|
 Submitting
to directories is a great way to build links and increase your search engine
rankings. In semi-competitive industries it can produce great results. If you
add article creation and social media marketing into the link building equation
then you can achieve great results for any industry.
Free
or Paid Directories?
When choosing directories going for the paid ones can be better, mainly because
the links seem to last a lot longer. Many of the free directories seem to
disappear or delete links after a year or so. However, there are a few free
directories out there that should always be used - directories that have stood
the test of time.
Niche
or General Directories?
Submitting to a combination of both niche and general directories is usually a
good idea.
For most industries there are a variety of niche directories out there - the
best way to find them is through a search engine. Do a search on Google, MSN or
Yahoo for directories in your niche area - those that come up in the first few
pages of results are usually the best ones to use. With general directories it's better to go for those that are more established.
The older a directory is, the better.
PageRank
- Does It Still Matter?
Because directories are generally quite large, they need a certain amount of
PageRank to get all of their pages indexed properly. However a high PageRank
isn't the be-all and end-all. Google's recent crackdown
on directories has made visible PageRank even more irrelevant when it comes
to choosing directories. There are directories out there that have no PageRank
whatsoever that can offer value.
If a directory is ranking well in the search engines then you can rest assured
that it has enough PageRank. If you're unsure then check how many links it has
via Yahoo! Site Explorer or
another link popularity checker.
Anchor
Text
It's always best to get the main search phrases that you are targeting in the
links to your site. However this isn't always possible and unfortunately many
of the best directories won't let you do this. Sometimes you can get around
this problem by slipping in a search phrase at the end of your company name
Before
submitting, have a good look around a directory and get a feel for what you can
and can't get away with. Some directory owners will let you use a search phrase
on its own, whereas others are very strict and will only use your
business/website name. In between you have those where you might just be able
to slip a search phrase in.
Doing your homework comes in handy - if you try to use a search phrase on its
own and they change it to your business/website name then it's very unlikely
you'll be able to get them to change it to your website name with a search
phrase at the end. If you'd submitted it like that in the first place you may
have got away with it. Always try to get one of your search phrases in and vary the anchor text as
much as possible - this will appear more natural to the search engines.
Varying
Your Description
Many directories will provide you with your own page about your business. If
you have the same description on every page across different directory
websites, then many of these will be seen as duplicate content by the search
engines and your links will get devalued. To avoid this, write a unique and substantial description for every single
directory (200+ characters works best). Make sure the descriptions accurately
mirror your products and services and that they read well.
Deep
Linking
Many directories allow you to add extra links directly to internal pages of
your website. You should take turns in linking to different pages of your
website using different variations of the phrases you're targeting on each
page. Using the same anchor text to link to the same page over and over again
will appear unnatural to the search engines and this could work against you.
How
Many Directories Should You Submit To?
There's no fixed number of directories that you should get listed in. Work out
a 12 month directory submission budget for each site and then do so many each
week or month for the full duration. When you're building links to your site via directories or any other method,
you should do it over time. Submitting to 100 directories in a week and then
forgetting about it won't be as effective as spreading the 100 directory
submissions over a 3 month period.
The
Top 10 Directories
Finally, here's a list of the top free and paid general directories to get you
started.
10 of the best free directories include:
5 of the best paid directories include:
|
SEO Articles 
