UK or USA Directories....Does it matter?

handcrafteduk · #1 (**permalink**) 04-09-2008, 11:42 AM

Hi,

I am trying to get my site indexed well in the Google UK searches. I am looking to submit articles to some directories to try and help this but have a question.

Would it be better to submit to a directory based in the USA which has a good PR and lots of backlinks or, a directory in the UK which has half the PR and backlinks of the US site?

Would Google see my site as more relevant to the UK market with a weaker link from a UK directory or, does it not matter and I should just submit to those directories in the USA?

I can't find many strong directories that are based in the UK (ones that aren't over saturated anyhow!!!)

**incrediblehelp** · #2 (**permalink**) 04-09-2008, 09:40 PM

Not to be a dick, but I would rather spend my time on producing a better website than directory link building.

bj · #3 (**permalink**) 04-09-2008, 09:46 PM

I'd rather blog than submit to directories. It builds links faster than submissions do, and they're more natural links, and usually from better ranked folks.

You do need to have the blog on your own site, and have it properly configured for this to work. And if you're blogging about whatever it is you're doing in the UK and have a lot of local placenames and keyphrases related to what you do, your site will eventually rank well for them. I think this is a much better way of linkbuilding than directories, especially since all the general directories have been downgraded by the Search Engines.

The Lady · #4 (**permalink**) 04-09-2008, 10:12 PM

if link building isn't an effective method of promotion, then how would the blogging on your site work? just b/c you refer to local places? or b/c you are looking to get comments back from other? or ping back? ect? I'm rather confused.

Please bare w/ me, i'm still new to this area...

**incrediblehelp** · #5 (**permalink**) 04-09-2008, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bj

I'd rather blog than submit to directories. It builds links faster than submissions do, and they're more natural links, and usually from better ranked folks.

You do need to have the blog on your own site, and have it properly configured for this to work. And if you're blogging about whatever it is you're doing in the UK and have a lot of local placenames and keyphrases related to what you do, your site will eventually rank well for them. I think this is a much better way of linkbuilding than directories, especially since all the general directories have been downgraded by the Search Engines.

Well said BJ. If your blogging and writing good, helpful, resourceful content the links will come.

bj · #6 (**permalink**) 04-09-2008, 10:31 PM

Quote:

if link building isn't an effective method of promotion, then how would the blogging on your site work? just b/c you refer to local places? or b/c you are looking to get comments back from other? or ping back? ect? I'm rather confused.

Blogs can be configured to ping the update services, which creates immediate backlinks into your new blog article, and also sends the search engine spiders your way immediately, which means you get that page indexed that much faster, which gets you SE traffic. Blogs are also RSS enabled and you build up subscribers who are notified when you have new content, and if they're interested and like what they read, they visit (and sometimes buy!) and link back to you, but they'll only do that if your content is good and helpful. Usually (not always, but usually) when you get this kind of link, they use the topic of the article they're linking to as the link text, which, if you've titled it carefully and interestingly, is a good keyphrase for you to target, and piques interest so people will click.

Thanks, Jaan! High praise coming from a master!

Grokodile · #7 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 12:52 AM

Directories generally won't send much traffic (as most of it will come from searches)... but if they are well organized and root out spammy sites, there is no harm in submitting sites to them.

I'd suggest choosing directories on quality instead of geography.

mesonduran · #8 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 02:27 AM

I suggest that you re look at your website and concentrate on relevance, relevance, relevance. If you do this you will be providing a useful product which will propel itself up the search engine listings.

To be number 1 on search engines you need no link pages at all. The only outbound links from your sites should be those that are relevant to the subject matter in the site and that are useful to your site visitors.

Follow this and you will find other people linking to not only your Index page, but also to your deep content. This will improve your rankings.

Of course submit your site to all (relevant) directories for listing, this will bring you visitors, but don't loose sight of what you are doing. Forget about linking and directories (UK or USA)purely for the purpose of improving your search engine position - it's a waste of effort.

