Directory link building is one of the oldest link building strategies, but old can be gold if done properly. Even though the evolving of search engines such as Google and Google updates over time, adding your website to the right directories can still help with rankings and bring targeted visitors to your site
Directory link building means adding your website to an online list of sites, that list of sites is known as a directory.
You just have to choose directories that are quality ones and that suit your business. This comprehensive guide about directory link building will tell you that directory link building be useful in 2024, and how you can use it as a part of your SEO plan.
What is directory link building?
Directory link building is a link building technique, which means adding your website to an online list of sites, that list of sites is known as a directory. In a directory, all the websites are of the same niche, which means all the sites are relevant.
When your website’s link is added to a directory, means your website gets a good backlink of that specific directory. When a customer or user searches about your business, he must click on your link, you will get traffic and a client if your product is according to user needs.
Directory link building can enhance your SEO by building your website’s authority, boosting your traffic, giving you clients and building trust on search engines.
Infolisting is a directory that shows the websites according to all types of business such as law, promotion, publishing, etc. You just have to register your site for a specific business. Directories are super efficient in e-commerce link building because they dont just give you backlinks but also give you customers or clients for your e-commerce store.
Types of Directory Backlinks
Directory link building comes in various forms, each offering unique benefits depending on your business and SEO goals. Here are the main types:
1. General Web Directories
These are broad, catch-all directories that list websites from different industries. Examples include DMOZ or other older directories. While not as effective today, they can still be useful for creating a diverse backlink profile. However, be cautious about which general directories you choose, as not all are high quality.
2. Business Directory Listings
These directories are specifically for businesses and allow you to list your company with details like your address, phone number, and website. Well-known business directories like Yelp or Yellow Pages can provide valuable backlinks and improve your visibility to potential customers. They also help build trust with search engines, which value accurate and consistent business information.
3. Niche-Specific Directories
Niche-specific directories focus on a particular industry or topic. For example, if you run a photography website, getting a backlink from a directory dedicated to photography services will be more relevant and powerful. These directories are highly valuable because they provide more targeted traffic and higher relevance, which search engines appreciate.
4. Local Directories
Local directories list businesses based on geographic location. These are especially important for businesses that want to target local customers. Listings in local directories like Google My Business or Foursquare not only help with SEO but also increase your visibility to nearby clients searching for your services.
5. Industry-Specific Directories
Industry-specific directories are similar to niche directories, but they cover broader sectors. For instance, a healthcare directory might list all medical-related websites. These backlinks can boost your website’s credibility and authority within your specific field, helping you rank higher in industry-related searches.
How to identify quality link directories
In link building, quality always overcomes quantity whether in backlinks or choosing sites for taking links. The same is true in the case of choosing directories to build links. The following steps must be kept in mind to identify good and quality link directories:
1. Targeted audience
When choosing or identifying a directory for your link building, find out that your targeted audience must find the right link for your site. For example: if you run a link building agency, find that directory in which people are looking for link building agencies or information about link building.
2. Domain rating
There are various tools for checking domain rating or authority of sites but I recommend using ahrefs or Moz for checking rating of domains. A higher domain rating of a directory means a more trustworthy, authoritative, and reputable directory.
3. Niche specific
A quality directory is one that has a specific niche or a specific industry-based directory. This means that if a user wants to gather information or agencies regarding white hat link building, then the user must come to that specific directory. If a directory consists of various niches, it must confuse the user, and that user simply directs himself to another directory.
4. Quality of sites
When analyzing a directory, you must check the quality of sites in their record. Some directories take money from site owners and list them in their records but these sites are spammy ones. A directory that lists all the sites is different from a quality directory.
5. Indexing status
Make sure the directory must be indexed on Google. If a directory isn’t indexed on Google, its backlink is a waste. It doesn’t pass any SEO juice to your site. The easiest way to check the indexing of a site or directory is;
site:directoryname.com
Furthermore, if you want to check more metrics such as organic traffic, backlink profile, top pages, etc, you can use SEO tools.
What is deep linking and how it can be helpful in directory link building?
Deep linking is linking to specific internal pages of your website rather than just the homepage. The following points elaborate on how deep linking can be helpful in directory link building;
- Identify internal pages on your site that you want to promote. These pages can be your site’s product pages, service pages, or blog articles.
- Select directories that allow deep linking. Not every directory will allow deep linking, so it’s important to choose directories that support submitting internal pages. High-quality directories that allow deep linking often have stricter editorial guidelines.
- When submitting to directories, use descriptive and relevant anchor text that reflects the content of the internal page. For example: instead of using generic words like “click here” use keyword-rich phrases like “guest post guide”.
- Dont link to the same page over and over. Diversify your backlinks and spread your efforts to multiple pages. This helps you to build a natural backlink profile.
Is directory link building, a white hat or black hat technique?
There is a debate among link builders about whether directory link building is a white hat or black hat link building technique.
In my opinion, it can be either a white hat link building technique or a black hat link building technique.
This link building technique is white hat when you focus on adding your site to a high quality directory that is relevant to your niche and is crawled by search engines. These directories often work on a specific purpose related to a specific niche. These directories don’t allow all sites for submission but have strict guidelines for site submission.
This can be a black hat technique, when website submissions are done on a large scale to a spammy directory. Black hat directory link building involves submitting your site to directories that primarily exist to manipulate search rankings rather than provide genuine value. These directories don’t review sites and add nonrelevant links.
| If you focus on quality over quantity and choose directories that provide value and relevance, directory link building is considered a white hat technique. Avoid bulk submissions to poor-quality directories, as that would fall into black hat territory. |
Top directories for link building:
1. Google My Business
Google My Business is one of the most crucial tools for local SEO. By creating a GMB listing, businesses can appear in Google’s local search results and on Google Maps. This directory allows you to manage your business profile, respond to reviews, and engage with potential customers.
A well-optimized GMB profile can significantly improve your website’s local search visibility and generate high-quality backlinks from one of the most authoritative domains on the web.
Pricing:
- Free to use.
2. Bing Places for Business
Similar to GMB, Bing Places for Business allows businesses to appear in Bing’s local search results and on Bing Maps. It offers a platform to claim and optimize your business listing, add images, and manage customer reviews.
Pricing:
- Free to use.
3. Yelp
Yelp is a popular directory for businesses, especially in the service industry, such as restaurants, retail, and home services. It allows businesses to manage their profiles, respond to customer reviews, and upload photos. Yelp listings often appear prominently in local search results.
Pricing:
- Free for basic listings.
- Paid options for enhanced profiles and advertisements are available starting at around $150 per month, depending on the package.
4. Foursquare
Foursquare is a location-based platform that allows users to discover businesses nearby. It’s particularly useful for local businesses like restaurants, bars, and retail stores. Foursquare listings can include customer reviews, business details, and location data.
Foursquare provides high-quality backlinks, and since its content is often syndicated across other apps and platforms (like Uber and TripAdvisor), it offers additional SEO benefits by distributing your business data more widely.
Pricing:
- Free for basic listings.
- Paid advertising options are available for more visibility.
5. Brownbook
Brownbook is a global business directory that allows users to claim and manage their listings. It focuses on both local and international businesses, providing options to enhance business profiles with detailed descriptions, images, and social media links.
Pricing:
- Free for basic listings.
- Premium listings with additional features start at around $9.99 per month.
Conclusion
Directory link building is still a good technique for enhancing your backlink profile in 2024. But backlinks from a quality directory matter only.
Directory link building can boost your local SEO and improve your brand visibility, attracting more customers and clients.
Linkcrafters can help boost your local SEO and give you high-authority backlinks. Feel free to contact us.
