Before performing SEO link building by doing link directory submissions in the second half of 2009, or hiring someone to do it for you, you should know that it is not what it was even in the first quarter of 2009. It’s changed, it keeps changing and it’s important to recognize what some SEO services and freelancers are doing can actually hurt your PR on many key terms.
Who says so? Matt Cutts from Google. So I think I’ll just take his word for it. Here is a video from Matt answering some questions about Directory listings.
One of the most important directories to get listed used to be DMOZ. It’s still up there, but no where near what it used to be in terms of search engine importance. It’s the open directory project by Yahoo and Google (yes, they work together here), it can take up to several months to get listed, so it’s important to do it right the first time by submitting a keyword rich, efficient listing in the proper category. It’s important because DMOZ does reject listings, which is why it’s a good one.
One of the biggest misconceptions and abuses in the SEO business is the thinking that listing on several directories is a good thing. In Toronto alone I found more than 20 SEO services that offered Link Directory url submission services and link building services that promised thousands of listings, some for as little as $75.00. Just think about that for a moment. How is that possible? Is it really good? Is it the bargain of a lifetime?
Here are your answers friends.
Firstly, listing on directories is as much about getting found as it is about helping search engines get smarter so that users searches become more relevant and the user experience is improved. Just like old school business, the customer comes first, and in this case the customer is the person that is performing the search using a search engine like Yahoo or Google for a keyword phrase. Unlike oldschool business, search engines are not phone books, they are way smarter, only give about 10-20 results per page and can punish your site for abusing directories.
Matt Cutts clearly tells you in the video above that Google (The search engine with the lion share of the global search market) considers Page Rank (PR) value when evaluating the links between websites. The truth is all 3 major search engines do that, and some of the smaller ones like ASK do to. That PR value is counted between 0 and 10, 0 being the lowest and 10 being perfect. And here is the kicker, I’ve seen plenty of amazing sites, ranked well for many terms, that have a PR value of 0. That’s what changed in search engines, even PR value has been limited in search engine ranking because search is getting more advanced by the day.
Have you ever heard the expression “you are the company that you keep”? Page Rank value can be defined pretty much the same way. PR is determined by relevancy, and relevancy is determined by keyword search terms that link similar websites or contain links to websites that come up in relevant searches.
For example, a shop that sells car audio and that lists itself on a link directory that specializes in automotive, or has a well developed category with links to quality automotive sites (or sites that the car audio shop wants to compete with), or offers similar listings dedicated to automotive and automotive accessories (like car audio), and has a decent PR value, is better than the car audio shop simply listing itself in a directory that has a potpourri of business listings that are not automotive related.
Like man, all website directories are not created equal.
Back to Matt Cutts video, there have been a slew of directories that simply popped up, and SEO spammers (people selling bogus SEO services, which there is no shortage of) are largely responsible for the production of these lame duck directories.
The major search engines are onto to these friends, and listing on them can dilute your PR significantly. The reason being that many of these have 0 PR, are run by spammers and simply do not provide quality links, accepting anyone that comes along submits.
Some directories charge for listings, but that by no means, has any significance in terms of Page Rank. You can be charged money to list on a directory that will negatively affect your PR.
Some bloggers have compiled a massive list of website directories, and you may have thought you hit the gold mine when you found such a list of link directories for submitting urls. Be very careful before you just blast away listing your blogs, websites and rss feeds on those and remember what Mr. Cutts told you above.
Another aspect to consider in terms of directory listing is the content and links being submitted. That’s right, the content matters, the content is king.
For example, a retail store that sells a wide variety of makeup and beauty product brands that begins to submit directory listings may wish to consider some factors in their listing description like brand names, geography / location of the store, means of retail (ie. Is it brick and mortar? Does it sell online? Is their a catalogue? Types of Payment accepted, etc).
Further, it should consider things like listing products that are “loss leaders”, mentioning products that sell very well, represent the store, etc. Perhaps the store specializes in make up, but also carries a small stock of hair products that are not the major attraction to buyers. Mentioning the hair products in the directory listing may not be beneficial, and focusing on the key retail items and services should be a priority.
