How to Submit Your Website or Blog to Directories
A while ago, I wrote a post about 111 ways to promote your blog. A few of the comments I received suggested that I flesh out each item into a full post. I thought that was a brilliant idea that would give me at least a few months worth of posts, but thinking and doing are two different things. I wanted a new blog to promote, so I could start from scratch and test the results of each method and write as I went along. As well as updating my link lists as I go. It would kill a few birds with one stone. And I could see firsthand the results of each method as I went along.
The final result, I hope, is then to take all of these posts that are based on that one, wrap it up with my results, put them in a logical order and create a downloadable PDF. There are different phases of site promotion. There are methods like directory submissions which, I think, for the most part, are done after you run down the list of such sites. Yes, some allow deep links but most allow only one link to one domain. Then there are techniques like commenting on blogs that are continuous processes during the life of your blog or site. Each of these types need to be put where they belong.
So I will start with directory submissions, that old standby that still works. Despite the fact that I have lists of sites over at my other blog that are great for getting links from, to tell you the truth, I haven’t used any of them in a while because a lot of the sites I own have been around for a year or longer and have already run through this gauntlet. It is not the most fun part of promoting a site but it can be one of the most straightforward and easiest one.
The Best Directory Links
There are some directories that have stood the test of time and charge for a listing. Is it worth it? Yes, if you have the budget. But if not, don’t worry. You can still build a lot of links using free methods. In fact, free methods of getting links outnumber the paid ones.
- Yahoo Directory
- Best of the Web
- Business.com
- Dmoz
- Joe Ant
- Gimpsy
- Uncover the Net
- Directory @ v7n
- ExactSeek
- InCrawler
And there are more. You can usually spot the directories worth paying for. They have high PageRank and Traffic stats and the links they use are dofollow. Some allow multiple deep links to your site and some require extra long descriptions of your site or extra data. This creates a more unique directory and the time used to create this extra information is usually well worth it.
Using Multiple Titles, Descriptions and Keywords in Your Directory Submissions
One of the tricks to get directory submissions to work is to vary the titles, descriptions and keywords on your submission. Now with a list of hundreds of directory sites, you don’t necessarily need to make each title and description different, but you should have some variation in your titles especially. Your title will become the anchor link to your site. And having the same anchor link pointing from hundreds of sites may throw up a flag. And varying the description could help your listing look unique on each site.
Title: Create alternate titles for your homepage. Think of those words you really want to rank for and mix them up in your titles.
Description: Here you can get anywhere from 250-500 or more words. You should think of keywords here also.
Keywords: Some sites create separate pages that are based on the keywords you use here. Again use keyword related to your site and those you want to rank for.
Categories: Choose them carefully and browse a few directories before using any sort of automated software that chooses categories for you. If you site fits a few categories, it is good to vary the categories where you submit your site.
Spreading Your Directory Submissions Out
This is one I have heard a lot. “You need to spread your directory submissions out. don’t submit to all directories at once.” I never gave it much thought because once I started submitting sites to directories, I realized that the directories themselves spread your submissions out. One may accept your link within days, another within weeks and I have had some take almost a year. Why spread your submissions out if that is what’s happening anyway? So submit to directories and don’t worry a about limiting yourself to so many a week.
Paying Someone to Do Directory Submission for You
You can search for a service on Google, but I have found that webmaster forums are the best place to find someone to submit your website or blog to directories for you. A member makes an offers to submit your site to so many directories for a certain amount and a lot of the times you can see the feedback right there. There is no worry about whether the submitter will follow your instructions and finish the job. You can see the past results of his work. And
AllSubmitter for Website Directory Submitting
This tool is pretty good at guessing captchas and will submit just about any type of form. It’s learns the forms as you go along. The biggest issue is that for the first time through the submissions are semi-manual. The second time you use it though, everything is automatic except for some of the Captcha sites. And it is a little hard to use. Probably not good for beginners. But you can read more about AllSubmitter.
