Directory submission is still a vital part of an overall link building strategy for Search Engine Optimization. I spoke about this in my post Is Link Building with Directories Dead? and in that post I also list a few "must submit to directories."
With some testing I found out that directory links are helpful and all though those links have gotten a bad rap from some lately, I still submit to them. While some are looking for "perfect links" I just build links of all kinds, so just do some linkbuilding everyday from all sources:
Time Division Formula for Link Building:
40% - Article Marketing
25% - Social Bookmark Links/Forum Sig links/Blog comment links
25% - Reciprocal Link Exchange/Blogroll (related sites only, not links pages - home page or contextual links)
10% - Directories
Some Directory Submission Guidelines:
1. Some of the directories require a reciprocal link, you can be choosy here and opt out of those, it's up to you, I usually go for the non-reciprocal required sites.
2. Go for the higher PR directories first.
3. Don't do "bid" for links on any directory, not worth getting caught for buying links as they blatantly advertise it and there are plenty of free ones.
Two Free Directory Submission Softwares for Link Building
I have reviewed several free directory submission softwares and here are the two best ones. Easy, accurate and save loads of time.
**These are NOT completely automatic software, they only open the directory submission pages in the software window and save loads of time so you don't have to visit each directory one by one, so you don't have to worry about blind submission, you have total control and can explore the directories one by one and decide if it is one you want to submit to.
Make sure to diversify your anchor text and descriptions so your link building does not come off spammy and these softwares allow for different anchors and descriptions that automatically rotate.
G-Lock - Fast Directory Submitter - Unlimited websites, 150 directories submissions per site with free account, upgrade to paid for more submissions. Very easy submit!
Sliq Directory Submitter - Sort directories by Page Rank, very easy submit, 2000 directories in the database.
If you really do not have the time to deal with submitting, I also use Directory Submission Service that submits for me to directories and social sites and is very affordable.
you are bang on for the time division for link building …I ve never used a directory submission software, have you used it ?
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@ ZK, Yes I tried both these softwares when I found them and they are great.
Very interesting! I usually use DIgital Point Forum market placeand find someone to submit my websites to directories. Thanks for sharing these two services, I’ll check them out!
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Hi Ben,
Try these out, they are fairly quick and free.
I had paid someone once to submit on DP and they burned me, so now I use this Directory Submission Service and their social submission service as well and have been very happy.
Hello Desk Coder,
I personally do not believe G killed them because I put it to the test that I detail this in my post Is Link Building with Directories Dead?. Also not all directories bad, some are but some are still quality and a viable link. In that post I list some high PR quality directories
I just submitted to several directories thru G-Lock. Have you tried their free Fast Blog Finder tool? I might check that out as well.
Thanks for the great post!
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Hi Christine,
Thanks for commenting and welcome! YES I have used the Fast Blog Finder, works very well, make sure to try keyword variations when searching for blogs, sometimes you get better results with different KW’s.
I wouldn’t advise using automatic directory submission software.
Just blindly submitting to directories is a bad idea
So may directories are useless, spam-full affairs
Look first at every directory you submit to.
Hello Andy,
Welcome and thanks for commenting. It is not really automatic, all it does is open the directory page from within the software window, everything else is done by you. You have total control, you can skip it, change your title, whatever you want, it just saves time by not having to visit each directory one by one.
I agree with you that many directories are crap, and that is why I gave some specific guidelines to choosing good directories in the post I mention in this post, “Is Link Building with Directories Dead? There are some good directories still out there.
I am definitely going to have to check out that software. Sounds like a huge timesaver. Also, I like your breakdown on your link building time division, and I think that 10% is justifiable enough for directories. Thanks for the resources! I also am going to take Andy’s comment into consideration and look at the quality received from the software before throwing too many submissions out.
