Internet directories have been in existence long before search engines came into being. Back in the days gone by, if you wanted to enjoy online visibility, all you needed to do was to publish on as many directories as possible. Since then a lot has changed and many search engine optimization methods have been formulated over a period of time to ascertain the quality of content.
That being said, Internet directory submissions still work well in terms of SEO if done correctly, which is why understanding this technique can pay off in the long run.
An Internet directory is an online list of websites that are categorized as per the niche. Directory submission is therefore the process of submitting website details like URL to a web directory with the intention of building links in the hope that it would lead traffic to the website.
Categories within a directory are eclectic and range from health and business to technology and everything in between.
Types of Directory Submission
There are three main types of directory submission, namely:
- Free submission, wherein anyone can submit their website details without having to pay charges; however, because of the large number of submissions, there is no guarantee of approval from the administrator;
- Paid submission, which requires you to pay for web listing in form of a monthly or yearly subscription; approval rate in paid submissions is higher, thus providing quick results;
- Reciprocal submission, wherein a link is sent to your site and to get an approval, you need to activate it;
Choosing the Best Directory
With so many Internet directories, you might find yourself as being spoiled for choice, but need to realize that posting in every one of them would not fetch the desired results. You need to choose a few that work for you. To this effect, consider submitting in a directory that is relevant to your niche. For example, if you operate in the health sector, ensure that that the directory of choice is related to health.
When choosing a good directory, it is advisable checking the time-span of its existence is strongly recommended.
Going by the common logic, directories that have been around for a long time and enjoy a good reputation are preferable to those that are relatively recent or not as credible.
Making an Internet Directory Submission – Steps Involved
Once you have settled on an Internet directory, the next task is to make a submission. Directories have different categories – go through the list and choose one that is relevant to your niche. For example, if your website is about entertainment, choose an entertainment category, while if it is about health then tick all the health related categories and subcategories. The key point here is to identify a category that is relevant to your niche, find a sub-category and having done so, go ahead and submit the link.
Is The Internet Directory Worth Submitting?
Whether to submit to an Internet directory or not is a common argument among SEO experts. Some believe that it is no longer relevant while some still consider it as playing a very important role in link building. Is it worth submitting? The answer is yes, provided it is done correctly.
Search engines have various ways of ensuring that the Internet is not flooded with duplicate copies or poor quality content. To be on the safe side, it is important to abide by the rules, wherein you may be flagged if you submit too many links in directories that are not up to the standard.
Internet directories that have staff editors are comparatively better and feature high-quality content. Due to this, they are more easily accepted by search engines. Index rate is another factor to consider when choosing a good directory. Higher the number of websites indexed by search engines, the greater is the credibility of the directory.
Internet Directory Submissions – Dos and Don’ts
Here are a few things you will need to do before making a directory submission:
- Since the objective is to ensure increased traffic to your website and improve optimization, go for popular directories only. You can gauge the popularity by checking if the directory is indexed by top search engines.
- Thoroughly search the directory to ensure that your site is not yet listed. This will help avoid duplication of efforts and listings.
- Every directory has guidelines that should mandatorily be followed. Do go through them before making a submission. This way you will be assured of having followed the right procedure. Submissions that are wrongly conducted are in most cases rejected.
- Avoid spamming a directory by using too many keywords.
- Always opt for manual submission as opposed to automated tools in order to get good results.
As follows is a list of don’ts when making a directory submission:
- Mirror sites imply trouble and therefore you must avoid them. These are websites with the same content, but different URLs.
- Most Internet directories prefer high-quality content that is useful to their readers, so avoid repetitive content as it may lead to deletion of your listing.
- Never post URLs that redirect users to other sites.
- Only post URLs that are complete and not those that are under construction.
Essential Guidelines
Internet directory submission can work well for your business as long as it fetches a higher volume of traffic that adds to your revenue.
To ensure that your submissions are successful, here is what you need to do:
- Submit your address just once to avoid duplication, as duplicate sites lead to low ranking with search engines.
- Among the numerous directories, not all of them will give you good results. It is therefore essential to identify a good directory that is highly ranked.
- Internet directories are organized into categories and sub-categories. Ensure that you choose correctly for your listing, so that it is easier for your business to be found online.
- Directories help in link building but it is still important to build an SEO friendly website that will serve as a strong foundation.
- Correct names and address are important, so always ensure that you maintain a high level of accuracy.
Final Thoughts
Internet directory submission is still relevant despite it being the oldest form of link building. With the right choice of directories that are highly ranked and enjoy a good reputation, you will be one step closer to attracting a sizeable volume of traffic to your website. As compared to other SEO methods, it is not expensive, and you can use free directories that will still serve the purpose well.
So, why wait another moment? Start your search for the right Internet directory and manage your submissions as part of your online portal’s SEO package.