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Directories: Friend or Foe?

by Jeremy Cobb

Anyone that has gone through the training program has heard all about the importance of web directories. Not just link directories on other sites, but real directory websites. Let's identify the difference.

Link directories are additional pages of organized links found on any website that are savvy to the importance of reciprocal linking. Here you should find related sites that benefit you as a visitor to that site. Unfortunately, this has become polluted by unethical and unintended link strategies and services. I have mentioned before that linking may be less effective than it used to be, and this is the reason.

I'm not saying it is not important or that you should stop. In fact, do just the opposite. Despite all the rumors, true or not, linking will never be a worthless activity. Keep doing it and pay close attention to the quality and content of whom you link to.

In the beginning of the internet there were directories. Search engines were just a twinkle in the nerds of Yahoos' eyes. The Yahoo directory was turning heads and making things found in cyber space. The world was now connected and a global market place emerged.

Web Directories are a whole different animal. These directories are just lists of sites tightly organized for easy navigation. Now days there are around 1200 to 1300 from my best estimate. Most cost you money and the rest are gearing up to charge money.

These directories start out free of charge to get listings and they usually require a link back from your site. Once they get big enough, they start charging. Yahoo at first was free but now is $300. So the question is which are the best web directories to join?

Generally the paid inclusion directories are a waste of your money. The exception to this rule is the Yahoo directory. Since it is the oldest and baddest it holds a lot of weight in the eyes of the search engines. The engine spiders have to follow links from site to site to index the web properly. What better place to start than a huge web directory.

When it comes to paid inclusion use your best judgment and go within your budget.

Free with a link directories are good for the site and the pocket book. Add these directories to your sites link directory and categorize according to the relation of your site. The only down side is the tight theme relation of directories is hard to find. If a site on your directory is out of theme the link is less effective. The link from the directory does not matter if the theme is different from your site. You can't help who links to you and the engines know it.

A link from a directory without paying money or linking back is hard to find, but they are out there. These guys are either hardcore "keep the internet free" webmasters, or advertising on the directory. Either way it doesn't matter. Covet these sites! Get in these as much as possible. A reciprocating link is good. A link from a regular site without a link back is better. A link from a directory site without you linking back is phenomenal!

So where do you find these? I have referred many of you to isedb.com and the response is usually the same. Finding the free ones out of 1200+ directories, let alone the ones that don't require a link back, is like finding a needle in a hay stack.

Well this issue is very real, and has not fallen on deaf ears. Besides who has time for that? Well I have found someone that does. The company is JJ submittals and all they do is run campaigns on ads on directories and get sites listed. For an investment price and a small retainer these guys will get your site in the best paid directories and pay per click and other media ads on the directories.

I have been working with these guys to try and arrange something for my subscribers and clients. I'm not too jazzed about the media ad, but they do have a compiled list of directories that do not charge and do not require a link back!

At my request they have started a new site and service. For around $150 US they will submit your site to every free site they have. Enter this promo code (intcoach) and you will get a $30 discount.

There are software programs that many of you have seen or services offering something similar, but do not fall for their claims. Software will be thwarted anytime human verification is needed, and this can cause your site to be rejected for good. Most submission services you see out there use software and can not provide any proof that you were even submitted. Don't get me started on search engine submission services!

At JJ they HAND submit to each directory using your email address so each acceptance is delivered right to you and you can see what is getting done. And here is what closed me on their service; you will receive the full list of the directories they submitted your site to!

I made them adjust how they do things to make it better on the engines for your site, so over a period of 30 days they will submit to the directories. Most directories respond with approvals within 2 to 4 weeks. So you will see the emails come in accordingly. The search engines however are a little bit slower to pick them up, but you will see a massive jump in Google page rank if you get this done in the next few weeks before the toolbar refreshes.

Right now they have an average 85% approval rate. It may be less or more depending on the theme of your site. Adult and gambling sites they say are about a 45% rate.
So worse case scenario; you only get a third (33%) of the directories. That's 100 links to your site that you do not have linking from your link pages. The PR increase alone is worth it, but the traffic is worth even more.

Questions: 300directories@charter.net
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