The Advantages and Disadvantages to Directory Submissions

One major advantage of directory submission is that it is an easy and rapid way to create link dispersion on search engines without needing to spend too much. Other advantages of directory submissions are:

1. For Permanent Listings: Many SEO specialists and professional SEO consultants consider that older links are of huge importance to search engines and they supplement not only the ranking value of your domain, but also amplify the resale price.

2. Anchor Text: You need to select skilled SEO writers to write good SEO articles for your content to ensure that you rank top in search engines.

3. Screenshots: Quality web site directories and SEO service providers offer automatic screenshots for your web site to help you provide referral visits to your web site.

4. Deep Links: They are exceedingly helpful, if obtained from certain professional SEO services. Web sites with deep links are likely to perform much better than other web sites lacking them.

Disadvantages of Directory Submissions

Of the comparatively few disadvantages of directory submissions, one common disadvantage is that directory submissions are lingering and tiresome. Hence, do some additional work to optimize your web pages or content according to SEO editorial and SEO copy writing guidelines and then select the proper directories for submission.

As search engines adore web sites, which have appropriate inbound one-way links also known as backlinks, these web sites get special treatment during assortment. Hence, when you submit your web site to directories, it is vital for you to select the most appropriate category for your web site.

Next, avoid bulky submission services, as it is very difficult to check the quality of such directories. In addition, there is no assurance that your web site will rank among these services.

Remember that directory submissions are a long-term SEO strategy and not a link strategy. Hence, do not expect extreme inbound traffic from your directory submissions, but instead have patience.

There are several advantages of directory submissions but it is a time consuming task. However, software may help to quicken the process, but you still need to supervise the process.

Overall, there are more advantages than disadvantages to directory submissions, and your web site will hugely gain from a well-studied plan of submission.

Importance of Directory Submissions

To increase visibility online is the core of every online business marketing strategy. Driving traffic to your website and getting noticed by search engines takes a lot of time and effort.

‘Links’ play a major role in determining your ranking position on the various search engines. Obtaining inbound links or back links in quantity and quality can influence your search engine rank immensely. One simple way to obtain back links is to submit your link to directories. Online directories exist for the sole purpose of providing links to web users to various sites categorized under relevant topics. “Directory submission” is a website optimization strategy that no website owner should ignore.

Directories catalog links for easy access to users. Much earlier, directories were the primary source for web users to find websites on various topics. Today search engines have taken over but directories have not lost their importance yet. You cannot obviously expect too much traffic from a directory submission. But you can expect an improvement in your search engine placement.

Here is how it works. When submitting to a directory, the major hindrance as well as the major benefit lies in the human editor. Your submission will be viewed by an actual person who determines how relevant and unique your website is. After passing his scrutiny and editing, your website will be accepted in the directory. This automatically establishes the credibility of your website; hence search engines will consider links submitted to directories.

Some directories even feed their databases to other directories and search engines. Search engines base a certain factor on directories in judging a website’s popularity and relevance. Depending on the quality of the directory and the number of back links your website has, search engines will be able to determine your relevance and qualify your website accordingly.

Note how important listing in a directory is. If your website is low on content but rich in images, flash content, etc. search engines may not be able to categorize your website when the search spider visits your site. By submitting to a directory under a particular category, you allow the search engine to categorize your site under a relevant topic.

There are general and specific directories available online. Specific directories target only those websites based on a particular subject or field. No matter what your business is, odds are that directories will be available that cater specifically to it. There are also regional directories available which may be highly useful if your online business targets a local audience.

Making best use of your Directory Submission efforts

All we, webmasters, hardly submit to directories these days aiming for direct traffic, instead we use Promoting Webs, more as a method to obtain inbound links to our site. Search engines are known to give some importance to links obtained from directories and hence we need to pay close attention to certain factors when submitting in order to get the best out of these directory links.

Directories have proven an important source for links. These links should ideally be optimized for the keywords that we want our site ranked for in the search engines. Usually directories allow the submission of just one page (generally home page), so the keywords have to be relevant to that page. Make sure that you have researched your keywords well and chosen those that are minimally competed for but adequately searched. (Keyword research can be done using tools like KeywordDiscovery and WordTracker).

Unlike other methods of link building like reciprocal linking where you can just request the webmaster to include specific keywords in your link, with directory submissions you have to convince the editor to include the anchor text of your choice – you need to make sure of not over-stuffing the anchor text with keywords if you want to stand a chance of approval.

It is also a smart idea to vary your anchor text as search engines have techniques to control anchor text spamming. Too many links with the same anchor text may be unacceptable, so consider a few options which you can use for different directories.

Most directories also require a description of the website. Make sure it does not read like an ad text. Include a few relevant keywords without overdoing it. Avoid exaggerated descriptive words like ‘leaders’, ‘largest’ etc. This will not only make the editor frown, they are also not required. Avoid repetition of words and exclamation marks when punctuating.

