Summary: Links from directories can be very valuable if the directories have trust and authority. You can pay to have your site considered for inclusion in a directory, but should not pay to actually have it included. A directory offering this is unlikely to have Google’s trust.
So you’re looking for good quality links to your website to boost your page rank, trust and traffic – are directories a good way to get these links? Directories are indeed a good way to obtain links, as part of a balance link building strategy that includes linking from other websites too. Some directories have a lot of trust and authority in the eyes of the search engines. The reason for this is because all links in a directory are subject to human review. Naturally where a website does not contain quality content, it does not make it to the directory. There are a lot of directories, some of which are free, some of which are paid – and some of which require very high quality sites in order to obtain a listing.
Two directories which are free and very high quality are the iPU and the Open Directory Project (DMOZ). DMOZ state:
“We aren’t a search engine and pride ourselves on being highly selective. We don’t accept all sites … Our goal is to make the directory as useful as possible for our users, not to have the directory include all (or even most) of the sites that could possibly be listed or serve as a promotional tool for the entities listed”.
This policy is what keeps DMOZ’s results accurate and hence, DMOZ listings have a lot of respect in the ‘eyes’ of search engines.
High quality paid directories include Yahoo! Directory, Business.com and Best of the web. Best of the web’s inclusion policy states:
“Use of the BOTW Directory Submit service does not ensure that your submission will be accepted for inclusion in the BOTW Directory … BOTW editors, in their sole and final judgement, shall determine the suitability, placement, title and description of all sites listed in the BOTW Directory”.
Again, with terms like these, a level of trust is afforded to this directory. Why does this happen?
How and why directories get respect
As stated, directories are subject to human review and this is why they tend to be valued by search engines. So how is it that you can pay to get into a directory? The answer (so far as trusted directories are concerned) is that you can’t. The paid fee is for an editorial review of your site, not for a link. The editor conducting the review should have the ability to change the location, title and description of your listing, or even to reject the listing entirely. Whatever the outcome, the directory gets to keep your fee. High quality directories tend to reject a lot of sites but that’s good in that it keeps them trusted in the eyes of the search engines. By contrast, those directories who will include the site for a fee with little restriction, are valueless in the eyes of the search engines.
Classifying directories
Directories may be divided into three categories:
1) Those that offer sustainable links – these directories comply with the policies explained above, as for DMOZ and Best of the Web.
2) Those that do pass ‘link juice’ but which may not be sustainable – these may not comply with the strict inclusion policies explained above. Essentially these are paid links and should be treated with caution – in any event, their value is unlikely to have a long term effect.
3) Those that do not pass ‘link juice’ because the search engines have already detected that they do not comply with policies as above – in effect they are paid links and regarded as spam.
How to tell which directories pass link juice
The simplest way to determine if a directory passes link juice is to check their editorial guidelines and see if they are in line with what the search engines require. Look also at their track record and whether they enforce the policy – this will be fairly obvious from the quality of the sites in their directory! Also have a quick search for the directory on Google to see if there is any negative feedback that might suggest the directory is not well regarded by the search engines.
Another way to check is by copying and pasting some of the text from the listings in the directory into Google. If they don’t show up, don’t bother.
Avoid any directory that offers premium sponsorship for higher level listings. Directories are meant to accurately reflect the quality of the site and payment should not influence the level at which at site appears. Steer clear!
You should also check Yahoo site explorer for any unusual linking activity to the directory – shady link building tactics again suggest they are not a trusted site.
List of directories
- AboutUs.org – a wiki based web directory.
- Ansearch – web search and directories listing sites from the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand.
- Best of the Web (BOTW) Directory – content-rich, well-designed websites categorised both by topic and by region.
- ipl2 – the Internet Public Library (IPL) and the Librarians’ Internet Index (LII) merged.
- JoeAnt – community of editors from the now-defunct Go.com volunteer-edited directory.
- Open Directory Project (also called DMoz or ODP) – the largest directory of the web, with content displayed on may sites.
- Starting Point Directory – human-edited general directory organising sites by category.
- World Wide Web Virtual Library (VLIB) – oldest directory of the Web.
- Yahoo! Directory – first service ever that Yahoo! offered.
Specialised directories
- Business.com – business directory – review for a fee, and pay per click also available.
- VFunk – global dance music and urban lifestyle listings
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