live directory sites spanning multiple service verticals and geographic markets — each built from the same system, each generating leads independently.

...and 38+ live directory sites across Wisconsin

Tech Stacks

Directory SitesSEO

FrameworkAstro 5 + TypeScript, React islands
UITailwind CSS 4, Lucide icons
ContentMarkdown rendering via Marked
InfrastructureSupabase PostgreSQL, Vercel static hosting

Business PortalDigital Assets

FrameworkNext.js + TypeScript, App Router
UITailwind CSS 4, Stripe Elements
Multi-tenancyHostname routing, single deployment for all sites
InfrastructureSupabase (shared instance), Vercel SSR

Backend & Data Infrastructure

Layer Technology
DatabaseSupabase (PostgreSQL + Row Level Security)
Content ManagementAirtable (per-vertical bases)
Sync PipelinePython (Airtable ↔ Supabase bidirectional)
Automationn8n (self-hosted, webhook workflows)
EmailResend (transactional)
NotificationsSlack (real-time webhook alerts)

The AI Content PipelineAutomation

An automated pipeline transforms raw business data into publication-ready directory sites. Each stage uses purpose-built AI models.

1

Discovery

Find & classify businesses, grade A-F on niche relevance

2

Content

Research-backed articles, FAQs, and service page content

3

Images

AI illustrations with EXIF geodata and WebP optimization

4

Architecture

Service taxonomy, URL structures, internal linking

5

Deploy

Sync to Supabase, build & deploy to Vercel in ~35s

AI Models & Data SourcesAutomation

Anthropic Claude

  • Opus — editorial planning, content strategy
  • Sonnet — article writing, service taxonomy
  • Haiku — business grading, FAQ generation

Google Gemini

  • Image generation with EXIF geodata
  • WebP optimization for every asset

Data Sources

  • DataForSEO — business discovery, SERP FAQs
  • Crawl4AI — website scraping
  • Perplexity — research with live citations

Business Portal (SaaS)Digital Assets

Business owners can claim, verify, and manage their directory listings through a tiered subscription portal. A single deployment serves all directories via hostname routing.

Feature Description
Multi-tenantSingle deployment serves all directories via hostname routing
Tiered PricingFree, Growth, and Pro tiers with per-vertical pricing
Approval GateDashboard access locked until manually verified
NotificationsClaims pushed to Airtable + email + Slack via n8n
Listing ManagementOwners can view and request edits to listings

Claim & Verify Flow

1

See Listing

"Unverified" badge on directory

2

Choose Tier

Free, Growth, or Pro

3

Verify Email

Contact info + email verification

4

Notify

Airtable + Slack instantly

5

Admin Review

Manual verification

6

Dashboard

Full access unlocked

Lead Generation SystemDigital Assets

Component Details
Estimate Request FormsModal, inline, and per-service lead capture forms on every site
Contact FormsDedicated contact pages with validation and honeypot spam protection
Serverless APIVercel edge functions with rate limiting and geo-enrichment
Webhook Pipelinen8n workflow routes leads by domain → Airtable + email + Slack
Analytics EventsEvery form submission tracked in both Umami and PostHog

Analytics & Tracking

Tool Purpose
UmamiPrivacy-first analytics (self-hosted, first-party proxy — bypasses ad blockers)
PostHogProduct analytics, session replay, autocapture
Google Tag ManagerConversion tracking

Architecture Highlights

Zero-Cost Content Delivery

Static sites served from Vercel's edge CDN with no server compute. Sites built locally and uploaded pre-built, consuming zero Vercel build minutes.

Multi-Tenant from One Codebase

The business portal resolves tenant from hostname — no per-site deployments. A single Next.js deployment serves all directories.

First-Party Analytics

Umami and PostHog proxied through site domains via Vercel rewrites, bypassing ad blockers for accurate tracking.

Bidirectional Data Sync

Airtable (editorial workflow) and Supabase (production database) stay in sync automatically via Python sync pipelines.

AI at Every Stage

From business discovery to content writing to grading, AI automates what would take a traditional team months of manual work.

~35s Deploy Time

Each site builds locally and deploys to Vercel in approximately 35 seconds. Cross-site deploys push all 7 repos in parallel.

Want the full technical breakdown?

Our technical whitepaper covers architecture diagrams, pipeline specifications, multi-tenant patterns, and deployment playbooks in detail.

Request Whitepaper

Want a directory network for your market?

The Local Directory Network combines all three of our solutions — automation, SEO, and digital assets — into a repeatable system. Tell us about your market.

Start a Conversation