Top 10 SEO Benefits of Directory Listings

Directory Listing

Last month we discussed the Whys and Hows of Local SEO, including localized content ideas, such as including rates and locations. We also touched upon some ideas for link placement, like local rating sites and directory listings.

But why Directories? Perhaps you’re thinking "Directories for SEO? Directories are out-dated and just plain dead!"

Sure – they’ve been around for ages and they don’t seem to ascribe to the whole social buzz idea. I mean, directories were en vogue at one point in time; before Search Engines got smart… Right?

Slow down cowboy. Many people still submit to directories, including the pros. Let’s look at the Whys – The Benefits of being in Directories.

Benefits of Directories

Directories have been around since the dawn of the Internet, and have been a reliable way to get listed and locate listings. In today’s world however, many people shy away from them, feeling that this dying breed provides no benefit. There is some merit to that idea, but it’s far from completely true. Benefits still abound.

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

1. Affordable
   Most directories are free to submit to, and of those that are not free – most are fairly inexpensive. Some niche directories, although more expensive than their counterparts, are also extremely targeted. A small warning, however: if it’s free – inspect it a bit to make sure the quality & freshness are there; some of then never actually list your site.
2. History
   Directories have been around a long time; they were here before Search Engines themselves! And we know that Search Engines pay attention to how long sites have been around. 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 instantaneously, some of them have actual humans behind the site who manually review the submissions. These are of a higher quality than the instant ones – 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; today Search Engines like Google and Yahoo find new sites through links. Directories give you links, giving you increased visibility to the Search Engines themselves.
5. Timeliness
   If 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? 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, have a keyword-focused listing, and an immediate quality one-way link! The Search Engines will pay attention.
6. Increased Brand Recognition
   Using your brand in the directory listing and linkage creates another digital footprint, and this immediately increases brand recognition.
7. Traffic
   Although you will get a bosst in traffic from being listed in directories, it will most likely not be very huge. It will, however, be more targeted traffic, and that is, afterall, a step closer to a conversion.
8. Contextually-Relevant and One-Way-Links
   We all love one-way SEO-juice-bossting 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, 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 to your website via a directory might be more targeted?
   • Keywords
     You get to choose what text to put into your directory listings, 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. As an interesting side-note, 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.

Bonus SEO Benefit of Directory Listings

And for you serious SEO folks out there – here’s a bonus benefit:

Directories are completely unaffected by the Panda update!

Soon I’ll be covering some of the directories out there, but in the meantime, why don’t you go and see what you can find? Go get listed!

Human-edited directories are often targeted by SEOs on the basis that links from reputable sources will improve rankings in the major search engines.