I know that submitting your website to online directories can be tedious and the quickest way is to pay some company to do it for you.

In my experience, I have found that doing it myself is the best practice for me. I want to make sure I am listed where I want to be listed and not on just some random site that gets less than 200 visitors a week!

Here is some information for listing your website on online directories, this information is cited from: StartupBiz http://rtup.biz/website-directory-submission.php

Here are the 3 big directories that you should submit your URL to:


DMOZ Directory Submission

This old simple website directory still plays the largest role out of all directories.

Key Website Directory Submission Points:

Become an Editor - This is one of the hardest directories to get into if you are not part of the community. Spend your time applying for editor positions of categories with no editors. Once you become an editor then you can get all of your sites submitted and published.

Start Your Title with an A - DMOZ is still working off the simple approach of ranking all submissions alphabetically. The higher up your site the more traffic and search engine value your site will have.

Best Advice:

Choose a Directory that You See is Getting Updates - Many of the editors have gone AWOL and will never return. So if you submit to a directory that has been cold for months, then your site may never even get reviewed.

Yahoo Directory Submission

What was once the foundation of the internet is still important, but it is not what it is used to be. Your website submission will play a crucial role in search engine rankings, especially yahoo.

Key Website Directory Submission Points:

Choose Directories that Have Less than 20 Sites Listed - The sites are ranked in order of most traffic off of yahoo search and they are listed 20 per page. If you are 21, then the listing serves no purpose at all.

Tailor A Page to A Directory with Less Than 10 Sites Listed - For example, you can write a page on software piracy that is not your home page and still get it listed. This is a great way to get more than one submission approved.

Best Advice:

Pay for the Submission - Yahoo does not spend much time managing their directory anymore. If you do not pay for your website submission, then it may take months to get reviewed. Choose your directly wisely and then pony up the money.

Business.com Directory Submission

This is a pay submission only, but since it is a business site only it is definitely worth it.

Key Website Directory Submission Points:

Featured Listing - If you look at this directory you can see that the featured listings are at the top. Either pay for the featured listing or choose a directory that does not have many sites featured.

Alphabetical - As you can see past the featured listings on this directory the list is alphabetical. Try and add the a or a number in front of you listing to be at the top.

Best Advice:

Pay for The Feature - This site has a high conversion ratio, so if you have legitimate business model it is worth paying to be featured and having a great title to pull the traffic.

SUp Url Submission

Our site is completely free, and there are several places to place your website.

Key Website Directory Submission Points:

Submit Your URL - This is a very popular discussion where members list their url.

BOps Section - This is a high traffic area that is constantly viewed by new members looking for new ops. You can make unlimited posts. The most recent are shown on the page.

Groups - There are plenty large groups on the website that get a large amount of traffic. Posting comments and discussions with a url signature is a good tactic.

Best Advice:

Make Daily BOps Posts - Very few sites offer a no holds barred approach like this that is free.

If you know of other directories that are not listed here please add to the list.

Have a great week
Andrea~

Andrea, this is a great start thanks for posting it - I moved your post to the SEO section because ultimately, when done correctly, linkbuilding increases Search Engine Optimization for a website.

I'd just like to add that it can be a big mistake to pay a company to submit links for your site - you have no control over what they do or how they do it and like everything else, you get what you pay for. Linkbuilding is a very minor part of SEO but if it's done wrong it can have very negative effects on a site.

Better to slog through it yourself, as tedious as it is, and do it right than risk having it done wrong on the cheap. I'd rather have five GOOD links back to my site than fifty OK links.

So, with that in mind -here's what I suggest you look for and what you stay away from when building links.

LOOK FOR:
- directories that are clean in terms of design [ie - does the owner care about the site]
- check their existing listings to see if they are spammy or not and are they organized in the right types of categories [ie is a link about hotels listed in the travel section? or in the baking section? Again, do the owners care about their site.]
- SEO friendly links [ie - do they allow keywords in the link TITLE?]
- if you're going to do a paid link, try to opt for LIFETIME links whenever possible. For the really good sites you may be faced with monthly payments - only you can decide if this is worth it or not. If it's a great site, well cared for, etc. it may be worth the investment.
- Does the directory have a section that suits your SEO goals? Remember that the URL of your link in that directory can help or hinder your efforts. The best directories will have a Virtual Services, Virtual Assistant, or Business section you can find a place to list in.

AVOID:
- Messy, poorly designed directories [again, it's all about finding sites where the owners care about the taxonomy, presentation, and the information provided]
- Directories with Google Ads all over them
- Directories with poor English
- Directories where the links are scattered and filed nonsensically - if the owner of the directory is just approving links left and right then your link will potentially be listed among other sites that don't really belong in your category.
- Directories that promise SEO results or PageRank

That's all I can think of for now - I hope it helps

Check Directory Critic for huge lists of free, paid and reciprocal directories. Just be judicious about where you put your links and exactly how you word your listing.

Good luck!

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This is wonderful information Tess and I am like you, I like to know where I am listed and if I am listed in the right places.

Thank you for moving it to the correct category lol

Andrea~

What categories are you using to list your virtual services? I don't want to use something as general as "Business Services" but on the other hand, for all I do, I can't possibly select every appropriate category.

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Patricia Nixon, Nixon Virtual Strategies
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Andrea and Tess,

These are great tips for linkbuilding! Thank you both for sharing.

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Anjanette
Precise Assistance

Hi!

I appreciate the post. These are advices that could help me for link building. Great stuff!

Regards,
Juna

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juna "Hire a Virtual Assistant"

Thank you Andrea this is more great information to keep in mind! (I wonder if I am ever going to launch. )

And Tess, your list about what to avoid I actually do that for any site I visit. If like if you don't care about yourself then why should I think you would care about the service/product you want to sell to me?

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Sherri Lynne Barlow
Sequoia Virtual Business Solution

I am in the process of launching my website and I have found all of this information very helpful. Thank you :-)

Thanks for this, what a great post.

Thanks for all the information on submitting your website to directories.

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Jayme Hanson
Your Virtual Assistant Solution