The seriously important part is being unique. Slogan aside, all directory listings should be unique! That’s right, they should not have the same descriptions (ie. identical phrasing)! Major search engines will actually punish you for that. Again, Mr. Cutts tells you that above. It’s better to have five directory listings on good directories with unique and well-written descriptions that focus on key elements of your business, then it is to have a 100 identical listings on various link directories.
Your answer to whether it’s possible to list on thousands of directories for better SEO is no. Your answer to whether it’s possible to list in thousands of link directories is yes, and the answer to whether it’s good is no.
How to Choose an SEO Pro for Directory Listing
When choosing a person or firm to perform directory listings for you, stay away from those promising thousands of submissions (especially if each submission is going to be identically worded). Remember that good Search Engine Optimization is about ranking for many related and relevant keyword terms, not just one term, like a business name. Forget about hiring someone from another city or region, especially if you’re a small business, and don’t expect good results from someone who is not going to do research on your business. The best SEO services and freelancers really do their homework, your not paying for quantity, your paying for quality, and your paying to rank on several terms.
Unlike most SEO services in Toronto and the GTA, I don’t charge for a specific number of listings for example, I charge for my time which involves researching the business and understanding what customers are looking for. I delve into marketing, I learn the brands, I ask about what’s selling and study the competition. That’s how it’s done friends, forget bulk buys and pay to have it done right.
Personally, I know I’m fast, and it still takes me a lot of work to cook up the best SEO solutions, finding the right directories and writing solid descriptions that help clients rank on several keyword terms. Could I do it for $75? No way, I enjoy eating everyday and my landlord shows up once a month. The purpose of hiring someone like me is to make more money at your end, and the work I do makes businesses money, lots of it, so why on earth would I as a good SEO professional, agree to help make you thousands of dollars, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars for $75, even a few hundred. It doesn’t make sense, and you should really consider that when you are out there shopping for SEO Services in Toronto or anywhere else to perform directory listings. You really do get what you pay for, and after spending so much time, effort and money on your business why would you choose to skimp on the thing that will bring you the most customers?
ally, I can do SEO on any website, but I specialize in Wordpress SEO. I’m not like “Denny’s” or “TGI Friday’s” in terms of SEO with a bit of everything on the menu , I’m more like “Morton’s” (the steak house), that just does one thing very well, SEO on WP. You should be looking for a person that specializes in your CMS or web environment, because directory listing is far more valuable when optimized with your web page. On the occasions I take non-wordpress jobs I only do it when there is another webmaster present that knows the modules, plugins and other facets of the web environment inside and out.
Asking for references is what has opened the door for poor and unethical SEO (not Black hat) freelancers and services, although it’s a very necessary part of doing business. Let me explain.
Any person, amateur or professional can do research on competitors websites. It’s as simple as right clicking on a competitors website and selecting “view source” (just look for the “meta”), or using some tools (like SEO Chats SEO Tools online) that can determine things like “keyword density” to mine keyword occurrences on a domain and display the term rankings across major search engines.
Because of that, companies that are competing for keywords organically want to hire a person that ran successful competitors SEO campaigns. This is simply unethical in my opinion. If I’m hired by a lipstick manufacturer to rock the Casbah on search engines for lipstick, I’m not about to take all that work and just give it to the next lipstick manufacturer because someone else paid me first. Sure, I like money, but I also like return business, and I never forget who was smart enough to hire me first. I’m also not about to tell you who my clients are so some other SEO professional or service can just retrace my steps and outrank my client, the person who paid me.
How do I get jobs without a portfolio? I do a live audition. I get about 90% of the jobs I audition for because I prove I can build quality links using organic solutions like social media. You should be looking for someone that does the same thing if you want to rank highly for many terms organically, and for long time. I do not get every job because some people find someone cheaper, and I do loose work to better SEO’s.
Those who won’t let me audition my talents, tend to not hire me. I don’t promise I can sell something that no one wants. Instead, I can only promise I will open the doors for content to circulate. If the content is not up to par, sorry I can’t do anything to force people to read it or view it. Many SEO pro’s promise results no matter what. MMMM, so they must be using some secret method of mind manipulation where users view and interact with poor and weak content? Don’t believe the hype. Your content needs to be good. An SEO’s job should be to implement some fundamental good practices and open portals of interaction like social media, comments and well linked pages.
