How do you choose the right web directory for your web site? All web directories look the same, what is the difference?
There are a number of factors for choosing the right web directory for your website. Today we will look at these factors to find the best web directory for your company.
In my opinion, there is one real need for a business to use a web directory: they need qualified traffic. The key word here is qualified, because so many directories send you worthless traffic that wastes your time and money.
The right web directory is great, because they have done all the hard work ahead of time, so you do not have to spend your time repeating the process from scratch.
Take for example, a retail organization that sets up a new blog. While the company might be established offline, more than likely this is a new method of driving traffic to their retail outlet.
Therefore, the company now has two options to drive new traffic to their site:
- Start writing and be prepared for the long haul to get the qualified traffic from Google search and other venues.
- Leverage other websites to garner traffic faster.
For most businesses, the blog is a method of driving in traffic to their business, not a business in and of itself. This means a company who wants to use a blog should leverage a web directory to drive in qualified traffic faster.
Using a web directory like Dmoz.Org, Manta, or Aviva Web Directory, they can speed up their approach to driving in traffic. Aviva Directory has been around since 2005. A new retail blog can work with a company like Aviva that, and leverage their 8 years of experience looking for your ideal prospects.
More importantly, you also build up your search credentials to Google, Bing, and Yahoo. While search algorithms are not as highly focused on links as they were a few years ago, backlinks from other sites are still an important part of the search algorithm for the major engines.
The key here is quality sites. Do not focus on every web directory, focus in on the relevant, few web directories that are quality sites. These sites have the most traffic, and offer you the highest reward for your site.
So, what is the best web directory for your needs? The reality is that you need to determine what your needs are in a web directory first. This might be a cyclical, political answer, but it is also true. Going back to Aviva, even they have two parts to their directory. They have one directory for websites and one for blogs. They are two similar types of sites, but completely different purposes. Understanding which one works best for your needs is crucial in determining your success with web directories.
Aviva Web Directory launched in 2005. Our mission since we started was to be more than just another web directory, but a place where you could find the best hand-picked websites around the internet.
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Thanks for sharing a great article you provide a really a great website for directory submission. i think its really difficult to find a good directory sites.
Narinder Kumar would love you to read ..Search Engine Friendly Website
Thank you for the valuable information. However, dmoz[dot]org never added my website to their directory. Any idea what might the reason for it?
Hi Shohruh,
DMOZ has basically been dead for years. The only way to get a site added is to personally know an editor there who can approve the category you want into and they aren’t easy to find. I wrote about this back in 2009 so that is how long they have been ignoring submissions. See DMOZ Now Largely a Waste of Time.
Gail Gardner would love you to read ..7 Ways to Make a Side Income While Working on Your Business
I agree the relative directory is best for your web site as all search engines love relative work and there must be consistency and frequency in the work.
Many of you have been hearing things about web directories being obsolete, or that a listing in a web directory will be counted against you by Google. Not true. What is true is that web directories will be held to the same standards as any other website on the Internet, which means that they will have to provide quality content. The days when someone can put up a $30 directory script and be in business as a web directory may be over, but directories that offer good quality will continue to do well, and those that are able to adapt to changing demands by Internet users will do very well. You will find a list of web directories at http://bit.ly/16jbRKZ – these are directories that I have personally visited, and have taken the time to describe. You will still have to do your own homework, of course.
Nice article, now i know what is web directory.
Pine would love you to read ..How many calories in an egg
Web directories are the logical first choice in an SEO campaign, after content. There are thousands of web directories on the Internet, but most of them aren’t worth the time that it takes to submit to them. However, there are some good ones, and you won’t go wrong with Aviva Directory.
There are so many low quality spammy type directories that probably don’t generate any real traffic to the sites that appear on them. Finding the right directory that is relevant to your industry is the key.
Racquel Cousins would love you to read ..Successful Outcomes
I’ve tried several web directories since last year though all of them are the free ones. I’m not really keen on the big advantage of having a paid one setup. I maybe wrong and may have to try one that will not leave a big dent on my pocket if my site will still not pickup in a month or two.
Murdo,
I understand where you are coming from. Remember the old saying that you get what you pay for. This holds true with web directories.
