Directory Listings – Top 10 SEO Benefits

Directories have been around since the dawn of the Internet. They’ve been an especially trusted way to get listed and locate listings. But in view of today’s world, many feel this dying breed has no benefit. However, at the same time, this is far from completely true. Ultimately, there are still benefits.

Here are some benefits, in no particular order, of having your website listed in a directory:

1. Affordable
   Generally speaking, most directories are free. And of those that aren’t – most are fairly cheap. Some niche directories. And although they are more expensive than their free counterparts, they are also extremely targeted. A small warning, however: if it’s free – make sure the quality & freshness are there. Sometimes you get what you pay for. As a result, some of the free ones will never actually list your site.
2. History
   Directories have been around for a long time. They were here before Search Engines themselves! And we know that Search Engines pay attention to history. Getting listed in a long-standing directory will have more weight than a fly-by-night set up.
3. People-based
   Although some of the el cheapo directories will post your listing immediately, some of them have actual humans behind the site. And, for the most part, they manually review the submissions. These are of a higher quality obviously. You’re already getting your first live human test – via submission!
4. Getting Indexed in the Search Engines
   New website owners have learned the difficulties of getting indexed in a timely fashion. The days of using the “Add URL” page of a Search Engine are long gone. At the present time, Search Engines like Google and Yahoo find new sites through links. Directories give you links. And that gives you increased visibility to the Search Engines themselves.
5. Timeliness
   You’ve built a website and are waiting to be found by the Search Engines. Even with on-page SEO, you know how frustrating it can be to sit and wait. So why do it? In fact, most directories, even those manually reviewed, have a fairly short waiting time for being listed. So you’re listed on the internet, especially for your niche target, perhaps Geo-Targeted as well. You have a keyword-focused listing and an immediate quality one-way link! Search Engines will pay attention.
6. Increased Brand Recognition
   Using your brand in the directory listing and linkage creates another digital footprint. This immediately increases brand recognition.
7. Traffic
   Though you’ll get a boost in traffic from being listed, it will usually not be all that large. It will, however, be more targeted, and that is, after all, a step closer to a conversion.
8. Contextually-Relevant and One-Way-Links
   We all love one-way SEO juice-boosting links, and directories are a great place to get them. If it’s a well-managed directory, then you’ll also get the benefit of that link being contextual (a link from a page with topically related content).
9. SEO Targeting
   • Niche
     Directories are categorized, going from broad to specific. This is much like a folder system and breadcrumb trail. For example, in the Yahoo Directory, the Search Engine Optimization Services sub-category can be found via: Directory > Business and Economy > Business to Business > Marketing and Advertising > Internet > Promotion > Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Can you see how someone arriving at your website via a directory might be more targeted?
   • Keywords
     You get to choose what text to put into your directory listings. This is similar to the Title, Meta, etc., so why would you waste another SEO opportunity? Just look at the above-mentioned “Niche” topic. See how the breadcrumbs can be keywords? Oh and maybe keyword focused (focused, not stuffed) anchor text & descriptions?
   • Local
     Thinking of how directory listings go from broad to specific, we can see how Geo-Targetting and Local SEO can play a role here. For example, if I owned a retail outlet in Atlanta, GA – my listing could be found in the Yahoo Directory via Directory > Regional > U.S. States > Georgia > Cities > Atlanta > Business and Shopping > Shopping and Services > Retailers. At the time of this writing, there are only two listings in this sub-category and only one of them is specific to the actual area. Opportunity there?
10. Competition
    Is there some competition on the Internet? Just a wee-bit. This makes most of our online marketing initiatives – SEO, SEM, SMO, etc. – a bit of a challenge. The great thing about directories is the very fact that they are dying out by most standards. For example, Google & Bing shut down their directories, pointing folks to DMOZ. Why is that a good thing? Because fewer and fewer people are using them and even fewer keep their listings updated. This gives us an edge. And that’s a good thing.