Web directory submission!

[Cratima]

I've started to make SEO for our Web Design Company Cratima
and one of the problems I am confronting with is that there is
a fee difference between different web directories on the web.

I can submit our site to free web directories, reciprocal link directories,
and paid directories.

Now, my question is: is there really a difference between this submissions?
I mean, does Google index your site depending on the amount of money you pay a web directory site? Or do this paid web directories offer services that help Google index your site better?

I'm looking forward for your replies, thanks !

[phx-keith]

I have submitted to a number of the free directories and have not seen them show up in my link popularity, and it has been months.

I would be interested in hearing what creative ways people are uing to get quality inbound links.

[dgsquier]

It takes months for those moderated directories to list a site, and they're probably the ones worth getting into. But I'm also using a free link exchange service to boost my reciprocals.

David

[incrediblehelp]

Originally Posted by Cratima

I can submit our site to free web directories, reciprocal link directories,
and paid directories.

Sure why not.

Originally Posted by Cratima

Now, my question is: is there really a difference between this submissions?
I mean, does Google index your site depending on the amount of money you pay a web directory site? Or do this paid web directories offer services that help Google index your site better?

Google counts all types of links differently. No one knows exactly how, but most of it is based on the authority and relevancy of the website your getting a link from. The more authority and relevancy the higher quality of a link.

[Ne0]

O.K. here's the quick run down...

Paid directories are nice because of the traffic (notice I didn't mention PageRank!)
They also help a bit w/ IBLs but it's not HUGE anymore....

Free directories are GREAT! because it doesn't hurt to submit (other than your time sink) and it could become a highly ranked site in the next TBPR update... (I don't own a crystal ball so there's no way to say for sure what it will do but you can't beat FREE!)

Recip directories = don't waste your time!

.02

db

[Tim Morrison]

I've found it is all in the quality of what you submit.

I was introduced to Ezine Article Submission - Submit Your Best Quality Original Articles For Massive Exposure, Ezine Publishers Get 25 Free Article Reprints about a year ago and began using it to promote a niche stock market simulator game site I had built.

The quality of the articles directly relates to the links you get back. By writing intelligent articles on television and stock market games I found a lot of links flowing back to the game site within a matter of a few weeks.

Another good site is Helium - Where Knowledge Rules - where you can write articles that get peer reviewed and rated by other helium members, plus the page views your articles get can generate small amounts of revenue for you or whoever is submitting articles on your behalf.

Being that I am working as a bootstrap operation - I do not use paid submissions for article writing, so I cannot comment on that method. I would imagine that it is pretty much the same though - it's all in the article itself, not the directory. A good article will get noticed and will get you cross-links - a poor article will flounder.

[chrisJumbo]

Google doesn't link paid links that pass on PageRank. That doesn't mean they have a good mechanism to track it. However, I have yet to pay for a link. Many will suggest Yahoo as one that is probably worth it to pay for, despite the high price tag.

Article sites have been a nice source of links, as well as, many free directories (of which have been posted in other places in the forum). You just have to realize that you get what you pay for. Free links can take awhile to be processed.

I've recently been posting relavent comments on blogs. These don't usually count as backlinks, but if people like your comments they will come over for a visit and see what you are about. Then they may make a blog post about you.

I've also seen people offer sponsored blog posts. The links in the post generally do count as back links. Again, we haven't done this, but I do know a site that did and their rankins seemed to increase dramatically.

Be interesting to see others feedback.
cd :O)

[halfmexi]

Google just updated this week it's Link Scheme results info: Webmaster Help Center - Link schemes

You'll notice reciprocating links is on their 'not to do' list.

[coolguy27]

Originally Posted by Ne0

O.K. here's the quick run down...

Paid directories are nice because of the traffic (notice I didn't mention PageRank!)
They also help a bit w/ IBLs but it's not HUGE anymore....

Free directories are GREAT! because it doesn't hurt to submit (other than your time sink) and it could become a highly ranked site in the next TBPR update... (I don't own a crystal ball so there's no way to say for sure what it will do but you can't beat FREE!)

Recip directories = don't waste your time!

.02

db

Agree, Recip directories = don't waste your time!

There are plenty of free directories out there which are a very good source of one way links (IBL)....

[Trigger]

I have heard of some paid ones worth listing with such as aviva and alive. Also you can get deep link directories (such as the above) which allow you to include 3-5 links for internal pages too.

[Ne0]

Originally Posted by halfmexi

Google just updated this week it's Link Scheme results info: Webmaster Help Center - Link schemes

You'll notice reciprocating links is on their 'not to do' list.

And those of us that test on a weekly if not daily basis... have been saying this for almost 2 yrs now!

like I said earlier... recip = waste of time*

*now I will qualify that....