Other Directory Submission Software
Most directory software has some sort of semi-automatic submission process and they may have an automatic one. The biggest problem with automatic submissions is captchas. You still have to type them in, unless you have AllSubmitter.
But the good ones will allow you to set up multiple titles, descriptions and keywords. They will also allow you to add keywords for categories and automatically choose categories based on keywords. This only leaves you the job of choosing among possible categories and entering the captcha. Here are a few:
- Brad Callen’s Free Directory Submitter – Of course a better version costs.
- Fast Directory Submitter
Captchas and Submitting to Directories
Just wanted to add this site in for those of you who are developers. Found it the other day. It’s a service that charges $8 per 1000 captcha and it has an API. It’s called DeCaptcher.
PhraseExpress for Submitting Forms
This is a great free tool that you can use to create hotkeys or phrase replacements for typing in long phrases. You just choose a short phrase you want to use to represent each of the fields you will be filling in at directories. I have yet to use this for directory submissions, but I do use it for the top three fields when commenting on blogs, like so:
dpr = http://www.digitalproductsreview.net/blog
dpe = eristoddle@gmail.com
sm = Stephan Miller
I set up the Postfix trigger to be a Tab. This way I can type sm – Tab – dpe – Tab – dpr – Tab and all the fields except the actual comment are filled out.
Firefox Plugin for Filling Forms
There is a free Firefox plugin that could help you also. It’s called Autofill Forms and after you set it up, you can fill in complete forms with just a click of the button.
Lists of Website Directories
There is my list of website directories and then there are the others:
- Vilesilencer
- Best Web Directories
- SEO Company
- What directories should I submit to?
- Directory Archives
- DMOZ: Reference: Directories
- Internet Search Engine Database
- Strongest Links Directory List
- Platinax Internet Best Directories
- Independent Niche Directory Network
- SEO Company: Top Web Directories
- Tips `n’ Tuturials
- Quanta Web Design
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Thanx for the info.. Good information!
I never like the idea of paying for anything for my blog other than a domain URL. I don’t understand “Spreading Your Directory Submissions Out”. Do you mean to tell people not to submit their blog to several directories? Please clarify.
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for. I do local SEO for small businesses and find myself searching for directories like merchant circle, kudzu, hotfrog ect.
I had a list of RSS directories, list of article directories but not a list of directory directories LOL
Thanks Stephen!!
@blogaboutnothin
Some suggest to set a cap on the amount of directories you submit to in a given time period. In my experience, the wait time at any amount of directories is so random that it won’t look like a sudden surge in backlinks to your site, so submit as quickly as you like.
And I am not suggesting only using directories to get links to your site, just covering with a microscope. During the same time you are submitting to directories, you should also be building various other types of links.
@David
I just ran into Merchant Circle a few weeks ago. I thought of it as just another directory to get a link from and actually an getting real results. I need to get a list of local sites like that from you.
nice post.. thanks for your informative article its really help my idea well
“Description: Here you can get anywhere from 250-500 or more words.”
Doesn’t Google and others penalize keyword stuffing by lowering pagerank?
I didn’t say to stuff them though. I think the terminology messes things up sometimes. I should have said “use words to describe your site”. After all, all we can use is words. Calling them keywords brings up images of Google bans.
Be natural with your words.
@Stephen: I am regular visitor of your other blog but found this one recently
The 111 ways are going to take a lot of time for me to try out.
As a directory submitting software digixmas is getting popular (though I am not a fan of automated submissions). Can I also request you to include my list DirectoryRoll in your list of directories. My emphasis is more on newborn directories that become paid after sometime. I like to catch them young and submit before they turn paid.
Did you try the plugin from gadgetadvisor? It’s supercool and built specially for directory submission.
I haven’t tried that plugin yet and searching for it, I found this: http://www.easysubmits.com/index.php which looks like it has possibilities.
And yours, of course: http://www.directoryroll.com/
If you want to get commentators for your blog, one thing is good for you to submit your website/blog link to many links directories. There are free as well as paid links directory submission.
Some directories will takes long time to approved
However its will give you high quality backlink
To bad there is almost no info about free directory submission in the article.