Even in a post-Penguin world, a well-rounded link building campaign generally includes links from web directories. The key is to make sure you are submitting your websites to quality directories.
Quality Directory Checklist
Here are some ways to test a directory to see if it is a good fit for your link building strategy.
Domain Authority
First off, you will want to make sure that the directories you choose for building links to your website have a good domain authority, Google PageRank, and any other metric you value most. The stronger the directory domain, the better the backlink.
Authoritative Backlinks
Are authoritative websites linking to the directory of your choice? This shows that the directory not only gets recognition but it also gets traffic.
Cached & Indexed Pages
Is the page your link will be placed upon indexed in Google search and cached? Be sure to check by doing a quick site:domain.com/category/page and cache:domain.com/category/page query. This may not work for newer categories, but if one seems well established with several links, then you should find that it has been visited by Google search bots.
Outgoing LInks
One of the reasons DMOZ is such a valuable link is because it is so hard to get into. The directories you submit your website to should have a strong moderation process, regardless of whether you pay or not. If a directory links out to bad websites, then it is not one you want to add your link to.
First Page Opportunities
Generally, the first page of a specific directory category will have the highest rankings, authority, and traffic. Hence you will want to make sure that your website will be placed on the most relevant category’s first page – and that it will stay there. That may be worth the investment in a featured listing.
Social Shares
Check to see if your directory has some social shares. This shows that people are talking about the directory (hopefully satisfied customers) and that the directory might be getting social traffic along with direct traffic from referrals and search engines.
Quality Content
Last, but not least, does your target directory have quality content of their own? This can show Google that it is more than just a directory and you that it is a constantly updated site. Having quality content should mean that the directory is less likely to get penalized and that your link will not lose its value.
Directory Submission Tips
Submitting to a quality directory is not the end of the story. You need to make your submission count by doing the following.
- Submitting to the proper category. You might be tempted to aim for a page with higher authority, but make sure that it is also relevant.
- Don’t use keyword anchor text. Google will not need it if your website link is in the proper category.
- Vary your descriptions. Especially if the directory is niche specific, make sure your description matches the audience that would be browsing the directory.
- Use all of the options. Some directories allow for additional deep links, longer descriptions, and social links. Get your money’s worth by using them all.
Directory Coupon Codes
Since you’re probably ready to start submitting your websites to directories, here are some coupon codes that you’ll find useful. These directories all have a minimum Domain Authority of 60.
- Directory Journal – Get 20% off all listings with coupon code DJ20GM.
- Alive Directory – Get 20% off all listings with coupon code ADC2013.
- Abilogic – Get 15% off listings with coupon code ABIKEY13.
- Jasmine Directory – Get 30% off listings with coupon code JD2013.
- Aviva Directory – Get $20 off listings with coupon code growmap.
- Hot vs. Not Directory – Get 20% off listings with discount code GM20HVN.
- Ezilon Directory – Get 30% off listings with discount codes s1z8v if you pay vial PayPal and SMV8Z if you pay via credit card.
What are your favorite directories? Please share in the comments.
Nice work, but I think the PR that counts is the PR of the actual page your website is listed in, and not the PR of the directory.
PR is kind of obsolete anyway. The trust of the domain counts first of all in my opinion. Pages with a low number of backlinks or trust can rank very high in search engines based only on the power of the domain they are hosted on. The same would apply to links aquired from those pages. Indeed it is better to have a higher trust on the page the link is on but focus on the quality of the domain first of all.
Being in the SEO business and dealing with different clients, I have seen that directory links can still help to a certain extent if you’re picky about the directories submitted to and also take care to ensure you’re not submitting to all the directories with one anchor text. Directory submissions can still work well if you’re listed in the right directories and if you ensure that you don’t repeat the exact same title and description in every directory.
Exactly. If you have a good strategy and pick quality directories, you’ll get good results. 🙂
Your coupons for Alive, Aviva, and Jasime are not working. Just filled out all my site’s information for all three sites and submitted the coupon code only to have them not work.
the post is from March. they are probably expired, some of them.
Sorry about that James. They were supposed to last a bit longer than two months. 🙂
First of all, I love practically everything you write Kristy – wherever I see it!
I would, however, exercise caution when judging a website by social shares. Far too many websites bought shares or set up a bunch of profiles under bogus names (it costs nothing, after all) and it’s simply not a number I can trust anywhere I see it.
I think that is one of the main reasons that search engines seem reluctant to trust them 100%. It’s also the main reason that Google set up their own social network that they could monitor, I think.
“First Page Opportunities” !? isn’t that what we call “paid link” ? and it’s forbidden by search engine “specially google” to do this kind of dofollow link ?
“Generally, the first page of a specific directory category will have the highest rankings, authority, and traffic. Hence you will want to make sure that your website will be placed on the most relevant category’s first page – and that it will stay there. That may be worth the investment in a featured listing.” – a link is not only good for SEO. first of all it is good for traffic. and here obviously this should be a nofollow link.
Thanks very good. But how can i find web directories in serps?
Does the article directories linking is still working? I’ve given many article directories links to many of my clients. Are they really driving traffic to their sites. The answer was ‘No’; but the links are still there. Not all of my clients; but some of them are getting very little bit of traffic. Apart from getting reputation; does spending money on article directories is still a good way?
Only a few article directories links are still worth it I think. It is the idea of manual validation of a link. But in general this is an obsolete technique nowadays.
Great breakdown. It is true, all the top ranking sites use this method as they do have high domain rank and a solid amount of traffic.