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News & Features
The 7 factors to consider for effective directory submissions
Shashikant Shinde, Online Marketing & Research Associate, On Target, Singapore
Singapore, August 08, 2006
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| In a previous article, I discussed the benefits of undertaking manual directory submissions for one-way inbound link building purposes, an integral part of any search engine optimization (SEO) project. In this article, I'll discuss on the seven important considerations in selecting and prioritizing the directories to submit to.
There are innumerable web directories that have sprouted in recent times. Many of them are nothing more than free-for-all link farms ie. a poor and often haphazard collection of links. It is best to avoid submitting to these sites and being seen to be in a bad neighborhood and get penalized by the major search engines that factor in the quality of inbound links as much as the quantity of links.
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When selecting directories to submit to, consider the following factors:
Your budget for directory submissions
Some of the best directories charge a fee for inclusion. For example, the Yahoo Directory currently charges an annual listing fee of US$299, Business.com charges an annual fee of US$199 and so on. Considering that search engine marketing budgets are not bottomless pits, either the search marketing firm or the website owner will have to decide how much to allocate for paid directory submissions. This budgetary allocation will undoubtedly result in a trade off between the number of inbound links and the quality of sites from which you will get a link. We recommend that you should certainly consider free directory inclusions as well, but bear in mind some of the other factors mentioned below.
Niche directories
Finding and getting listed in several niche, vertical-specific or region-specific directories should certainly be part of the one-way inbound link building strategy. Most of the specialized directories charge a fee for inclusion (for eg. the Reals.com directory for Real Estate companies is an excellent example; or if you are doing business in Singapore, getting listed in a Singapore business directory will be an excellent choice), but we have observed that getting listed in a few of these niche directories is much better than submitting to hundreds of general free directories, at least in terms of quickly getting indexed and ranked.
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Google Page Rank of the directory
Page Rank of the website by itself may not have a huge bearing on a website's ranking, however, it gives a fairly good indication of the age of that directory, its quality and the number of inbound links it has. All things remaining equal, it is any day better to have an inbound link from a website or page with a higher page rank than one with a lower page rank.
Quality of the listings in the directory
Is the information reviewed and edited? Do they allow any and all kinds of submissions? If the quality of the information does not seem good, then it is best to ignore such directories.
Page Rank of the category page on which you are listed
Some directories may have only a couple of layers, while others have several steps in the hierarchy, which may mean that the page where a site may eventually get listed might be of a lower page rank. While it is always preferable to have the site listed on a page with a high page rank, getting a link from a quality directory, albeit with a lower page rank page is always beneficial.
Time period for inclusion
Some directories are extremely prompt in getting your submission reviewed and confirming acceptance or rejection into the directory (if you have done some homework and taken the trouble to follow the rules of inclusion, then chances of rejection are minimal). But many of the free directories take an inordinate amount of time in getting sites included. This could be due to the sheer load of new submissions being received by them or a lack of professionalism. Either way, as a marketer, you will have to consider and prioritize submissions to directories where sites get listed faster. Obviously, if you are doing it for the first time, it may be difficult to use this as a yardstick.
Categorization & hierarchy
Select and prioritize directories where your website and business fits in well in a very relevant category. It is logical to be wary of being listed along with the competition but the benefits of being listed in a relevant category outweighs the risks of being listed amongst competing sites. Afterall, the realistic benefit of a directory submission is the link that can contribute to an improved search engine ranking rather than result in a direct inflow of traffic from the directory listing itself.
Shashikant Shinde is an Online Marketing & Research Associate with On Target Media & Marketing, responsible for planning and executing link building campaigns for clients. On Target is a Singapore based provider of search engine optimization (SEO) as well as PPC marketing. Contact us to devise a cost-effective, comprehensive online marketing campaign with measurable results!
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