Another factor to be considered is the category you submit under. Sometimes choosing the wrong category may be the key to the rejection of your submission. The right category will define your website more appropriately and it will aid the search engine when locating a site like yours.

Make the best of directories by carefully submitting your links in the first place. Once your site has been accepted, it may be extremely difficult to change any of the matter submitted. So make sure that you optimize your directory submissions. Directory submissions are a time-consuming task and you could use our service, Promoting Webs, to save time when submitting your site to the directories.

Why should I submit my site to web directories?

Web directories essentially serve as a catalog of links sorted by relevant topics. In the earlier days, when search engines weren’t as popular, directories served as the main method of finding relevant sites. But nowadays, search engines like Google and Yahoo have taken over and serve as the main medium that connects users with what they’re looking for.

So why should you even consider submitting your site to the directories, especially when not many people use them any more?

There are a few answers to this question:

To get your website indexed

Search engines like Google and Yahoo send out crawlers (spiders) to search the web for new sites that come up everyday. If you have a new site and you want search engines to know of its existence, then there couldn’t be an easier and better way to let a search engine know than having it find your site through links in various directories.

One way links -> Improvement in Search Engine Rankings

Most directories provide one way links, which is beneficial from the SEO aspect of your site. Search engines give importance to the number of inbound links to your site when ranking it for a given position during search and one way links are thought to be valued more than reciprocal links (links exchanged with other sites). Thus, directory links can help give a boost to your SEO efforts.

Targeting specific keywords / phrases

Most directories allow you to provide a link with keywords describing your site. It’s not easy getting links to your site with the keywords you want and directories serve as the easiest medium for getting such links. Getting links with targeted keywords / phrases can have search engines favoring your site over others when ranking for the given terms.

Traffic (not such a benefit with most directories)

There aren’t many directories that could boast of providing your site with traffic that would number in the hundreds per day but there are a few directories that are known to give some traffic (albeit very little) to sites in certain categories.

Most directories are free to submit to

Given the benefits and most directories being free to submit to, it makes business sense to have your site listed in as many SEO friendly directories as possible. After all, you don’t lose anything for doing so.

Submitting to directories can be a time-consuming process though and finding the right directories to submit can take quite a bit of effort. To save yourself the trouble, you may use directory submission services like ours to get your site submitted to all the top quality SEO friendly directories out there.

9 Tips To Successful Article Submission

Many internet marketers have heard about the traffic that article marketing can bring to a website. Yet, when they try it themselves, they find the results less than rewarding. With article marketing becoming more and more well-known as a FREE (or very cheap) way to quickly gain lots of inbound links to a website, the value of it cannot be over-emphasized.

However, as this trend grows, so does the population of articles that are available. With the inherent competition, article distributors and newsletter editors, are becoming more selective toward the articles they accept. Since they are in the driver's seat, the sensible thing to do is find out what it is they need, as well as the most efficient way to offer that to them.

Below are 9 tips that include everything from offline preparation, to Byline Do's & Don't's. Each is designed to make the process as efficient and painless as possible. Included in the byline is a link to a current list of approximately 100 submission sites and recommended submission services.

1. Like a Good Scout, Be Prepared

There are several items each distributor will need regarding each article submission. Preparing these beforehand, as part of the writing process, will make the submission session flow smoothly. The list below includes everything needed to submit an article:

-- Title. Like the name of a website, a Title is, was, and shall always be the articles first advertisement. This is true for editors and distributions as much as those who will eventually read it. Though there are many articles devoted to this subject alone, the most important thing to remember is: short and to the point. The faster people can understand what the article is about, the faster they can decide if they're interested. And never, never use a deceptive Title. Though it may gain some attention, in the long run, the editors will mostly remember being disappointed by you.

-- Synopsis or Abstract. This is a short description of the article, which is usually only one or two sentences long. Many distributors even have a byte or character limit for it. Respect that limit. If your synopsis exceeds it, the system will probably just cut off the last few words. The synopsis is used by the distributor to promote the article on their article listings. It is the short "blurb" that explains a little more of the article.

-- Keywords. Like the keywords for a website, these keywords must be relevant to the subject. For example, the keywords used for this article were: business writing, article marketing, internet marketing, affiliate marketing, article submission, newsletter distribution. They all relate in some meaningful way to the overall subject. There needn't be more than four or five phrases. These will be used, not only within the database searches, but with major seach engines, too.

-- Body. Most distributors also have a limit on the amount of characters/bytes for this, but are usually generous with this amount. Respect that amount. If your article exceeds these limits, edit it appropriately.

--Byline. This is the little box at the bottom of the page that is "About The Author". The reason it's called a "byline" is because this is who the article is "by", i.e., who wrote it. Keep this short, too, but be sure to include any background that is pertinent to the subject and could deem you an "expert", as well as your profession and a link to your site is needed. Again, there are limitations on these, which vary according to the distributor. Generally, if it's brief (like mine, below), no one will object.

