Web Directories

Selected Web Directories

The page below is Part 2 of David Wallace's excellent analysis of the usefulness of web directories as search engine marketing tools, reproduced here in case the link should fail.

See Part 1 if you need an explanation of why you should take the time to submit to some directories. (To gain search engine ranking - since the search engines themselves crawl the directories - and to pick up a few extra visitors who personally used the directories).

Free Directories

(July 5 2005) There are not many free directories left. Some of the ones I am listing below require that you become a volunteer editor in order to submit sites for free. Otherwise they charge a fee. Here are some free alternatives:

AbiLogic - Free directory that usually includes sites within one month. They also have paid options which can speed up the process.

Gimpsy - Free directory that only includes sites that are some how interactive. In other words, the site has to allow a person to do something like watch a video, take a survey, shop for a product, etc. They also have a paid option that speeds up the process of inclusion.

Index Unlimited - Free directory but requires a reciprocal link. Otherwise requires one time fee of US$29.00.

JoeAnt - Free if you are a volunteer editor. Otherwise the cost is US$39.99 to submit a site for inclusion.

NetInsert - Free directory in which you insert a meta tag on your home page, NetInsert then recognizes that tag and automatically places you in the category associated with it. A very neat concept but I imagine over time the directory will become filled with spam.

Open Directory - The last true free directory. You cannot pay to be included. Downside to this is that it can take a long, long time to get included. It all depends on who the volunteer editor is of the category you submit to. Some editors are very active but most are not. My advice is to submit to Open Directory and then forget about it.

Skaffe - Free if you are a volunteer editor. Otherwise the cost is US$39.99 to submit a site for inclusion.

SiteRanking.com - Free directory but requires a reciprocal link.

Web-Beacon - Free if you are a volunteer editor. Otherwise the cost is US$39.99 to submit a site for inclusion.

Web World - Free directory that can take up to 6 months before your site is included. They also offer a paid option to speed up the process.

WoW - Free directory that also has paid options. WoW is one of the best directories for free inclusion because they are very quick to review and include your site. You just better make sure you submit according to their specific rules or it will be deleted.

There are many, many directories that you can pay for inclusion but I am only going to list what I feel are the current top twelve.

These directories have good PageRank on their main index pages and on many inner category pages. They also have a wide range of categories so that it is easy to find one that is relevant to your business. Here they are:

• Arielis Web Directory - US$25.00 one time fee.
• Best of the Web - US$39.95 annually recurring fee. Great PageRank on interior pages.
• BlueFind - US$49.95 one time fee.
• Business.com - US$199 annually recurring fee. The top B2B directory on the Internet.
• GoGuides.org - Requires paid membership which then dictates how many sites you can submit. US$39.95/mo. allows you to submit up to 20 web sites a month; US$29.95/mo. allows you to submit up to 10 web sites a month; US$19.95/mo. allows you to submit up to 5 web site a month.
• Microsoft bCentral SBD - US$49.00 annually recurring fee.
• SevenSeek - US$40.00 one time fee. Great PageRank on interior pages.
• Site-Sift - US$24.95 one time fee.
• SunSteam - US$45.00 one time fee.
• Uncover the Net - US$39.00 one time fee. Great PageRank on interior pages.
• WebAtlas - US$37.00 one time fee.
• Yahoo - US$299 annually recurring fee.

In summary, directories are still a very viable aspect to successful online marketing. Take advantage of them and you will soon realize their benefits.

If you would like to learn more about how to submit to directories, I would invite you to read Proper Directory Submissions, a two part series I (David Wallace) authored a while back on the process of submitting to directories.

David Wallace is CEO and founder of SearchRank, an original search engine optimization and marketing firm providing keyword analysis, organic search engine optimization, link popularity enhancement, pay per click management, search engine friendly web design and ongoing campaign maintenance.

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