Once you have your website up and running, one of the first things to do in the world of site promotion is submit your site to directories. If you are new to this, one thing you should understand is that directories are not search engines, it is a common mistake. Directories list websites and organize them by category and subcategory. Each category is divided into smaller and smaller subcategories so that your website appears in the list as accurately as possible. The category / subcategory should apply to the entire site and not just one page or section, so make sure you select the correct one. Submitting your website URL with misleading or incorrect information may cause a delay or rejection of your site.

There are web directories for cataloging active web sites. If a directory could accurately list all active websites around the world, it would be the perfect directory. However, the fact that a website is so easy to start and leave means that no directory is perfect in no time. Directories try to remove websites that are no longer active, so that people can find up-to-date and accurate information.

There are several reasons why people submit their websites to directories, but the most important one is that search engines send spiders through these sites to find active and categorized websites that have already been compiled by the directories. So by listing your website with major directories, search engines find your website with all the right information and the right links. Another reason for submitting your site’s URL to directories is that each directory creates an inbound link for your site. In its most basic form, search engines see an incoming link as a vote for your website when trying to determine what pagerank it should have. Therefore, the more quality directories your website includes, the better your chances of improving your pagerank within the search engine results page.

Directories can be free or paid with paid directory fees ranging from a small $ 5 to an expensive $ 300 for Yahoo! and other top-level directories. However, most paid directory fees range from $ 25 to $ 50. Directory quality is not determined by cost of submission, in fact many of the best directories are free. You need to evaluate how useful the directories are to you, especially when it comes to niche directories. There are hundreds, even thousands of web directories you can choose from, and if your budget allows, you can submit your website URL to each one. For most websites, it makes sense to go through a combination of free and paid directories and search for specialized directories that serve your area of ​​interest.

You can handle directory submissions yourself or internally, but to do so you need organization and a plan. Do your research and compile a directory listing and then you can start your submission work. Each directory will have its own policy on how to submit its URL and website information, as well as a different category / sub-category structure, so it may take a bit of time to handle each one. It’s best gradually in any case, so plan to submit 25-100 directories a week and you’ll be on target. It is important to keep track of the directories you have already been posted to so as not to duplicate your work. First of all, it’s a huge waste of time for you, and second, most directories will punish you for submitting your website URL multiple times.

Just a small sample of the paid directories that exist:

Some of the free directories that are available:

Niche directories are also useful and important for your website, especially if you are trying to change your focus towards niche marketing. These directories cater to a specific area of ​​interest, such as women, mothers, cars, electronics, celebrity gossip, etc. You can perform a search of these directories using a search engine and start looking for those that specifically target your industry. There are websites that have already compiled lists of specialized directories that might be of interest to you, so check them out and see if they have what you need. The Web Directories Niche Directory List, DirectoryNiche.com, and the Internet Search Engine Database Niche Directory List are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to niche directories. Spend some time and find the best ones for you!

Submitting your website to directories can be a huge time commitment, and if you don’t have that time, outsourcing may be the best solution. There are many companies that handle directory submissions. Most of these companies charge ten to fifteen cents for free directory submission and have several packages that allow you to choose how many directories you want, from one hundred to several thousand. Using a qualified external firm will save you the time and administrative headaches of managing the directory submission process.

If you decide to handle directory submissions for your website yourself, be sure to pay attention to the requirements of each directory. Each directory has its own system and some differences in its policies on how to send its URL and information to your site. Make sure you use the correct spelling and grammar as this represents your company in a very public way. Also, if a directory is edited manually, it is very likely that your site will be rejected for such sloppy work.

However, if you go this route, be sure to take some time and compare and evaluate your options. When looking at the competition, you can see a variety of prices, several quality directories that your site is submitted to, and different reporting tools so you know what’s been done and what’s not. Also, take a good look at the spelling and grammar used on these commercial websites because if they can’t spell things correctly on your own site, they surely won’t spell it correctly for you and that puts your website at risk of rejection. by the directories and makes you look bad when the links are made public.

Whatever you write as a profile or summary of your company, make sure it is timeless and will stay on the web for years to come. Try to describe your stock or service in general terms rather than listing individual products or even brands. If you sell sports equipment, please list the type of sports such as tennis, golf, and soccer rather than mentioning Wilson, Nike, and Puma, as it may change brands over time.

Whether you drive your directory submission strategy or contract the process, be sure to submit to directories over time rather than all at once. The big search engines figure out how inbound links are fetched and use them in their pagerank calculations. If Yahoo! o Google sees your website go from just 25 inbound links to 400 or 1,000 in just one week. They know you probably did it by bombarding directory submissions rather than organic interest on your site. Take your time and submit your website to a limited number of directories at a time so that you can build the links more slowly and steadily.