Andy
Nice article 🙂
This really would help me to rank better for all my blogs, thanks a ton 😀
Rishabh Saxena would love you to read ..Counter strike everything explained
Glad to help!
Nice article it is helpful for all bloggers guys. really good :):)
Thanks!
I was totally unaware of Aviva, but not it sounds that I should go for it. I have been already looking out for ways to verify that in which web directories I should have to submit my stuff. You have done an amazing work here thanks for the quick tip.
Hamza Sheikh would love you to read ..iOS 7 Beta 3 Download Rumored To Come On July 8
Hamza,
Thank you so much Hamza! Definitely check out Aviva!
Andy
Some of webmasters say that do URL submission to bookmarking and web directory sites is useless and wasting your time. Honestly, I totally disagree with such opinion. Well stated by Google, QUALITY is must come first. So what Andy says here are totally right. If it done rightly, you will get quality backlink and traffic at the same time. DO NOT focus on backlink’s quantity instead of quality. If not, your website will hit by Google’s Panda and Penguin update. At that moment, you will realize that your efforts would be a waste.
Gavin,
Thank you very much! Everything really does come down to quality versus quantity on the internet. Set up 10,000 directory backlinks in 5 minutes and you will not be successful. Conversely, have a few high quality links will.
Andy
thanks for this awesome post. You provided me nice opportunities with The directories you shared. Keep the good stuff 🙂
Baturay Kaya would love you to read ..Blackhawks Parade June 29, 2013
Much appreciated Baturay!
I agree, with many other people who commented that web directories are in decay. I dont think they are going to be the most prominent form of getting traffic to your site in the near future.
Ian would love you to read ..Washington Engagement Ring Laws
Ian,
It is one form of traffic among many. Use directories to help your site reach more people, and that is all that matters.
Andy
Yes , i will. But mostly directories charging you monthly.
Wholelinks share Happiness
Hello Gintautas,
While most directories have monthly options, they also usually have totally free options. The catch is that they hide those so they’re hard to find.
Gail Gardner would love you to read ..Google Places Versus Google Local Plus; Which for Small Business?
Thank you Mr.Gail for suggestion.I can offer anybody,who likes to write blogs space on my website free.Just to make a web traffic.Because , in my deep mind is,when you work like a team with others, you can get a results!
What are you think about it?
Thanks buddy i was unaware of Manta Aviva web directories. I have submitted one of my sites to Technorati. I think it’s also good. Dmoz is quite slow in approving your site but they are the best. I also agree with you backlink is another main factor for getting ranked in search engines.Thanks again for making me aware of Aviva and Manta! 🙂
Nithin Upendran would love you to read ..Top 5 Free Tools For Checking Your Site’s Backlinks
Technorati has me approved as an author, but I am not sure if they ever approved my blog. Another reason to have more than one option. Glad this helped you!
nice article your article is very help full for new blogger as well also help full for me. thanks for sharing.
hiren would love you to read ..RBI Assistant Recruitment test Admit card 2013 – http://www.rbi.org.in
Hiren- thanks for your response!
Hi Andy, this is a great article and very helpful too.
Thank you very much Raj!
Web directories are in decay, thats for sure, not the whole thing is to rank good in search engines and build a linking base from other websites.
Appreciate your opinion!
People who just submit websites on any directories end up see that their website does not seen anywhere on Google one should submit on good web directories.
I totally agree with you. Because for more backlinking peoples are submitted their site link more and more directory’s, Its not a relevant way, my suggestion is someone should put his link in a quality and theme relevant directory site. Hence he can beneficial for that link.
Thanks J. Edwards! Your wording of “relevant” is key here, because without relevancy Google and the audience on the directory will not care.
Nice article, this one would help newbies a lot. 🙂
Thanks Gurwinder!
I fully agree. The days of using hundreds of website directories can hurt your rankings in a big way, especially if you are a new company/website. Too many people get drawn in to the web directory submission sales pitch and learn soon enough they aren’t ranking anymore on Google.
Sandy G. would love you to read ..Who Can Benefit From Old Navy Careers?
Sandy,
Absolutely! Using black hat strategies for web directories is a big no-no!
Andy