Websites do not get walk-in visitors like they did in yester-year s environment. In fact, no one was searching in search engine for a website then, as they didn t exist yet. People would go to a directory such as the Yahoo Dir and Google s DMOZ to locate a website by following the category tree to find the sites sorted according the topic.
Since then, Google has changed the way we search online by introducing the usage of links and keywords to determine search outcomes. For Google, directories still remain valuable sources to establish links. Directories still exist for this reason: as link libraries.
To achieve optimal SEO outcome, it is very crucial that links are associated with a website in order to achieve better page ranking. A directory has all the elements in place to formulate the page relationship it needs. The elements such as the category tree structure, other listings on the same page, titles, descriptions and keywords are all related.
Google establishes the keywords for your web page based on the keywords situated in the anchor-text links directing towards to your site. Therefore, to rank superior in the inventory Google ascertains if there is significant amount of links pointing to a web page with those keywords. The keyword loaded links directing to your site will make your site pop up for the searches done in Google using identical keywords; the more AND better links, the higher you rank, and directory submissions offer links to accomplish just that.
For directory submissions, the quality of your site is a very important aspect to consider if you want to achieve good outcome. Your web page is your public image with which the directory critic will evaluate. Therefore, a superior web site with good design and sufficient content is necessary for approvals.
Similar to all link building strategies, the directory submission tactic takes time to show results. Although performing the submissions can be done swiftly, they usually end up in the queue of the directory reviewer. Superior directories need to determine which website it can publish and which ones not in order to maintain their integrity. A human reviewer must review your web page prior approval; upon that, your submission will be converted to an actual link for Google to find and index. There can be instances where it is tougher for certain business categories where a trade area is saturated with competition, but they will still be reviewed nonetheless. Google also decides which sites are directories and the value of the directory. As long as the directory is looked after, Google will maintain the indexing.
2 crucial factors to remember:
1. The list of directories is not endless;
Although there are huge amounts of complimentary directories, to get links that are Search Engine Optimization-friendly only 1,500 of them are up to the mark.
This is how you can view it:
a. 500 really good directories
b. fairly good directories that numbers to 500
c. acceptable directories that numbers to 500
In short, there are 1,500 free-of-charges, good value directories that are favorable and once they are used up; this link building tactic is basically exhausted.
2. Doing directory submissions is not new;
Webmasters and internet marketers worldwide are familiar with the manual directory submission process and as a result, this method is used massively. As a result of that the directories truly get overwhelmed with the amount of submissions they receive daily. These days the results from directory submissions with a site that doesn t show any pagerank yet can be rather disappointing.
This is the reason you need other types of link building prior to performing your directory submission strategy in order to obtain the same results that was achieved years ago. It is not suitable for a newly constructed website to begin with a directory submission campaign as the first step to gaining web standing as the result will be fruitless.
To do 1,500 manual directory submission can produce very spectacular outcomes; providing you have at least PR2 and it is the first time the submissions are undertaken.
Do note that the typical PageRank of the page within the directory with your link on is rather low. What makes the links work is the mixture of the web pages being extremely related and the number of links you receive from this link building tactic. The investment in this type of directory submission service is nominal when you think about the benefits and market presence to be reaped.