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Directories, Search Engines & Your Search Engine Optimizatin (SEO) Campaign
What is a directory? What is a search engine? Which will provide the most benefits to my web site? In considering these questions, it is necessary to take a look at the role directories play vs. search engines in helping to direct people to your website.
Search Engines or Web Directories?
Directories were launched in the early 90’s when use of the Internet began to become popular. However, as Internet use has become a standard practice worldwide, search engines have gained in popularity as well. What is the difference between the two? A directory is a database of websites that is arranged according to subject or category. To be included in one, you have to register with the company sponsoring that particular directory. Most directories offer a search function, but the websites are still listed in certain categories. A search engine will possibly find your website on its own as it queries a database of indexed websites for results. However, a search engine will usually find your website because of its listing in a directory. Google and Yahoo! are two examples of search engines which are widely used. Yahoo! was one of the original directories offered in the early 90’s and has evolved into a full-blown search engine, but this company still offers a directory.
In researching the advisability of using directories vs. using search engines, I went to my server logs, which track the activity on my web sites. The majority of the traffic coming in was from search engines, but surprisingly enough, there were several referrals from directories. Even though the number of referrals from the directories was much smaller, these referrals were still there. Because of this, I feel that we may conclude that inclusion in several directories will be beneficial because of the traffic directed to the website that may not otherwise end up there.
Choosing A Directory
There are several free directories available that can be beneficial to those whose funds are very limited, although the availability of free directories is becoming scarce. Several directories offer inclusion for a small one-time fee, and others charge a recurring fee. When considering whether to sign up with a directory service, it is important to remember that listing with a good directory will help in being listed with top search engines more frequently. In fact, the preferred way for the top search engines to find web sites to add to their indexes is to search in the top directories, including several of the free ones.
Link Popularity Score
An additional benefit from signing up with directories is that they will contribute to your web site’s overall link popularity score. What is this? It is based on how many external and internal links are pointing or linking to any particular web page. An external link is one that comes from any other web site besides your own, and an internal link is a link that comes from within the same domain name. It is important to remember that a good link score is based on the quality of the links and not the quantity. If you’re linked to a large number of web sites, that doesn’t necessarily guarantee that a potential customer will find the web site, but a directory increases the chances of your website being found either on its own merits or by way of a link with another web site. Many of the top directories contain good link popularity that can be passed onto your site. In this day and age, link popularity is a vital part of being found in a search engine, so a listing on a good directory can be a powerful tool in a customer’s ability to find your web site.
Free Directories
As mentioned above, free directories are becoming more difficult to find. Listed below are some free directories that I have found. However, many free directories still come with certain strings attached as explained below:
AbiLogic - Free directory that usually includes sites within one month. They also have paid options, which can speed up the process.
Gimpsy - Free directory that only includes sites that are somehow interactive. For example, the site must alllow a person to do something like watch a video, take a survey, shop for a product, etc. They also have a paid option that speeds up the process of inclusion.
Index Unlimited - Free directory but requires a reciprocal link. Otherwise requires one time fee of $29.00.
JoeAnt - Free if you are a volunteer editor. Otherwise the cost is $39.99 to submit a site for inclusion.
NetInsert - Free directory in which you insert a meta tag on your home page, NetInsert then recognizes that tag and automatically places you in the category associated with it. A very neat concept but I imagine over time the directory will become filled with spam.
Open Directory - The last true free directory. You cannot pay to be included. Downside to this is that it can take a long, long time to get included. It all depends on who the volunteer editor is of the category you submit to. Some editors are very active but most are not. My advice is to submit to Open Directory and then forget about it.
Skaffe - Free if you are a volunteer editor. Otherwise the cost is $39.99 to submit a site for inclusion.
SiteRanking.com - Free directory but requires a reciprocal link.
Web-Beacon - Free if you are a volunteer editor. Otherwise the cost is $39.99 to submit a site for inclusion.
Web World - Free directory that can take up to 6 months before your site is included. They also offer a paid option to speed up the process.
WoW - Free directory that also has paid options. WoW is one of the best directories for free inclusion because they are very quick to review and include your site. However, if you don’t follow their specific rules exactly, it will be deleted.
Top Paid Directories
If you have available funds to list with a paid directory, I have listed below what I believe are the top 12 directories available. They offer a wide range of categories so that it’s easy to find the category that best fits your business. These directories also have good PageRank on their main index pages and on many inner category pages.
Arielis Web Directory - $25.00 one time fee.
Best of the Web - $39.95 annually recurring fee. Great PageRank on interior pages.
BlueFind - $49.95 one time fee.
Business.com - $199 annually recurring fee. The top B2B directory on the Internet.
GoGuides.org - Requires paid membership which then dictates how many sites you can submit. $39.95/mo. allows you to submit up to 20 web sites a month; $29.95/mo. allows you to submit up to 10 web sites a month; $19.95/mo. allows you to submit up to 5 web site a month.
Microsoft bCentral SBD - $49.00 annually recurring fee.
SevenSeek - $40.00 one time fee. Great PageRank on interior pages.
Site-Sift - $24.95 one time fee.
SunSteam - $45.00 one time fee.
Uncover the Net - $39.00 one time fee. Great PageRank on interior pages.
WebAtlas - $37.00 one time fee.
Yahoo - $299.00 annually recurring fee.
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