Do Google penalize (from a SEO point of view) you if submit your website to paid directories?
tedster
2:41 pm on Oct 30, 2010 (gmt 0)
Welcome to the forums, satechhead. I second the question - well, I actually think I know the answer, since I've seen client rankings get hurt soon after they bought high PR backlinks. Maybe you've seen someone "get away with it" That does happen, but so do harsh penalties.
But let's not confuse the topic of this thread. A paid directory listing in a good, editorially driven directory is NOT considered a paid backlink.
soft4you
3:36 pm on Oct 30, 2010 (gmt 0)
you can submit your website to all available directories if your site is old and trusted
tedster
3:44 pm on Oct 30, 2010 (gmt 0)
Welcome to the forums, soft4you.
I agree - having a strong site can help you get away with a few poor choices. That's what trust is all about. I do think there's a limit on how many directory listings will have any real positive value, however.
scottsonline
9:26 pm on Oct 30, 2010 (gmt 0)
But what are considered good directories as of 11/2010? Dmoz is a mess. We may have had 5 clicks in 5 years from it. Yahoo could be useful but it's tough to Navigate. Business dot com brings clicks but not a huge amount. What do you as seo professionals consider high quality?
tedster
9:35 pm on Oct 30, 2010 (gmt 0)
A good paid directory is one with an enforced editorial policy - one where you pay for the review and not for automatic inclusion. In fact, if you find people complaining about how they were not included and couldn't get a refund, that's a badge of honor for the directory.
Since this thread is about paid directories, DMOZ doesn't really enter into it. But it's certainly still a good link if yo do get included there.
scottsonline
11:00 pm on Oct 30, 2010 (gmt 0)
@Tedster thanks. In trying to search for edited directories just now it's tough to find much.
Dmoz, I have read a lot about the most effective way of getting listed which involves money but I know they blacklist permanently if you try to buy your way in.
tedster
2:04 am on Oct 31, 2010 (gmt 0)
You're right - good directories are not common, especially general "all of the web" directories. But most verticals also have a solid directory or two and those can be gold. At any rate, directory listings alone are not a balanced backlink profile, so I just do what I can and then move on.
scottsonline
3:24 am on Oct 31, 2010 (gmt 0)
Ted without derailing the thread, what would you consider a balanced backlink profile?
25% directories, 25% blogs, etc?
tedster
3:32 am on Oct 31, 2010 (gmt 0)
Don't run off with an idea that this is an exact number. I'm mostly trying to give the flavor you need to establish for a healthy profile.
At least 60% links that you didn't directly initiate or control, plus spontaneous social discussions that you or your agents did not start. In other words - the niche knows about you and talks about you online. If your business is making people happy, that's what happens. If your business isn't making people happy, or they don't talk about it, then you have a business issue to resolve beyond SEO.
It's going to be different in different markets, so I'd recommend analyzing the backlinks of regularly ranking websites on your big query terms to get the lay of the land. heck, I recommend doing that any way, and doing it often if you're in anything like a competitive market.
