Don't Submit to Free Directories?

[pchieng]

I was just wondering if free and/or paid directories work anymore? I have heard that it does and doesn't work. Just wondering if anybody else has a take on it.

Sending emails to random websites asking to put a link on their site seems kind of hard, and doesn't get many responses.

And we almost never do link exchanges.

What else are we left to do?

[CarrieHill]

I wouldn't say DONT submit to free directories - I'd say dont submit to free directories that dont fit your market or niche. If you can find a category or content that is very close to what you do, look at other members and see if they're getting backlinks from the directory. It may be worth your time.

The natural progression of the online directory seems to be:

Start the directory from scratch
Offer free listings to get content
once pagerank or "power" have been obtained, start charging for listings.

So if you can get in at the free level, it may pay off in the long run, long term - but may not have a lot of beneift short term. It's a gamble, not every directory will pay off. You have to decide if it's worth the time investment.

Hope this helps.

[tshears]

I've done free directory submissions myself for one or two sites... generally just stick to the rules Carrie has given.

If you're doing it on an enterprise level I would find an outsourced company to do your submissions manually (somewhere overseas) over a time period. This will avoid sandboxing.

[padhamanabhasharma]

So if you can get in at the free level, it may pay off in the long run, long term - but may not have a lot of beneift short term. You have to decide if it's worth the time investment.

Carrie Hill,

You are absolutely right because at initial stage some directories does not have decent page rank and that's the reason when customer ask us whether we should submit their site to PR0 directories as well, we recommend it.

Reason behind it is because as soon as this PR0 directory got some value increment e.g. PR3-PR5, people starts to submit on these directories more and more and it either does not accept more new links because directory editor are not able to handle it or start charging for it to cover their cost.

So I will say, go for Free directories specially because in my personal experience approx 1/3 of the submission results in backlinks.

[Jazajay]

I was just wondering if free and/or paid directories work anymore?

The end of the day the question you should answer, as carrieHill rightly said is is it related?
followed by is it in google?
followed by does the page that I will get the link from have content similar to my site?

[Jazajay]

go for Free directories specially because in my personal experience approx 1/3 of the submission results

Really? in my expericnce that is more like 95%
If your site is related and has good content that will help the directory become more relavant so you shouldn't really have an issue with being rejected right? or is that just me.

[padhamanabhasharma]

The end of the day the question you should answer, as carrieHill rightly said is is it related?
followed by is it in google?
followed by does the page that I will get the link from have content similar to my site?

"If you can find a category or content that is very close to what you do, look at other members and see if they're getting backlinks from the directory"

So every web directory (except few) does have sufficient categories which are very much related to the theme of the site.

[Jazajay]

I will only bother asking / submitting if they are present. Hence my high acceptance rate. I wouldn't say every web directory has suffiencient categories but then I don't submit to every web directory only the ones that are
1. related to my site.
2. Are in G , live, yahoo or ask
3. Have similar content on the page where I get the link from.

As my site has unquie articles and tools I tend not to get rejected and any other directory is useless in the SE eyes and to be honest to me. If I got a link in a directory selling flowers and my site shawl we say sells bikes the traffic would be useless and would throw my tracking out as people who go to a flower directory are not going to be looking to buy bikes.

[padhamanabhasharma]

Jazajay,

I mean exactly the same when I have written "So every web directory (except few) does have sufficient categories which are very much related to the theme of the site." as you have described as "If I got a link in a directory selling flowers and my site shawl we say sells bikes the traffic would be useless and would throw my tracking out as people who go to a flower directory are not going to be looking to buy bikes."

I told this because there are so many sufficient number of categories to choose from and this means that there is at least one category in the directory which can allow any kind of product, services or information or anything.

[Jazajay]

I suppose it depends on your niche

[padhamanabhasharma]

I suppose it depends on your niche

Most of SEO friendly directories are general in nature and there are very few niche directories. So looking a link from niche directory will also very much helpful.

[Jazajay]

Are you doing the right searches?
I found around 400 speciality directories the first time I searched for links.

The directories are small but the content is my exact keywords hence my high exceptance rate.

I rarely go for a general directory but I will always go for a niche directory.

Most have PR, are in G - as I found them through G - and will except your link as they are small and specialized. They are also less likely to get penalized as they are more relevant, their site visitors will find you useful, but also due to the fact they are relevant a lot more than a general directory due to the fact that all thier pages are geared up for your keywords - they are a better link over all and are a lot more likely to except you.

Get the G advance search operators under your belt and you will see your life gets easier.