Forum Moderators: open

Message Too Old, No Replies

State of the Directories

         

Tonearm

5:25 pm on Feb 23, 2005 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Hello! My site has been listed with DMOZ for quite some time and I'm getting a nice amount of traffic from organic search listings. I haven't bothered with any other directories, and I'm wondering if I should. Any advice?

- Grant

chabbs

4:06 am on Feb 24, 2005 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Most people submit to directories to build one way links for their sites to try to attain a better ranking with the search engines. I believe this to be a good reason to submit to directories, but I also believe that having your site listed in many directories helps build a brand name over time if your using your site name as a title.

I've come to the conclusion that relying to heavily on the search engines can be risky. Look at this last update with Google and how many people got affected by it.

Building brand is key to long term success. If you are going to submit to different directories I would suggest using your site name in some directories and keywords in others that allow anchored text for the title. This way you'll be able to balance the search engines and brand building.

The more spread out you are over the internet the better chances you have of new people discovering your site(s).

Tonearm

4:20 am on Feb 24, 2005 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Hi Chabbs,

Which directories are worth submitting to?

- Grant

Chicago

4:30 am on Feb 24, 2005 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



>>bothered

directories are our building blocks

>>if I should.

as opposed to what? do nothing?

g doesn't say much but they do say "Submit your site to relevant directories"

chabbs

5:12 am on Feb 24, 2005 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



There are many directories that are worth submitting to. Submitting to both paid and free directories will help bring down the average price you pay for submissions.

I'd suggest submitting to sites that do not have a cgi redirect. A straight link to your site is the best.

Recurring fee directories are not worth it most of the time.

Since directories have gained popularity there are now many sites that offer lists of directories.

If you like I could sticky you a few links to sites with lists.

Tonearm

4:32 pm on Feb 24, 2005 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Really? This sounds like a totally new landscape since I last checked. I remember a while ago the verdict was, "Submit to DMOZ. Submit to Yahoo if money doesn't matter." Now directories are a big deal?

Submitting to as many as possible sounds like it could be a waste. I get plently of email asking me to submit to this or that strange-domain-named directory, but I always ignore them. There must be a few (maybe even 10?) good directories that are most worth the time and (in some cases) money.

- Grant

chabbs

5:05 pm on Feb 24, 2005 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



I'm not saying that there are hundreds of good directories. With the lists you can sift through the directories and decide which ones are worth it.

Submitting to as many as possible sounds like it could be a waste

Link building is a time consuming process. I don't think of it as a waste. In time you build links that are pointing to your site and also the chance of getting direct traffic from the directories.

If you don't want to spend too much time submit to one directory a week. It'll cost you 20 minutes a week to get a permanent link and at the end of the year you'll have 52 new links.

Obviously doing it this way you won't get instant results, but if you're in business for the long term this can surely help.

Tonearm

5:27 pm on Feb 24, 2005 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Ok, this is a new attitude towards this stuff since I last checked. Could you point me toward any good directories or directory lists?

- Grant

alexisb

11:31 pm on Feb 26, 2005 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Hi, you could take a look at these directories of directories:

[directoryarchives.com...]

[isedb.com...]

Regards!