Search Engine Optimization
Web Directories for SEO
Written by Charles Mburugu for Gaebler Ventures
If you are thinking of ways to promote your website, web directories should be included as part of your promotional plan. Web directories offer web visitors a one stop destination on the internet to get the information they are looking for. In addition, using web directories can increase your website's visibility and results in many other benefits.
There are several benefits that can be derived from listing in web directories.
Some webmasters question why they should bother with submitting to web directories when most web traffic comes from search engines. However, when you are trying to maximize your website traffic, every little promotion helps, and web directories can draw in some of that very much needed traffic.
Search engine ranking algorithm depends a lot on link popularity. Using web directories creates more links that point at your site, which leads to a higher ranking in search engines. Higher search engine ranking results in easier accessibility, which leads to more traffic to your website.
Including keywords in hyperlinks is one way of increasing your link popularity. The links you submit to web directories should not just lead to your site, but should have the themed keywords or phrase within the links. The themed keywords make it easy to find your site, and also increase your search engine ratings.
If you are submitting to different web directories, there are some things to consider. First, if a directory is useful, the pages you submit to must at least be listed in a number of search engines. For example, if the web directory you are submitting links to does not appear in search engines, it is likely that web visitors will have a hard time finding your site. Besides, they will have difficulty even finding the web directory in which you are listed. In such a case, listing in the web directory is useless. On the other hand, if you list your site in various popular web directories, you greatly enhance the accessibility and visibility of your website.
The other thing to consider is that, when submitting hyperlinks, you will benefit more from submitting to web directories that have a theme related to your website's theme. For example, if you have a site that is based on real estate, you are likely to get more traffic from directory pages that focus on real estate. Therefore, when looking for web directories, look for those with themes parallel to your site's central focus.
For successful listing in any web directory, you will be required to adhere to the directory's terms and conditions. Normally, web directories have a list of specific regulations to be followed. In addition, you can increase the chances of being listed by avoiding promotional language and choosing a category that has a theme relevant to your website.
Charles Mburugu writes for us from his home in Nairobi. He has a graduate degree in Business Management from Kenya Institute of Management. He is interested in writing about branding, CSR and intellectual property.
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