I’ve said it before, the best way to get inbound links is to produce a lot of quality content. The better the content, the more people will want to link to it. It’s tough work, but it is the most effective method.
That doesn’t mean you should completely ignore all other methods. There are some other tactics worth your time and money. One that I always get asked about is directories. People want to know if they have lost their luster.
My philosophy is this: there are still a select few directories that are worth it. For example, a link from the Open Directory Project is still a must. (In fact, that is one of a couple links from free directories that are valuable.) But I am not a huge believer in the services that promise to submit your site to 10,000 directories.
If you can afford to spend little bit of money (around $1,000), spend it on these links rather than mass submission services:
- Yahoo Directory: $300/year – for years this has been at the top of the premuim list. Now that Microsft has teamed up with Yahoo, there are rumors out there that the future of this directory is in jeopardy. So keep that in mind. Here’s a link to actually start the submission process.
- Business.com: $300/year
- Best of the Web: $299 one-time charge – I’ve seen SEO experts debate the value of this one, but I believe it is still worth it. Again, I’m only suggesting these sites for companies who don;t have to necessarily worry about dropping $299 for a link.
Remember, when it comes to inbound links QUALITY wins in a landslide over QUANTITY. So if you can spend a few bucks to get some added link juice while you continue to create great content, spend it on those few sites.
So does that mean you don't agree with SEOs that say they will submit your content to thousands of link directories? Why not?
Correct. I don't subscribe to the mass-submission philosophy. A lot of those link directories have no standards. As a result, they've become watered down. Links from them are useless, if not harmful.
Another way to think about it: if a directory makes you pay to get it in then the owner's are probably more strict about which links get in. The result is a link to your site that's worth getting.
Correct. I don’t subscribe to the mass-submission philosophy. A lot of those link directories have no standards. As a result, they’ve become watered down. Links from them are useless, if not harmful.
Another way to think about it: if a directory makes you pay to get it in then the owner’s are probably more strict about which links get in. The result is a link to your site that’s worth getting.
So does that mean you don't agree with SEOs that say they will submit your content to thousands of link directories? Why not?
Correct. I don't subscribe to the mass-submission philosophy. A lot of those link directories have no standards. As a result, they've become watered down. Links from them are useless, if not harmful.
Another way to think about it: if a directory makes you pay to get it in then the owner's are probably more strict about which links get in. The result is a link to your site that's worth getting.