Directories
Web Directories are sites that list and categorise other websites. There are many different types, some only include sites about a specific topic, some list sites on all topics, some are regional, some are paid, some are free, some require you to link back to them. But there are thousands of them and they are a great way to get links to your site.
There is some debate over the value of links from directories from a Search Engine Optimsation (SEO) point of view. In the past, directories were use by real people to find websites but now search engines do that job. Now, most directories exist and are used purely for SEO purposes - which means the search engines may not see a link from a directory as a quality link.
What is a quality link?
Is any link to your site is a good link? Well, you may think that at worst, a search engine will completely discount a link and a link can’t negatively effect your ranking since you have no control over who links to your website.
There is a lot of advice about which directories are the best and how to prioritise which ones to submit to. For example, some people advise that you shouldn’t bother submitting to sites that have low pagerank or are not indexed by Google. However, all directories have to start somewhere and a link in a new directory may turn into a quality link as the directory becomes established.
So, the main things to look for in a directory are that:
- Submission is free and does not require a reciprocal link - if it is a low quality site, you don’t want to have to link to it. Outward links from your site should only be to sites relevant to yours. There are plenty of directories that don’t require reciprocal links, so use them.
- The link provided is search engine friendly - the link