Link Directories

There are a few very useful websites that list and rate different link directories. These may provide useful inbound links to your website. Some you have to pay for, but our recommendation is that you don't, unless money is no object. Google does not rate paid directories very highly and the traffic they produce is minimal.

Sign up for the free sites. If you have the time and it is worth a few hundred or perhaps even a few thousand targeted visitors a month, then sign up for hundreds of these link directories. It will mean two or three days of mind numbing laborious work so be prepared.

Create a text file with the following information to cut and paste into the various signup screens.

• Site name or title
• Site URL
• Site description
• Keywords
• Contact email
• Reciprocal URL - if you plan to add a link to their suite in exchange (some sites require this).

Automated Entry

There are products that automate the screen sign up process by identifying the screen entry fields and automatically inserting the information you have stored beforehand. If you are going to join hundreds of websites then purchasing something like RoboForm is well worth considering.

Redirection - Warning!

Some Directories redirect links so the Search Engines do not see a direct link to your site. This makes the link useless for boosting your ratings with the Search Engines. Before signing up check that when you place your mouse over a link that a URL shows up in the bottom left corner of your browser. Especially, watch out for iEntry Network sites that do absolutely nothing for your SEO.

Link Directories List Sites

The more important directories tend to charge these days, usually around $30 - $50 per listing. For the most part this is a one time only fee, but for others it is an annually recurring fee.  You are paying for the value of the link, not the traffic it will generate.

Don't judge the `directory by the Page Rank of the main page, look at the pages where your site will actually be listed to check that they have a descent Google Page Rank or Alexa Traffic Ranking.

The following websites list thousands of web directories.

InfoVileSilencer has a large list of carefully vetted directories that are SEO friendly. They have a free Excel Spreadsheet listing 416 directories that you can download from their home page. Armed with this list and RoboForm you could add considerable value to your site. Excellent list and information.

Strongest Links has a comprehensive list of free and paid directories.

It provides information on:

• Name and link
• Google Page Rank
• Alexa ranking
• Free or Paid to submit your site
• Cost of paid submissions
  

It also has links to geographic and niche directories.

Aviva's Strongest Directories list directories sorted on Page Strength which indicates which directories give you a bigger boost with the Search Engines.

Web Directories has a comprehensive list of niche directories, listed by category and Google PageRank.

Niche Directories

For more targeted directory listing the best approach is to find them yourself, using the search engines. It is a simple case of searching on

• [KEYWORD] directory
• [KEYWORD] listing
• [KEYWORD] lists
• [KEYWORD]+"submit URL"
• [KEYWORD]+"submit URL"
• [KEYWORD]+"add URL"
• [KEYWORD]+"submit a site"
• [KEYWORD]+"reciprocal links"

Free Directory List

Below is a basic list of free directories.

PR - Google Page Rank (Rating from 1 to 10, 10 being the highest rating)

Alexa - This is the Alexa traffic rating and is a measure of the number of visitors to the site. It is compiled from the browsing activity of anyone who has added the Alexa toolbar to their browser. This figure can be distorted when the Alexa Traffic Rank is greater than about 150,000 by loading the toolbar and actively browsing your own site. You can boost it into the top 200,000 over about 3 months if it is worth it to you.

* Approximate value - If you load the Alexa toolbar then you can opt to display the traffic rating of the sites you are visiting.