|
Choosing the Right Directory
By Adrian Lawrence
When you're
looking for the right directory to list in or to use for research, it can be a
nightmare. Everyone thinks of Yahoo!, of course, but there are quite literally
thousands of other directories out there, many specialized, others not. How can
you tell the difference?
By being educated on what you're looking for. When you're looking for the right
directories to list in, use the following guidelines.
1. Everyone lists in free directories. Why not? You can list in as many as you
want, and you're not losing anything by doing so. Free directories include
Yahoo! and Dmoz, as well as hundreds of others who either use their own listings
or license listings from Yahoo! and Dmoz. You shouldn't stop here, though,
especially if you're running a commercial website.
2. The more directories you're listed in, the more inbound links to your website
you've got. And the more inbound links your website has, the higher the search
engines will rank your page. Make sure when you create your directory listing to
use your keywords in the text; in some search engines, this will help your
ranking as well.
3. Some of the free directories are not being listed well by Google and other
standard search engines. This is not because of some nefarious competitive
advantage, but because the free directories often look like search engine spam
or because they don't optimize their sites well. The paid directories are
careful to watch for this; after all, the more hits they get, the more they can
charge for their services.
4. After listing in all the free directories – which you should, as it costs you
nothing but a little time – you should start listing in the better paid
directories. Even though you have to pay to get in them, they give you an edge
that the free ones don't. For one thing, they're more exclusive, and customers
won't be looking at your competitors as much. For another, as noted above, the
directory will probably place higher in a search engine. And they tend to be
specialized. If you sell medical equipment, listing in a medical equipment
directory will almost certainly be a worthwhile investment.
5. If you list in really good and specific directories with proven traffic from
customers you want to draw, you're investing your money in the right place. A
few good quality links will draw the perfect customers for your business.
Finding the right directory is hard, but search for directories that specialize
in your industry and in industries that cross into yours; for instance, if you
provide medical equipment, don't overlook listings for scientific and laboratory
equipment.
6. The next generation of directories is here now. With sites like MSN's Small
Business Directory, targeted searching for exactly what you want is easier than
ever before. In addition, many of the newer directories offer you additional
small business tools, more information, specialized content for your industry,
and many other services. You'll only find these with paid directories. About the Author Adrian Lawrence is the webmaster of Indexplex a leading web directory.
Please feel free to republish this article provided this resource box remains
together with a working hyperlink.
Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/23438.html
If you wish to add the above article to your website or newsletters then please include the "Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/23438.html" as shown above and make it hyperlinked. |
Some other articles by Adrian Lawrence | Online Directories: The Real Direction of the Internet Back in the
early days of the Internet, there were only human-edited directories. These were
found primarily in specialized browsers like the Archie or Veronica systems.
Later, Yahoo! used the ...
Getting the Right Domain Name Once you are
comfortable with working online, you should buy a domain name for your site or
sites. The right domain name is memorable, and can get your site to rank higher
than other ...
10 Tips for Accurate Domain Registration You should
think about registering a domain name before you actually do it. Many people
come up with a catchy name, or feel the need to lock in their name, and ...
Submitting to Online Directories A Secret Way of
Getting Traffic: Submitting to Online Directories
If you are reading this article, more likely than not you own a website that you
would ...
Web Directories for SEO If you are
looking for ways to promote your website, than web directories should definitely
be considered a big part of your promotional plan. Web directories ...
Article Directories for free promotion If you are
looking for a way to promote your website, then article directories could be
just what you need. Article directories allow ...
|
|
| |