If you sell blue widgets and there is a site out there that also sells blue widgets (but they are not Direct competition, meaning they sell the larger or smaller size) do a recip link with them!

NOT because you think it will increase your PageRank... but because you have visitors to your site looking for blue widgets... but you may not carry the EXACT one that your site's viewer is looking for...

Therefore a link exchange on that level is beneficial to your sites viewer... = good!

link exchange to boost IBL's = bad...

and yes it's really that simple

NeO

[Clay Martin]

We usually recommend that customers get links in local business listing directories, and other free directories. As others have said, can't hurt.

We have had one customer where a paid listing made sense. They had a BnB that was close to a ski slope. The ski operation would link to a site for a fee. The customer paid for a link in the lodging section, and it worked out well, not for pr, but by bringing in customers. But I would not recommend paid links if the individual situation was not similar.

As NeO pointed out sometimes recip links make sense not for pr but for visitor usability. The BnB customer did have a link to the ski resort site, but that was part of their links to all local activities. Again for the usefulness to the visitor.

HTH
Clay

[Old Welsh Guy]

The trick is there is no trick, there is no such thing as a bad link (unless you have a LOT of them), the key to success in link building is to have a cross section of links that mirror everyday natural linking but with your own twist on it.

[NameCritic]

Originally Posted by Tim Morrison

I've found it is all in the quality of what you submit.

I was introduced to Ezine Article Submission - Submit Your Best Quality Original Articles For Massive Exposure, Ezine Publishers Get 25 Free Article Reprints about a year ago and began using it to promote a niche stock market simulator game site I had built.

The quality of the articles directly relates to the links you get back. By writing intelligent articles on television and stock market games I found a lot of links flowing back to the game site within a matter of a few weeks.

Another good site is Helium - Where Knowledge Rules - where you can write articles that get peer reviewed and rated by other helium members, plus the page views your articles get can generate small amounts of revenue for you or whoever is submitting articles on your behalf.

Being that I am working as a bootstrap operation - I do not use paid submissions for article writing, so I cannot comment on that method. I would imagine that it is pretty much the same though - it's all in the article itself, not the directory. A good article will get noticed and will get you cross-links - a poor article will flounder.

Great post here. So many people think that PLR articles and trashy keyword spam articles and thousands of submissions is article marketing. It isn't.

Article directories were not created to give us link popularity. They were created to provide free syndicated content to webmasters and bloggers. The better the article, the more likely it will be picked up and used someplace where the link back will do you some good. Original. Informative. Engaging. Controversial. Those are words that describe a good article written for article marketing and an article that will be reprinted at places that can actually send you traffic and give you quality backlinks.

[NameCritic]

Originally Posted by chrisJumbo

I've recently been posting relavent comments on blogs. These don't usually count as backlinks :O)

Can you give me a source for that information? I get backlinks when I post comments on blogs and search engine results on it as well, so interested in why you think this doesn't work?

[Webnauts]

Originally Posted by NameCritic

Can you give me a source for that information? I get backlinks when I post comments on blogs and search engine results on it as well, so interested in why you think this doesn't work?

Many blogs use for comment the "nofollow" attribute.

[Webnauts]

If you submit your site to relevant categories of web directories can be very useful:

1. A non-indexed web site can get indexed by the search engines;
2. You can receive click though traffic;
3. You can achieve higher rankings on the search engine results page for keywords you are targeting.

Notice: Reciprocal links with them SUCK!

[chrisJumbo]

Originally Posted by Webnauts

Many blogs use for comment the "nofollow" attribute.

Thanks Webnauts, that would have been my answer.

On another note, I've seen sites pay for sponsored blog posts, any feelings on this technique?

I know if you have good content, people should come, but it seems like a good way to encourage them to come and build some popularity (assuming the posters like your site/blog) and then free traffic will follow. It also seems to be less expensive then PPC and maybe more effective.

cd :O)

[weblaunchphxx]

The only difference is that paid directories approve the site very soon.Google treat all sites same either they submitted to paid or free directories.One thing should be in mind when submitting the site to the directories is that the catagory should be relevant to your site.

[Cratima]

The thing is that I've heard that Google banns all the web sites that use paid directories.
A colleague of mine at Cratima Interactive has just sent yesterday an e-mail to Google to ask for more details, no answer yet.

[mac1234]

Originally Posted by Cratima

The thing is that I've heard that Google banns all the web sites that use paid directories.
A colleague of mine at Cratima Interactive has just sent yesterday an e-mail to Google to ask for more details, no answer yet.

i think that not correct, google sees no difference in free or paid submissions, I got one of the site indexed in 7 days its all about when the robot indexes your site. The other part of it is getting better PR in SERP , i would put it in words as Google sees the quality of back links and then give you the Page Rankings.