Directories have become almost the “drunk uncle” of the online marketing industry. They don’t get a lot of respect, and a lot of industry insiders (SEO/SEM people, I mean) wish they’d just go away. True, there are way too many directories on the web and the vast majority of them are junk. But there are still some high-quality, trusted web directories that should be included in your online marketing plans.
Directories vs. Search Engines
I’m assuming you know the difference between a directory and a search engine. But just to be safe….
Search engines = Google, Yahoo, Ask, and MSN.
Directories = DMOZ/Open Directory, Business.com, Best of the Web, etc.
What can be confusing is that some of the search engines also have a web directory, like Yahoo’s Directory, MSN’s Small Business Directory, and even Google’s Directory, which is really just a borrowed version of the Open Directory. Got it? Quiz on this in the morning.
Why Submit to Directories
There are two reasons you might submit your site to directories:
1. The possibility of acquiring traffic from people using the directory to find sites.
2. The “link juice” you get from being listed in a trusted directory.
Generally speaking, #2 above will be the main reason you submit your site to directories because — with a couple exceptions — very few directories are used by searchers looking for sites. (When was the last time you went to a directory instead of a search engine?)
So the main value is in the inbound link from the directory to you. But, not all directory links are equal. Some directories use the “nofollow” tag on some or all of their outbound links. “Nofollow” is a tag that tells search engine crawlers not to count the link as a vote of quality; i.e. - it kills any “link juice” the link might have given you.
So when deciding where to submit, and more importantly, whether to pay for directory listing or not, be sure to look into the use of “nofollow” tags. If you can’t find out about it by reading the HELP material on the directory web site, or by emailing the directory’s help address (if one exists), then the easiest thing to do is view the source code of a few different listing pages and do a text search for “nofollow” — just like that, one word.
Some directories may use “nofollow” on all outbound links; some may use them only on certain links. You’ll have to figure that out if you can’t get answers from the directory staff.
Finding Trusted Directories
So the key, as I mentioned above, is seeking out trusted directories and getting listed in those. Which ones are those?
First, I’m going to link to a guy whose opinion I respect: Andy Hagans, who listed ten trusted web directories in October, 2005.
Second, the SEO Company web site offers a list of directories rated by Inbound Link Quality — the quality of links pointing to the directories. That’s a pretty good measure, since it can generally be assumed that quality sites most often link to other quality sites. (The list is also a solicitation to have SEO Company submit your site to these directories, but you can look at the list and review the information for free.)
If you’re looking for directories specifically for a company blog, try the Giant List of Blog Directories on SponsoredReviews.com.
Miscellaneous Thoughts
Now, a couple notes before we drop the subject of web directories.
1. You might have to spend some money to get listed, but in almost all cases the fee is quite low and generally reasonable. Yahoo’s $299 annual fee is the most costly I’ve seen. Business.com comes in at $199/year.
2. There are some pros and cons to consider with directories:
PROS: Links from trusted directories can be helpful in terms of search engine visibility. They can also bring qualified traffic to your web site.
CONS: Directories often use human editors to review your submission before adding it (even paid submissions). The editor might not use the site title or description you submit, meaning your listing may not include that important keyword/phrase you want.
Also, a directory listing can impact how your site appears in search engines. Yahoo, for example, will use the title and description from your Yahoo Directory listing when showing your site in its regular SERPs. To avoid that, you have to use the NOYDIR tag. Similarly, Google and MSN Search will often show the DMOZ/Open Directory description of your site in place of the “description” meta tag you wrote. So in this case, your listing in the SERPs might also not include the important keyword/phrase you want. But, all three search engines have announced support for the NOODP meta tag, which lets webmasters opt out of having the DMOZ information shown in the SERPs. Learn more here.
If You Submit…
If you choose to submit your site to a web directory, whether it’s free or not, follow these basic guidelines:
1. Don’t submit until your site is complete and launched. The people who edit directories aren’t likely to list your site if you have any “Under Construction” signs.
2. Pay attention to, and follow, the submission guidelines of the directory. If the directory says one submission per month, don’t keep submitting several times a month until you get listed. Chance are you won’t.
3. If the directory allows you to submit a site description, make sure it includes your most important search words/phrases. And also pay attention to the directory’s rules for your site description — if they specifically say “Don’t call yourself the ‘Best Widget Store’”, then make sure your site description doesn’t use any promotional content like that.