I also blog on several sites and give plenty of free advice and provide solid references for tools and resources that can be used, like this article. I do SEO because I love it, and I use Wordpress because it’s the best CMS for about 95% of projects and the community is simply amazing. Your looking for someone that loves this, obsesses over it (possibly dreaming in meta-land) and blogs about their knowledge. The blogging thing is important, because practice and testing different elements on live servers with no fear of failure is the only way an SEO pro is really made. You can’t master SEO reading about it, you can’t learn what works best without making mistakes, and you can’t be a pro if you are not constantly updating your skills. For the record, I have been a complete screw up in the past, and proudly admit it because in the wisdom of Teddy Rosevelt “The man who never makes a mistake, is the man who does nothing”.
When it comes to SEM (Search Engine Marketing), that’s another story. Providing references is a must, and there is no excuse for not doing so. It’s not what I do specifically, but I know enough that a good SEM pro will save you money by being efficient and score you the best keywords. SEM pros are often not really SEO pro’s, and their understanding of link directory submissions may not be up to par. Stick with the SEO wizards for link directory advice. Stick with SEM pros for your interactive advertising, and as always, don’t buy into the “I can do both line” too quickly. There is far too much too learn, and too much that changes almost daily for anyone person to do it all. While I can do both, I’ve met better SEM pros, and that is what I tell clients. Mind you, I’m always willing to learn, and would love to learn from a master.
Link Directories are important, and valuable, but true link building is about providing quality content (remember content is king friends) and building relationships with other non-directory site owners that want to link to your website because you are the authority, have the best products, provide value or entertain is what real SEO and PR is about.
In closing, if you are just starting out, only do a few listings, and write unique descriptions that feature keywords relevant to your site. On a scale of of 1 to 10, link directories are about a 1.5.
Content is King. Relationships are Queen friends. The Ace, is another article that doesn’t interfere with the U2 concert tonight.
Online it’s Mob Rules friends, so aim to be the head of the Mob.
SEO with fries = Search Engine Optimization Services | Wordpress Expert Services | Viral Marketing and Digital Content Distribution | Social Media Management | Web 2.0 Strategy | Social Media Marketing | Film & Video Production | Video Post Production | Blogging + Blog Creation | New Media Services in Toronto & GTA
Directories, Link Submission, SEO abuse and PR (Page Rank)
Before performing SEO link building by doing link directory submissions in the second half of 2009, or hiring someone to do it for you, you should know that it is not what it was even in the first quarter of 2009. It’s changed, it keeps changing and it’s important to recognize what some SEO services and freelancers are doing can actually hurt your PR on many key terms.
Who says so? Matt Cutts from Google. So I think I’ll just take his word for it. Here is a video from Matt answering some questions about Directory listings.
One of the most important directories to get listed used to be DMOZ. It’s still up there, but no where near what it used to be in terms of search engine importance. It’s the open directory project by Yahoo and Google (yes, they work together here), it can take up to several months to get listed, so it’s important to do it right the first time by submitting a keyword rich, efficient listing in the proper category. It’s important because DMOZ does reject listings, which is why it’s a good one.
One of the biggest misconceptions and abuses in the SEO business is the thinking that listing on several directories is a good thing. In Toronto alone I found more than 20 SEO services that offered Link Directory url submission services and link building services that promised thousands of listings, some for as little as $75.00. Just think about that for a moment. How is that possible? Is it really good? Is it the bargain of a lifetime?
Here are your answers friends.
Firstly, listing on directories is as much about getting found as it is about helping search engines get smarter so that users searches become more relevant and the user experience is improved. Just like old school business, the customer comes first, and in this case the customer is the person that is performing the search using a search engine like Yahoo or Google for a keyword phrase. Unlike oldschool business, search engines are not phone books, they are way smarter, only give about 10-20 results per page and can punish your site for abusing directories.
Matt Cutts clearly tells you in the video above that Google (The search engine with the lion share of the global search market) considers Page Rank (PR) value when evaluating the links between websites. The truth is all 3 major search engines do that, and some of the smaller ones like ASK do to. That PR value is counted between 0 and 10, 0 being the lowest and 10 being perfect. And here is the kicker, I’ve seen plenty of amazing sites, ranked well for many terms, that have a PR value of 0. That’s what changed in search engines, even PR value has been limited in search engine ranking because search is getting more advanced by the day.
