by Megan Homan

Web directory submission is a good way to help increase your website exposure even though their original purpose has evolved into something entirely different . Directories began as a way to help people find a website and were blamed for ruining the popularity of the standard telephone book. When more advanced search technologies like Google, Yahoo! and MSN made their way onto the scene, people lost interest in directories. Today, online directories are mostly viewed as link building opportunities that benefit your search engine optimization efforts.

When a website is submitted to a directory a backlink to your site is created, thus increasing your site’s link juice. The more established a web’s link portfolio is, the better it looks to the search engines. These types of links, however, are not as reputable to the search engines as a one-way link from an independent website relative to your industry (which is not easy to come by). Links from directory submissions are much easier to get – you just have to know which ones to choose and how to submit to them for maximum benefit.

Choosing an ideal website directory for submission is an important factor in determining how successful the link pointing to your site will be. It is best to submit to credible, well-established directories that have a good page rank in the “eyes” of Google. You want to position your site in categories that are relevant to your topics/products.

There are two types of link directory submission options – paid and free. Paid directories are actually managed by humans making them a more appealing option because of the credibility they have established with the search engines. The paid directories tend to have better page rank, so they are typically your better choice. However, to develop a well-rounded link portfolio, throwing in some free directories with lower page ranks can still be beneficial to your link portfolio.

Aside from paid or free directories, there are also general and niche directories to consider when choosing the appropriate directory. General directories will list your site in very broad categories, whereas the niche directories will allow you to place your site in very specific categories relative to your site. Be careful of how deep you go within the niche directories because the further into the site you are, the lower your chances of appearing on a page with a high page rank. Remember though, it is good to appear as relevant to your sector as possible.