Guide to Directory Submissions

Many people know about directory submissions; in fact, it's one of the first things beginning webmasters turn to after they launch their site. People who don't submit their site to directories are missing out on the powerful initial impact they can have. In fact, without the aid of directories, many sites would not be successful at all, or take much longer to become successful.

A great thing for webmasters to do for their sites is establish link exchanges with other, relevant sites. Not only does this help with both sites' SEO, but it also allows sites to mutually exchange traffic. However, established sites just won't exchange with anybody. New sites can have a hard time finding link partners and will sometimes resort to buying links. But usually, most webmasters turn to directories. Directories are great because many of them are free, and have lots of categories, so webmasters can put their site along with other sites of their kind (which is usually a benefit when search engine bots analyze links; if they see similar links and text next to yours, they give the link more weight). Also, by building up lots of initial links, you can get a little bit of SEO power that other sites at your level or maybe even a little above your level will value.

There are a few negative aspects of directory submissions. For one, it is tedious, as the same thing has to be done over and over again, and it can get boring and tiring. Free directories, which is what most new webmasters turn to, usually do not have high PR (because once free directories get high PR, they usually turn into a paid directory). And most directories, paid or free, usually do not give all the sites they host hardly any traffic. Even if you submit your site to hundreds of directories, you will see very little traffic from them. The main purpose of directories is for SEO and raising PR, not for traffic. Another bad thing about directories, most of the time free directories, is that many close down due to poor traffic or revenue. Good lists exist on the Internet giving directories that have been around for a long time, so if one submits to those directories, they do not really have to worry much about the directory shutting down. It does happen, though, but not on a scale large enough to have a dramatic effect.

Deep linking is a technique that lots of people don't know about, and it inhibits SEO endeavors and can sometimes even hurt them. If all you have is links going directly to your home page, SE bots may find it suspicious and lower your ranking. While home page links are definitely the most important, and that is the page people want their visitors to come to the most, deep links can get your in-site pages to higher placements, as well as making your links look more natural and therefore make your site as a whole better (which means your home page would rise as well).