Link Building – Why We Don’t Use Directories – Part 2
October 15, 2008
If you are reading this for the first time we recommend that you start with Part 1 first.
Recently, we posted an article about why we do not use directories and we would like to expand on this in more detail. When we first got into website marketing one of the tried and true methods of acquiring links was through directory submissions.
However, this can be a bit time consuming process as you have to register at each site. So we tried using some automated software. This helped speed up the submission process tremendously. We tried this method off and on for about 3 months. We checked back some 6 months later and discovered that less than 10 of these directories actually accepted our submissions. So the ROI here was not very good.
Since then we have noticed a sea change in the chatter coming from many SEO websites and blogs. Many of them mentioned that the search engines have devalued links from directories. They often pointed out that these directory sites had all seemed to be loosing their page rank it was concluded that the links from these sites had little or no value.
The assumption seemed valid to us, but we prefer to go directly to Google for our answers. Until recently Google’s webmaster guidelines had recommended only one directory. That directory, DMOZ, was highly respected as it is free, human edited and difficult to get into. It took us six tries over a year to get listed.
Since Google has now removed its recommendation of DMOZ, and since most directories sites no longer have much if any PR, we have concluded that directory listings are a waste of time and effort. We evaluate all of our marketing based on our return on investment or ROI. Thus our ROI indicated this was not a profitable use of our time.
As a follow-up to the original, it has been mentioned to me that directories are still useful for driving traffic to a website and thus should still be used. So I went back and looked at our website traffic reports over the last year. Even though we had been listed in dozens of directories out of the hundreds used, we could not find one directory that has sent us any traffic. That’s right 0 traffic. So directory submissions have been a complete waste of time for us. That’s not good ROI in anyone’s business playbook.
This may be why we believe the search engines no longer value directories. Those of you have been around website marketing for very long you have heard that the common refrain “content is king.” Well, that in a nutshell is why directories have lost there allure to the search engines. They simply don’t have any useful content. Since searchers rarely use these directories the search engines have concluded that their only purpose is to manipulate the search rankings, thus these links have been devalued.
There are so many better ways to acquire links that will make a difference that we must ask “Why are you still using directory submissions?”
We would like to invite you to become part the conversation and leave a comment. We also would like to invite you to continue this conversation on your own blog, perhaps maybe even social bookmark this post, Digg it, or give it a Stumble.
We invite you to join the conversation and leave a comment. We also invite you to continue the conversation on your blog or perhaps use a trackback, or maybe even social bookmark this article, give it a Digg or Stumble it.
Here’s some valuable resources:
Would you like to find 192 Do Follow Social Bookmarking sites with a Page Rank of 3 or Higher? Then go here.
Would you like 66 Do Follow Backlinks from high PR sites? Then go here.
Would you like to download the Scratch My Back Marketing anti spam plugin? Then go here.
Would you like to learn more about the Scratch My Back Marketing (not the plugin?) Then go here.
Too learn more about our services please check out these links:
Sierra Vista – Green Valley SEO – Internet Marketing Services Niche SEO – Internet Marketing Services
Holistic SEO Local SEO Services Phoenix Niche SEO – Internet Marketing Services
Geo-Targeted SEO Solutions Yuma – Flagstaff Arizona SEO -Internet Marketing Services
Affordable Quality BackLinks Building Services Local Internet - Website Marketing Services
If your business is located in the US, Tempe, Phoenix, Glendale, and Scottsdale, Arizona or beyond and you would like to learn more about how your website can benefit from a blog, SEO, Niche SEO, Internet marketing, or our affordable website design/re-design services please call Tucson SEO at 520-505-6024, 520-777-6479 or 843-882-7661 Now!
Tucson SEO… Solutions that create probabilities out of possibilities.