How to Get Your Chemical Business Listed on ThomasNet, ICIS, and ChemPoint

For industrial chemical distributors and manufacturers, off-site citations on authoritative B2B directories are one of the most effective ways to build search authority, reach qualified buyers, and establish credibility with procurement teams who use these platforms daily.

This guide covers the three most important platforms for chemical industry citations — ThomasNet, ICIS, and ChemPoint — with step-by-step instructions for getting listed on each.

When a procurement manager at a Texas refinery searches for "bulk IPA supplier Texas" or "ferric chloride distributor Gulf Coast," they may find your website — but they are also likely to check ThomasNet, ICIS, and ChemPoint as part of their supplier qualification process. These platforms:

• Drive qualified B2B traffic — Buyers on these platforms are actively sourcing, not browsing
• Build domain authority — Links from high-authority industrial directories improve your organic search rankings
• Signal legitimacy — Procurement teams use directory listings as a credibility check
• Reach AI-powered search — Platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity increasingly pull supplier recommendations from indexed industrial directories

A chemical distributor with no presence on these platforms is invisible to a significant portion of the B2B buying audience.

What it is: ThomasNet (thomas.net) is the largest industrial supplier directory in North America, with over 500,000 suppliers listed. It is the first stop for many procurement professionals sourcing industrial products and services.

Who uses it: Manufacturing engineers, procurement managers, MRO buyers, and plant managers across all industries.

Step 1: Create a free supplier profile

• Go to suppliers.thomasnet.com
• Click "List Your Company" or "Get Listed Free"
• Create an account with your business email

Step 2: Complete your company profile Fill in all fields completely — ThomasNet's algorithm ranks more complete profiles higher:

• Company name, address, phone, website URL
• Year founded, number of employees, annual revenue range
• Company description (500+ words recommended; include key products, industries served, certifications, and geographic coverage)
• Upload your company logo

Step 3: Add product and service categories This is the most important step for visibility. ThomasNet uses a hierarchical category system. For a chemical distributor, relevant categories include:

• Chemicals > Industrial Chemicals > Solvents
• Chemicals > Industrial Chemicals > Acids
• Chemicals > Industrial Chemicals > Glycols
• Chemicals > Water Treatment Chemicals
• Chemical Distributors > Bulk Chemical Distributors

Add every relevant category — you can select multiple.

Step 4: Add individual product listings For each major product or product line, create a separate listing with:

• Product name and description
• CAS number (if applicable)
• Available grades and packaging
• Industries served
• Link to your product page on your website

Step 5: Add certifications Upload or reference your ISO 9001 certificate, NSF/ANSI 60 compliance, and any other relevant certifications. These appear as badges on your profile and increase buyer confidence.

Step 6: Request a CAD (Company Activity Data) review ThomasNet offers a free profile review. Take advantage of it — their team will identify gaps and suggest improvements.

Paid options: ThomasNet offers paid advertising tiers that increase your visibility in search results. The free listing is a solid starting point; evaluate paid tiers after you have established organic traffic from the free profile.

What it is: ICIS (Independent Chemical Information Service) is the world's leading chemical market intelligence platform. It provides pricing data, market analysis, and supplier directories for the global chemical industry.

Who uses it: Chemical traders, procurement professionals, market analysts, and senior buyers at large industrial companies and chemical manufacturers.

ICIS has two relevant listing opportunities:

ICIS Chemical Business Directory

Step 1: Visit the ICIS supplier directory

• Go to icis.com and navigate to the "Companies" or "Supplier Directory" section
• Look for "Add Your Company" or contact ICIS directly at their editorial team

Step 2: Submit company information ICIS directory listings typically require:

• Company name, headquarters address, contact information
• Products traded or distributed (with CAS numbers)
• Geographic markets served
• Company description emphasizing market position and capabilities

Step 3: Engage with ICIS editorial ICIS publishes market reports and price assessments for major commodity chemicals. If you distribute chemicals that ICIS covers (IPA, methanol, ethylene glycol, toluene, xylene, etc.), reach out to their editorial team to be included as a market participant in their price assessments. This is the highest-value ICIS citation — being quoted in an ICIS price report establishes you as a recognized market participant.

