Directory Listings and Anchor Text

Am I just optimizing my business name?

[avi wilensky]

Hello World:

A question about directory listings. When one lists in directories, in a great majority of cases, the hyperlinked anchor text is the company name. Thus it appears to me that each directory listing simply optimizises the business name, and not the keywords I want to elevate on the SERPS. I am incorrect? Will directory listings impact my overall off-site optimization campaign? Thank you.

[ken_b]

Yes, if your company name is the anchor test, the comapny name going to get the most boost from the link as far as optimization goes.

But if your description contains keywords in close proximity to the anchor text, they may get some boost as well.

At least that's how I understand it.

I'm one of those people who has adopted a policy of only using the comapny name as the primary anchor text for a link.

Occasionaly I've also linked keywords in the description as deeplinks into a site when I thought it would help my visitors. Mostly I do that when the site I'm linking to is difficult to navigate, or has many product sections and I'm trying to send my visitors to a specific section.

[avi wilensky]

Thank you! May I ask why you only use the site name as anchor text, rather than using keyword variance?

[ken_b]

Actually I use the company name. Sometimes that is the same as the site name and/or the site url, but not always.

I do that because it's...

1: I think it works better for my visitors.

2: It's easier for me to work with.

3: I don't care if it works well as an optimization tool for the other site.