Have you ever heard the expression “you are the company that you keep”? Page Rank value can be defined pretty much the same way. PR is determined by relevancy, and relevancy is determined by keyword search terms that link similar websites or contain links to websites that come up in relevant searches.
For example, a shop that sells car audio and that lists itself on a link directory that specializes in automotive, or has a well developed category with links to quality automotive sites (or sites that the car audio shop wants to compete with), or offers similar listings dedicated to automotive and automotive accessories (like car audio), and has a decent PR value, is better than the car audio shop simply listing itself in a directory that has a potpourri of business listings that are not automotive related.
Back to Matt Cutts video, there have been a slew of directories that simply popped up, and SEO spammers (people selling bogus SEO services, which there is no shortage of) are largely responsible for the production of these lame duck directories.
The major search engines are onto to these friends, and listing on them can dilute your PR significantly. The reason being that many of these have 0 PR, are run by spammers and simply do not provide quality links, accepting anyone that comes along submits.
Some directories charge for listings, but that by no means, has any significance in terms of Page Rank. You can be charged money to list on a directory that will negatively affect your PR.
Some bloggers have compiled a massive list of website directories, and you may have thought you hit the gold mine when you found such a list of link directories for submitting urls. Be very careful before you just blast away listing your blogs, websites and rss feeds on those and remember what Mr. Cutts told you above.
Another aspect to consider in terms of directory listing is the content and links being submitted. That’s right, the content matters, the content is king.
For example, a retail store that sells a wide variety of makeup and beauty product brands that begins to submit directory listings may wish to consider some factors in their listing description like brand names, geography / location of the store, means of retail (ie. Is it brick and mortar? Does it sell online? Is their a catalogue? Types of Payment accepted, etc).
Further, it should consider things like listing products that are “loss leaders”, mentioning products that sell very well, represent the store, etc. Perhaps the store specializes in make up, but also carries a small stock of hair products that are not the major attraction to buyers. Mentioning the hair products in the directory listing may not be beneficial, and focusing on the key retail items and services should be a priority.
The seriously important part is being unique. Slogan aside, all directory listings should be unique! That’s right, they should not have the same descriptions (ie. identical phrasing)! Major search engines will actually punish you for that. Again, Mr. Cutts tells you that above. It’s better to have five directory listings on good directories with unique and well-written descriptions that focus on key elements of your business, then it is to have a 100 identical listings on various link directories.
Your answer to whether it’s possible to list on thousands of directories for better SEO is no. Your answer to whether it’s possible to list in thousands of link directories is yes, and the answer to whether it’s good is no.
How to Choose an SEO Pro for Directory Listing
When choosing a person or firm to perform directory listings for you, stay away from those promising thousands of submissions (especially if each submission is going to be identically worded). Remember that good Search Engine Optimization is about ranking for many related and relevant keyword terms, not just one term, like a business name. Forget about hiring someone from another city or region, especially if you’re a small business, and don’t expect good results from someone who is not going to do research on your business. The best SEO services and freelancers really do their homework, your not paying for quantity, your paying for quality, and your paying to rank on several terms.
Unlike most SEO services in Toronto and the GTA, I don’t charge for a specific number of listings for example, I charge for my time which involves researching the business and understanding what customers are looking for. I delve into marketing, I learn the brands, I ask about what’s selling and study the competition. That’s how it’s done friends, forget bulk buys and pay to have it done right.
Personally, I know I’m fast, and it still takes me a lot of work to cook up the best SEO solutions, finding the right directories and writing solid descriptions that help clients rank on several keyword terms. Could I do it for $75? No way, I enjoy eating everyday and my landlord shows up once a month. The purpose of hiring someone like me is to make more money at your end, and the work I do makes businesses money, lots of it, so why on earth would I as a good SEO professional, agree to help make you thousands of dollars, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars for $75, even a few hundred. It doesn’t make sense, and you should really consider that when you are out there shopping for SEO Services in Toronto or anywhere else to perform directory listings. You really do get what you pay for, and after spending so much time, effort and money on your business why would you choose to skimp on the thing that will bring you the most customers?