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Hello Olaf,
Welcome and thank you. This software is not completely automatic, there is no footprint, all it does is open the directory submission page for you in the software screen so you don’t have to go one by one to each directory. So basically you can explore and pick and choose the directories you wan and I basically focused on the higher PR directories and as I said in my post, I choose those that do not require reciprocal links.
Follow Me on Twitter @: DennisEdell
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Actually Google did recently say that they may start discounting directory links in the (near?) future.
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@ Dennis,
Yes they did and many have said they don’t count the backlinks, but like I said in the other post, I did a case study where I had two sites, and I did everything the same for both except on one I did not submit to directories and the other one I did. The one with directory links got a PR2 in the update and the other was given a PR1.
Follow Me on Twitter @: DennisEdell
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Interesting (as he twists his mustache)…that combined with not being so automated has sole me, so to speak.
Dennis Edells last blog post..8 Effective Viral Marketing Techniques
Dennis,
Oh yeah, you know I really hate truly automated crap, and do not use softwares like that, these softwares are just time savers, and allow total control from one window instead of clinking hundreds of URL’s and going nuts from one site to another.
Oh and also by not having to enter the titles, descriptions, kw’s and your information over and over again from one directory to another, with these softwares it’s all there within one window,only enter it once! AND it’s free!!
Follow Me on Twitter @: DennisEdell
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Both downloaded.
There are only a few decent directories to be listed in, but in general it won’t hurt to get listed in all the relevant directories you can find. I strongly believe links in content are the best type of links you can get, but it pays off to approach link building from several different angles. Directories, contextual links, TLA text link ad type links, pay per post links used all together with natural links can get your link to the top quickly.
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Hello John,
I agree with you, I do not spend too much time worrying about links, but better to spend time building them, a diverse variety has provided me with good results.
Nicely put Mike, I completely agree. Better to spend time building links than over analyzing them and I am all for diversity as you said the algo changes all the time and the more diversity you have the more competitive you remain.
Hey Mike, I just realized that we have you to thank for the great Sliq Directory Submitter Software? Thank you, I really found it very useful!
Hi JR. Yes I wrote SliQ Submitter and found your site via the backlink at the top of this article. Glad you find it useful. In the not too distant future I intend to give it a refresh/ new release, removing paid or dead directories. Of course SliQ serves two purposes for me: I use it for directory submissions for my websites and I also submit it to PAD-enabled shareware/ software directories and get even more links that way.
Thanks Mike, you really made a quality product, so many of the submission softwares are full of bugs and do not work smoothly, it was cool to find yours that worked so well.
Cool softwares there.. I have checked them out and they turn out to be really like what you described..
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In my experience directory submission works very well. I always outsource it and I have achived good rankings for competetive keywords just from directory submission.
Ben
Follow Me on Twitter @: DennisEdell
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Who do you use?
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I use someone at Digital Point forums. His username is desmondchui.
I generally try various services from different individuals and companies to see which ones work best though.
Hi Wayne,
Glad to hear it, hope it helps you.
I’ve been using G-Lock – Fast Directory Submitter for a while…
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Very interesting thread. So many different opinions and so much info. Isn’t it true that in the Google webmaster agreement it actually states that directory submissions are the only official and sanctified way of building links where the webmaster is asking for a link? I think that is what it says. so all this blog commenting is actually going against what Google says is official. but still we do it.
Richard E
I though the idea of directory submitting is not to think about the PR of the directory, just get the link and move on. also, some of your links should be reciprocal, as that makes the website look natural like everyone else’s. but most should be the free, non-reciprocal type or you will give your juice away.
Richard E.
do you think it is safe to use an auto submission to many directory?
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Is there a directory submission, and social bookmarking service you could recommend as the link in your article does not appear to be working.
Thanks
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@Belfast Girl,
Sorry about that, I have fixed the link, but here it is Social and Directory Submission Service, it is the only I use and they do a great job at a low price.
Both of the are great.Do you ever think SE will put much weight on directory’s links, especially they are free and totally software submission?
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Thanks for this post. I have found out that this thread is very effective.