Contact: [email protected] or through the ICIS website contact form

Note: ICIS is primarily a paid subscription service for market intelligence. Directory listings and editorial mentions are the primary citation opportunities for distributors.

ICIS Explore

ICIS Explore is their supplier discovery platform. Contact ICIS directly about listing options — pricing and availability vary.

What it is: ChemPoint (chempoint.com) is a specialty chemical distributor and marketplace owned by Univar Solutions. It serves formulators and manufacturers sourcing specialty chemicals.

Who uses it: R&D chemists, formulators, and procurement teams at specialty chemical users — personal care, coatings, adhesives, food, and pharmaceutical manufacturers.

ChemPoint operates differently from ThomasNet and ICIS — it is primarily a distributor itself, not a pure directory. There are two paths to a ChemPoint citation:

Path 1: Become a ChemPoint Supplier Partner

If you represent a chemical manufacturer or hold distribution rights for specialty chemicals, you can apply to become a ChemPoint supplier:

• Go to chempoint.com and navigate to "Supplier Partners" or "Become a Supplier"
• Submit a supplier inquiry with your product portfolio, manufacturer relationships, and geographic coverage
• ChemPoint evaluates based on product fit, manufacturer authorization, and market demand

This path is most relevant if you hold authorized distribution agreements with chemical manufacturers.

Path 2: Engage ChemPoint's Content and Editorial Team

ChemPoint publishes technical content, application guides, and supplier spotlights. Reach out to their marketing team about:

• Guest content contributions on specialty chemical applications
• Supplier spotlight features
• Co-marketing opportunities for specific product lines

Contact: Through the ChemPoint website contact form or LinkedIn

Beyond the three primary platforms, these directories are worth pursuing:

If you are an authorized distributor for major chemical manufacturers, ensure you are listed in their official distributor locator tools. These are high-authority citations that also drive direct referral traffic.

GlobalSpec (globalspec.com) is an engineering-focused industrial directory. Relevant for chemical distributors serving manufacturing, process engineering, and OEM markets.

• Free basic listing available at globalspec.com
• Add product categories, certifications, and product data sheets

Kompass (kompass.com) is a global B2B directory with strong coverage in industrial chemicals. Free basic listing; paid enhanced profiles available.

If any of your products meet EPA Safer Choice criteria, apply for listing in the EPA Safer Choice database. This is a high-authority government citation that also appeals to sustainability-focused buyers.

Regardless of platform, follow these principles for maximum impact:

Consistency is critical. Your company name, address, and phone number (NAP) must be identical across all listings. Inconsistencies confuse search engines and reduce the authority value of each citation.

Use your website URL consistently. Always link to your primary domain (e.g., texas-chem.com) — not a subdomain or campaign URL.

Include CAS numbers in product listings. Chemical buyers search by CAS number. Including CAS numbers in your product descriptions dramatically increases discoverability on chemical-specific platforms.

Update listings annually. Stale listings with outdated contact information or missing products reduce credibility. Set a calendar reminder to review and update all directory listings each year.

Request reviews where available. ThomasNet and some other platforms allow buyer reviews. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews — they improve your ranking and credibility.

After submitting listings, monitor:

• Referral traffic in Google Analytics — look for traffic from thomasnet.com, icis.com, and chempoint.com
• Search ranking changes for target keywords over 60–90 days
• Direct inquiries that mention finding you through a directory

Citation building is a long-term strategy. Expect to see measurable impact in organic search rankings within 3–6 months of completing listings on major platforms.

Chemical and Filtration Products of Texas is a bulk chemical distributor serving Texas and the Gulf Coast since 1989. We supply solvents, glycols, acids, and water treatment chemicals in drums, totes, and bulk tanker. Contact us for pricing and availability.