If you’re prone to using directories to help you build back links then you might just think submitting your site and not worrying about what your submission looks like doesn’t matter. You’d be wrong. It matters a lot. The for 2018.
First, there’s the PR angle. People visit directories and might visit your website from a directory. But if your title and description don’t sell them on the idea of visiting your website then they won’t bother. You do want visitors, don’t you?
But even beyond the visitor question, there are other reasons why you want your description to be well written and, most importantly, well optimized.
The link from the directory to your website should contain your important keyword, but it should include the keyword that relates to the page it points to, not a generic keyword. You are looking for link relevance and the keyword is the single best indicator of that. More than likely, your submission title will be the link from the directory to your website so put some thought into that.
But what about your description? It doesn’t link to your site. Does it matter? Yes, it does. Some directory listings will appear in the SERPs for important keywords. For that reason you want to make sure that you optimize your directory listings. If someone finds the directory listing before they find your website because of a keyword placement then you’ve got one new visitor that you didn’t have before.
But don’t you want your website to rank higher than directory submissions? Yes, of course you do. But you can’t control every search engine’s ranking algorithms. People will visit your site from smaller search engines like DogPile and Mahalo and your directory submission could be the ticket that gets them there so make sure you optimize your directory submissions.
Premium WordPress Themes – With Sony
In the past if you wanted to read an e-book you had to either download a .pdf file or buy an expensive e-book reader like Amazon’s Kindle or Sony’s eBook Reader. The biggest problem with e-books is that the formats from one reader to another have never been compatible. Kindle has its own format. Sony has its. And Microsoft has its. If you buy or download a free e-book for one reader and you want to, by any chance, read it on another reader you’ll have to download that book for the other reader – if it’s available. There is no cross over.
But what if somehow Google made it possible to receive link juice to help with a long term search engine optimization strategy from e-books being read in Sony’s eBook Reader. There would be an incentive to publishers to start producing e-books for the Sony format. That would certainly make Sony’s reader more competitive with Amazon’s Kindle. However, that wouldn’t necessarily give any additional incentive to consumers to purchase the Sony reader or to read any of the books formatted for it. Still, what if?
Premium WordPress Themes – Similar Links
Gab Goldenberg pontificated on this question on his blog. He gives two answers, but the first one is suspect.
Not necessarily. Click-through rates are usually better for links that appear higher in the pages. There may be mitigating factors that would allow links further down the page to have a higher CTR, but generally speaking the higher the link on the page the better a CTR it will enjoy. So how does that change Gab’s theory about link juice for search engine optimization?
I’d say that Gab’s logic should have went like this: Since the two links are identical and CTR is usually higher for the links at the top of the page, coupled with the fact that traffic and bounce rates are usually factors as well, the second link shouldn’t pass any link juice if it uses the same anchor text as the first.
Of course, I don’t have any direct testing to back up this claim either. But that’s the logic behind the premise and conclusion, as I see it.
Does Google Still Like Directories?
Google used to love directory listings as part of a long term link building and search engine optimization effort. A webmaster could submit his website to 1,000 general directories and get back links using the same anchor text and it was good. But those days are over. You could call them the halcyon days of directory submissions. Or the hey-day of links.
Whatever you call it, you won’t ever see that level of commitment from Google toward directories again. Google hasn’t gotten stricter on directory submissions.
In general, I think Google still likes most directories but you could say the search bots have grown skeptical. Google is a bit more discerning. If you get your website listed in directories where there is a lot of spam, you shouldn’t consider that those links will account for much. It is better to get links from a few real good directories than to get a lot of links from a bunch of bad directories. And if it comes down to high traffic directories versus directories that give just a little bit of link juice, you could be better off with a high traffic directory and no link juice. Any way you look at it, you have to weigh your options.
Premium WordPress Themes – Driving Traffic
Squidoo is all the rage, but you don’t need a lens to make the world a better place. You can build great links and drive traffic to your website using other UGC sites. In fact, I highly recommend it. Here are 7 alternative sites that allow you to post articles or share your knowledge, drive traffic back to your website, and build great inbound links:
- eHow – eHow is a very popular site that allows anyone to teach others what they know how to do. Articles are generally short and snappy and “go by the numbers”.
- WikiHow – The wiki version of eHow. Only better.
- Instructables – The new kid on the blog, Instructables gives you an opportunity to teach others what you do best. Create your account, comment on other people’s instructables, and start your own.
- Associated Content – Not only can you build great links and drive traffic to your site with Associated Content, but you can make money there – even if you don’t have a website.
- Helium – A snazzier version of Associated Content. Make money, drive traffic, build links. Learn stuff and teach stuff. Be the expert.
- Knol – Owned by Google. Article marketing, only better. Drive lots of traffic with your expertly written articles on just about anything.
- HubPages – Another site like Associated Content and Helium where you can make money teaching people what you know.
Squidoo is a good site, don’t get us wrong. But you don’t have to hang your hat at Squidoo and move in. Try these other sites too. Build relevant links for your long term search engine optimization, drive traffic, and make more money.