Good luck, hope this helps,

Ian

handcrafteduk · #9 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 05:27 AM

Thanks for the replies everyone. I think I'll heed the advice and add some relevant articles to my own website.

Should I try NOT to make these use the keywords I am aiming for on the sales pages? I mean, if they end up ranking higher for target keywords than the product pages, isn't there a chance that customers, not seeing any products, would just click off the site?

So, I'm thinking interesting RELATED content but without going for the same keywords?

Gary

**ctabuk** · #10 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 05:38 AM

I have to differ - there are certain Directories that Google positively loves and will gain you a high SERP - the one that really comes to mind is My Green Corner and that is abroad and it really brings in results. I also use any Finance Directory either based in the UK or anywhere and they work too.
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**ctabuk** · #11 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 05:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by handcrafteduk

Thanks for the replies everyone. I think I'll heed the advice and add some relevant articles to my own website.

Should I try NOT to make these use the keywords I am aiming for on the sales pages? I mean, if they end up ranking higher for target keywords than the product pages, isn't there a chance that customers, not seeing any products, would just click off the site?

So, I'm thinking interesting RELATED content but without going for the same keywords?

Gary

The simple thing to do Gary is to remember to treat a webpage as another website and to link each and every page from the correct section of a Directory. Base the anchor text as 'relevant' information and I say - use the keywords but once only.

Never forget that Directories do sometimes have their own spiders and they will in turn provide you with natural linking without submission and mostly they come from related topic searches.

OBR · #12 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 09:24 AM

Back to your original question, which was a very good one. With respect to link building in general, I believe that the regional version of Yahoo would give preference to links from that region. So the UK links would be useful in your case

inertia · #13 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 11:25 AM

Is most of you business focused in the UK? If so then a .co.uk domain name would be better. But! You probably don't want to hear that now!

Links from the .co.uk domains will improve your UK positions more than links from the US and also more than links from .com sites.

Audi · #14 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 12:54 PM

BJ - What does google has down graded directories actually mean?

**jawn_tech** · #15 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 05:13 PM

I agree with ctabuk.

Google over time has given less weight to some directories, while others seem to do QUITE well.

I'm not sure I see the 'either / or' dilemma. Submit to any and all directories, period. Submit to anything and everything.

Now if you're talking paid links, and have a certain budget devoted to advertising, that's a different story. But if you're just talking free directories, whether to submit here or there, my answer would be "yes". Both. Then keep finding more and submit to those.

And do everything else mentioned to gain rank, better position, etc. But you asked about directories, so hope this helps.

ash · #16 (**permalink**) 04-11-2008, 06:10 PM

Matt Cutts said at the last Webmasterworld conference that phpLD directories that did not have a customised template were not effective (not in those words but he did name phpLD).

You will see that many small directories do not show any PR past the home page and the home page PR is seldom more than PR5. I think this is what BJ is alluding to.

I too don't see an either/or situation. By all means write a blog, but if you are starting one, there is a long gap between writing and attracting unsolicited links if you don't already have a fan club. This is not easy for business sites.

But do seek out the few remaining quality directories, regardless of the country. If you have a chemicals factory, it doesn't matter if the link is from a vertical chemicals directory or industry association in the US. The link would be from a page that highly relevant to chemicals manufacturers because it is full of verbiage and links within that industry.

Submitting links willy nilly to unknown directories simply because they offer free submissions is largely a waste of time, even if these sites are categorised carefully and have no dubious content. In theory, you might get a human visitor, but that is more likely the directory owner checking out the listing.

ash · #17 (**permalink**) 04-11-2008, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inertia

Is most of you business focused in the UK? If so then a .co.uk domain name would be better. But! You probably don't want to hear that now!

All is not lost. Google Webmaster Tools lets you nominate a gTLD such as .com as being in a certain country, therefore you can show up in "Pages from the UK" search, at least in Google.