Are Web Directory Links Effective?

[admin]

The other day I received a help desk ticket from someone asking me if links from web directories (AKA "link directories") are "still" effective. My answer was very short: "Yes, of course."

Chances are, when you started your first website you began looking for ways to build backlinks to it. Some of the easiest ways to do so are by submitting articles to article directories and submitting your link(s) to web directories.

I do both regularly and I recommend you do the same.

There are Pros and Cons to both that you need to know:

Article Marketing - As long as you're submitting to quality article directories you're going to get a "clean" one-way backlink to your site. You can link to internal pages and you also get long-term traffic from the SE's finding those articles if you do good keyword research. The only downside is, obviously, you have to write articles.

Web Directories - Web directories are unique in that you don't have to do much work to get a clean, one-way link. The only problem is, first you have to find those directories that have at least some authority, then you have to sift through and only submit to those that don't require reciprocal links and/or a payment to be listed. Then, in many cases, you have to wait months, sometimes YEARS to get your link approved.

I use a custom, in-house tool to do my submissions that makes the process of submitting to 1,000+ directories as easy as clicking a button. I use this same tool to submit INTERNAL pages to directories that accept them as well! If you're interested in that, go to http://www.DeepLinkerPro.com/ and sign up because I'm going to release that to the public soon!

Here's what it all comes down to. A link is a link! If the site is indexed by google and your link isn't cloaked (displays as the directories URL, not yours) or buried so deep in the site that google can't find it, it's going to count as a backlink.

To give you an example, a site that I built years ago and actually sold not long at http://www.teenpregnancyhelp.net/ I submitted that site to about 100 web directories when I first created it. If you look at the backlinks, you'll see most of the backlinks are from those web directories. About a month or so ago I received an email from the new owner telling me that the income from that site is very consistent and he wanted to know if I had any similar sites for sale. That site is making his consistent money and the only promotion I did was submit it to 100 web directories.

I've been using Web Directories to build quick and easy one-way links to ALL of my sites for over 5 years. Will they cause your site to soar in the rankings and beat all of your competition? Probably not. But they will definitely help your site's rankings by building solid, one-way backlinks.

[texasag90]

I have some success with Link Directories too. The problem is that submission is a pain, link submission services are expensive, and I have not really been able to find a good tool to do this automatically.

Cannot wait to see your tool.

As you know, number of links is important, but having different sources of links can help make your linking look "natural". Adding Link Directory links is a good way to diversify your link portfolio.

Bring on the tool!

Regards,
Mark

[citilife]

can't wait to try it out Josh!

[Online Marketing]

I agree, Josh. Directory submissions are just part of the process for getting links. While you want to do more than just directory submissions and article marketing, those are two good basic places to start. You should also be converting that content into PowerPoints, videos and podcasts, to name a few, and submitting them out there on the Internet.

[jimw]

Josh,

When I do a backlink analysis of the teen pregnancy link you mention I only find one back link across aol, alltheweb, yahoo and google. Is there only one link remaining of the 100 you originally built?

Jim

[admin]

Jim, I'm seeing 99 http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com...&fr2=seo-rd-se

[bshearer]

Awesome Josh!

I cannot wait to add this to my arsenal. I have paid for directory submissions and I am still waiting after Months of the original outsourcing. Hard to justify those "questionable" submissions.

I dead easy and accurate process will be well worth the money!!!

[dhany]

Interesting Josh. Though some says that link directory doesn't work anymore. A link is a link anyway.
I'm wondering if your tool will accept sites that are not in English?

[sunsandar]

Hi Josh:

Your directory link building tool sounds good - in the meantime, are there certain directories I could be submitting to? Do you have a list of them?

Thanks for making this forum free - it's a wonderful gesture
Sandra

[websmart]

Yep, still do directory submissions for link diversity. They seem to be like bookmark links, very weak. They don't move you much in rankings anymore but are great for establishing a strong diversified link foundation when added to many other types of links. Because they are weak but necessary links, usually just outsource them.