If you read almost any book on SEO (search engine optimization) it will tell you that backlinks are important in attaining a high ranking on Google and that one of the best ways to build backlinks is to submit to web directories - categorized listings of websites.

This is NONSENSE!

The way to achieve the fastest directory submissions is simple - DON'T BOTHER.

Now this is heresy in some places. There is a plethora of directory submission tools and directory submission websites all promising the fastest directory submissions. The message that is constantly repeated is: backlinks are good, the more you have the better, directories are an easy way to achieve backlinks.

Let me deal with the final point first. Directory submission is easy. Well certainly it isn't rocket science but it is certainly not easy on your time. For each directory submission there is a form to complete - and even with automated directory submission tools , you will generally have to complete a CAPTCHA and select a category from a drop down list (because the categories are not standard).

For many online directories you will then have to provide a reciprocal link - which means editing your website. Then you need to click the verification link in the confirmation email and visit their directory website. You may think that this isn't too onerous. However, I would estimate that you are probably going to spend about 5 minutes on each site even using automated directory submission tools.

For a quality backlink, this is probably tolerable. But this is the crux of the problem, 99% of the directory links are completely worthless. Most of the directories have very low, if any, PageRank and what little they have is then shared amongst all the links on a page.

In a moment I'll provide some empirical evidence. Before I do, consider this from Google's perspective. The Google algorithm takes into account "relevancy" in determining the value of a link. There is little relevancy in a list of links to other websites. The strongest indicator of relevancy or importance for Google is approval by a third-party. In other words, somebody unconnected with you, linking to your website.

Self-promotion doesn't count. Yet the only way to get into a directory is to self-promote. The online directories don't come looking for the best sites. You submit your site to directories. So logically, submitting to directories doesn't make sense if we look at it from Google's perspective.

I mentioned empirical evidence. I have to admit that I have thought directory submissions were a waste of my time for many years but have nevertheless submitted to them just in case. Recently I decided to try an experiment. I created a site and then did no internet marketing other than submit to directories using a combination of manual directory submission and automated directory submission tools (I have spent too long researching software to achieve the fastest directory submissions). I then started to count the backlinks. Weeks later, despite the hundreds of submissions - a handful of backlinks.

I found this surprising and so tried re-submitting my site at a reasonably high ranking directory. It told me that the site was already listed. So I then did a search of the directory site using Google. Google had no knowledge of my supposedly listed site. I accept that it may take time but this was several weeks later - I would have expected Google to have checked a site it felt to have any kind of importance fairly frequently.

I am now going modify what I have said slightly. There are some directories that are worth the effort. Getting your site listed in dmoz will certainly have a hugely beneficial effect. The same applies to some of the paid directories, particularly Yahoo. The reason these top tier directories have weight is a reinforcement of what I said earlier about the Google perspective: these sites are reviewed by humans. The do not suffer from automated self-promotion.

My advice is: the way to the fastest directory submissions is not to bother. Instead, spend your time getting links on the websites that your target audience use. You get the benefit of a link that counts and you may even get some traffic (which you certainly never get from a directory).



Author Bio

Paul Taylor, MA(Oxon), MBA, member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and creator of the Internet Marketing Program an internet marketing approach for entrepreneurs and small businesses.