Person
ally, I can do SEO on any website, but I specialize in Wordpress SEO. I’m not like “Denny’s” or “TGI Friday’s” in terms of SEO with a bit of everything on the menu , I’m more like “Morton’s” (the steak house), that just does one thing very well, SEO on WP. You should be looking for a person that specializes in your CMS or web environment, because directory listing is far more valuable when optimized with your web page. On the occasions I take non-wordpress jobs I only do it when there is another webmaster present that knows the modules, plugins and other facets of the web environment inside and out.
Asking for references is what has opened the door for poor and unethical SEO (not Black hat) freelancers and services, although it’s a very necessary part of doing business. Let me explain.
Any person, amateur or professional can do research on competitors websites. It’s as simple as right clicking on a competitors website and selecting “view source” (just look for the “meta”), or using some tools (like SEO Chats SEO Tools online) that can determine things like “keyword density” to mine keyword occurrences on a domain and display the term rankings across major search engines.
Because of that, companies that are competing for keywords organically want to hire a person that ran successful competitors SEO campaigns. This is simply unethical in my opinion. If I’m hired by a lipstick manufacturer to rock the Casbah on search engines for lipstick, I’m not about to take all that work and just give it to the next lipstick manufacturer because someone else paid me first. Sure, I like money, but I also like return business, and I never forget who was smart enough to hire me first. I’m also not about to tell you who my clients are so some other SEO professional or service can just retrace my steps and outrank my client, the person who paid me.
How do I get jobs without a portfolio? I do a live audition. I get about 90% of the jobs I audition for because I prove I can build quality links using organic solutions like social media. You should be looking for someone that does the same thing if you want to rank highly for many terms organically, and for long time. I do not get every job because some people find someone cheaper, and I do loose work to better SEO’s.
Those who won’t let me audition my talents, tend to not hire me. I don’t promise I can sell something that no one wants. Instead, I can only promise I will open the doors for content to circulate. If the content is not up to par, sorry I can’t do anything to force people to read it or view it. Many SEO pro’s promise results no matter what. MMMM, so they must be using some secret method of mind manipulation where users view and interact with poor and weak content? Don’t believe the hype. Your content needs to be good. An SEO’s job should be to implement some fundamental good practices and open portals of interaction like social media, comments and well linked pages.
I also blog on several sites and give plenty of free advice and provide solid references for tools and resources that can be used, like this article. I do SEO because I love it, and I use Wordpress because it’s the best CMS for about 95% of projects and the community is simply amazing. Your looking for someone that loves this, obsesses over it (possibly dreaming in meta-land) and blogs about their knowledge. The blogging thing is important, because practice and testing different elements on live servers with no fear of failure is the only way an SEO pro is really made. You can’t master SEO reading about it, you can’t learn what works best without making mistakes, and you can’t be a pro if you are not constantly updating your skills. For the record, I have been a complete screw up in the past, and proudly admit it because in the wisdom of Teddy Rosevelt “The man who never makes a mistake, is the man who does nothing”.
When it comes to SEM (Search Engine Marketing), that’s another story. Providing references is a must, and there is no excuse for not doing so. It’s not what I do specifically, but I know enough that a good SEM pro will save you money by being efficient and score you the best keywords. SEM pros are often not really SEO pro’s, and their understanding of link directory submissions may not be up to par. Stick with the SEO wizards for link directory advice. Stick with SEM pros for your interactive advertising, and as always, don’t buy into the “I can do both line” too quickly. There is far too much too learn, and too much that changes almost daily for anyone person to do it all. While I can do both, I’ve met better SEM pros, and that is what I tell clients. Mind you, I’m always willing to learn, and would love to learn from a master.
In closing, if you are just starting out, only do a few listings, and write unique descriptions that feature keywords relevant to your site. On a scale of of 1 to 10, link directories are about a 1.5.
Content is King. Relationships are Queen friends. The Ace, is another article that doesn’t interfere with the U2 concert tonight.
Cameron Kuc aka Freeze aka SEO with Fries.
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SEO with fries = Search Engine Optimization Services | Wordpress Expert Services | Viral Marketing and Digital Content Distribution | Social Media Management | Web 2.0 Strategy | Social Media Marketing | Film & Video Production | Video Post Production | Blogging + Blog Creation | New Media Services in Toronto & GTA
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