Submitting Your Web Site to Top 100 Lists - Is it Worth It?

Top 100 lists are directories of Web sites that share a common theme. These themes vary greatly and include baby boutiques, wedding supplies, work-at-home-mom blogs, family sites or even Web sites of members of a certain group. There are even Top 100 lists of Top 100 lists.

To become a member of these sites, you must register with the list administrator. The link for this can be found on the Top 100 list you are interested in joining. Some lists allow you to join and become active immediately, but most require the administrator to activate your account. This protects the integrity of the list by preventing random, non-relevant sites from popping into the list.

You will need a few things when registering. First, you will need the URL to a banner for your site. A banner is a graphic that advertises your site, usually sized 468 pixels wide by 90 pixels tall. Under your banner will be a short description of your Web site.

Once you are registered and activated, you will have access to various text links and banners to place on your Web site. This is very important. Most Top 100 lists require you to link to the list on your Web site, often on the home page.

Placing a banner on your site is important for you as well. Top 100 lists rank websites based on the incoming traffic you send to the list. When you create your links, your member number is encoded into the link.

The more people that click on your graphics, the higher you rank. The higher you rank, the more your banner and description will be seen when other visitors click through from other websites. Typically, visits from the same computer do not count as multiple hits unless there has been 24 hours between visits. For some lists, there is a longer time required between visits. For others, there is no time requirement.

All lists have a set reset date. On this date, every listing returns to zero for incoming and outgoing hits. These dates can range from daily to never.

The biggest benefit to these Top 100 lists is that they are completely free to use and the more links you have to your Web site, the better chances you will have for people to find your website. Another plus is that with the theme, your chances of incoming traffic being your target customers is greater. Top 100 Lists have also been known to show up in search engine listings and garner decent Google PageRanks, another plus.

The biggest drawback is the reciprocal linking. Most website owners understandably don't want to clutter up their homepage with a lot of "Vote for Me" buttons. Some Top 100 lists do not require the link to be on the homepage, with these you can create a special page just for the buttons with an explanation on what they are for and why they matter to your customers.

Another thing to be aware of is that Top 100 lists are like blogs, many are started daily, but few survive past a few months or even weeks. Joining an established list that is active can be daunting depending on the rank of the current top sites and when the list is set to reset. The good news is that most lists have a "featured site" spotlight at the top that randomly showcases members' banners and descriptions. On a large list, this might be the only real exposure your banner gets.

Overall, Top 100 lists are a decent way to get your name out for a beginning Web site. The time involved in setting them up is nominal and could result in decent targeted traffic if the right list is chosen.