An online web directory is no different from a regular directory. You can find a huge list of websites neatly organized in their respective categories and sub-categories. However, do not mistake it as a search engine of any kind. It is a simple listing of websites according to certain defined categories.
Directory submission is being considered to be among the best and most popular methods to promote your website in this day and age. Here are some major reasons why you need to consider this technique in line with SEO.
Benefits
- It is one of the cheapest SEO techniques used by web owners all around the world. Majority online directories offer free submissions. It is considered as the best available method by website owners who are working on a tight promotion budget.
- Using a directory submission service increases the number of search engine spiders visiting your website. Your website can get listed within a matter of days instead of weeks (by using Google’s ‘Add Your Website’ feature).
- You can improve the standing of your brand and products by including it within the anchor text of the directory listing. You will be performing brand building along with link building and keyword targeting thereby increasing your potential sales.
- Directory submission also results in dramatic increase in the website traffic. Most of the traffic coming through the directories will be targeted traffic instead of random viewers who have no interest in your website and/or product. You will receive ‘quality’ traffic instead of ‘quantity’ traffic to the website.
- By submitting to online directories, you can enable keyword relevancy for your website. When you use appropriate keywords in the anchor text, you improve the keyword relevancy of your own website. This will also affect the quality of traffic coming towards your website.
- A well-managed directory will give you the added benefit of getting a contextual link or perhaps a link back to a page containing topically related content.
If cost is an issue for you and you are determined to promote your website, it is strongly urged to look into directory submission. Any advertising method which together provides benefits like increased potential sales, brand building, increased quality traffic and keyword targeting for a nominal to no fee is a method which you should not neglect easily. By submitting your website to selected directories, you stand to gain huge benefits for the least amount of effort and money.