Once all of these items are written and edited the article is ready for submission. It's also a good idea, before beginning to make a short template that includes all these items, then save it as something like, "basic_article.txt". But--

2. The Right Process
Everyone has their own favorite word processing program. And most are fine to use with submission sites. Word is so completely ubiquitious, most sites assume writers will use this. However, while the distributors do accept these platforms, that doesn't mean they can accept all the formatting included with them.

Generally speaking, formatting should be kept to a bare minimum. I use silly old Notepad (yeah, that little WP accessory that's available in every copy of Windows). It forces me to forget about formatting. Since an article must be adaptable to many different types of formatting, keeping ITS formatting plain allows a larger amount of distributors to accept it. The last thing one should expect is for the distributor to have to take the time to re-format an article. That is not part of their job. It's part of the writer's.

Also, if using Notepad while writing an article, turn the Word Wrap feature "ON". But while submitting it, turn it "OFF". This simple step can save hours of re-formatting for each submission site and is another good reason to use Notepad. Always remember: coding-BAD.

3. Ditto With HTML
Though most email now accepts HTML coding and many even include it automatically, this does not mean that the programs used in article distribution are included in that equation. This is another excellent reason to use something like Notepad, since there is a minimum of unseen or invisible coding. Any type of coding may transfer poorly and cause an article to look more like a cyptogram than legible writing. Remember: Coding-BAD. No Coding-GOOD. A few distributors will not even allow such common characters as quotation marks or asterisks. One good substitute for this is CAPITALIZED words, which also work well to replace a bold or italisized word.

Up to this point, the tips have been about the preparation process. The following refer to the actual submission process.

4. The Good Guys VS. The Bad Guys
Especially for the ambitious writer who is always doing Google searches for new article sites, it should be noted that not ALL submission sites are reputable. For some reason, some people begrudge even a simple byline as payment for providing valuable content and will "overlook" several key essentials. Any reputable site (and most of them ARE) will offer three services to the author: a byline segment, the ability to preview the finished article as well as edit the article AFTER it has been submitted. For those who don't, for whatever reasons, a writer may include a top byline within the Title, as well as the bottom byline within the body of the article. But ONLY for those that do not provide a place for them. Otherwise, you articles will come out looking silly -- and may be passed over -- for having doubled this content.

5. Pics of You
Some submission sites ask for a photograph of the author. Though many people shy away from cameras, this is an additional security measure against plagarism, especially if the photo is included with each article. So consider keeping a relatively recent photo on file on your computer. Most that do ask for this require that the photo be a relatively small file, so keep it simple.

6. Affiliate Marketing or Biz Ops?
Choosing the right category during the submission process is another key ingredient to success. Most newsletter editors only skim through the categories pertinent to their area of interest. If a submission site has no relevant categories, skip it and go on.

7. Email Included?
Until recently, including a professional email address in the byline would be advised. However, with the increase of email address security issues, this is becoming less common. If using an email address at all, use one that is not directly associated with a privately owned website.

8. Organization Equals Efficiency
The first, crueling session of article submission (with the emphasis on "mission") can be daunting to a budding enewsletter author. However, if the time is spent wisely, it can be an investment that will pay for itself with each subsequent article.
When submitting to sites, create a folder in the "Favorites" or "Bookmarks" portion of your browser. For each successful submission, remember to add the link for that site to your folder. Also, edit each one, putting the username for that site and password in the link so that, when clicked on it, it also has this information available. And, to save steps later, be sure the link goes to the sign-in page (for those requiring membership) or directly to the submission site (for those without). Once this system is in place, and the article includes all necessary items, the whole process should only take a short time.

9. Byline Do's and Don'ts
DO: Adjust your byline according to the article and promotion. For instance, though my main work is now internet marketing, I've also worked extensively as a crafter. If I decided to write an article about crafting, I would revise it to include that information. Also, since I represent several different companies, I choose the company most closely related to the subject. Turning that thinking around, one could also write articles that would specifically promote different sites.

DON'T: If A submission site does not allow HTML in the byline, do NOT USE it. Type the URL in its entirety. Some sites simply don't have the technology to support HTML. There are also several free services that will provide short urls or URL scramblers, if there is any concern about security.

DON'T: include more URLs than allowed. Some sites do not specifically state a limit, but most do not want to more than two or three.

DO: As an added security measure against plagarism, always put your initials right at the end of the article, as I do, below. This is an old offline writing habit, which was typically used in newspaper work to identify to the typesetter which articles belonged to which authors. Online, it prevents the plagarist from copy/pasting the text without being detected.

Finally, and above all, respect whatever rules or requirements each submission site has, for your own sake as well as theirs. Remember, as more and more people learn the value of article marketing, competition will continue to increase. So, as you submit regularly to sites and they come to count on you for good, professionally submitted content, they will appreciate you and your efforts.--mo