I just paid to have my site submitted in a bunch of directories and have noticed some increase in my ranking. I am seeing myself on page one of google for a number of my keywords.
I voted yes, but I think the effect is marginal. It will help most if you have very few backlinks or none at all. But I think the boost they give you is minor compared to more targeted backlinks involved the same or related niches.
Also keep in mind, you are competing with how many other sites on the page you are listed on in that directory? If there are 50 sites listed on the same page you are on, then you only get 1/50 of the pagerank value and probably 1/50 of the traffic too.
I think directories are GREAT for a brand-new site. But after that their use diminishes rapidly.
Some directories will help and some won't. In the end a link from a directory is just that, a link. Links are not all the same and there are a variety of factors that will determine which is better for your site.
Most directories probably aren't worthwhile. The majority automatically accept any site that submits. If you think of a link as a vote an automatic submission isn't really a vote.
At the other end of the spectrum the Yahoo directory charges $299 for a review. Your site may or may not get listed. It will be listed if it passes an editorial review. That would be an honest vote would likely count more. Google has stated they trust the Yahoo directory.
You'll find examples of directories from one extreme to the other. There are probably only a handful of general directories like Yahoo that are worth submitting to.
Niche specific directories may count more than general directories since the topic of the directory would be related to the topic of your site. A site about classic American muscle cars listed in an automobile directory for example.
The majority of directories will probably be seen as a low quality link at best. Still a link, but there are many better ones out there.
I think that the effect of submitting your site to directories has a little weight but still considered by google.....still it has the effect to improve your rank in SERP!
There are some decent directories that will bring link benefits and be of interest to normal web surfers, though they are heavily outweighed by useless directories.
Just to add one more thing. Sure if you're in a directory it's a link, but consider the time spent acquiring those links. Odds are in the time it takes to submit to a number of directories you could have done something else that would have a greater impact.
Endless submitting to directories is an opportunity cost. You lose out because you spent your time doing something of marginal value when you could have used that same time to do something which would prove to be much more valuable.
I was about to say pretty much everything VanGogh said in the message above me.
If you get a lousy no good link the search engines won't even cache, it doesn't hurt you. But it doesn't help, either. And you used up some of your time chasing that link down. You only have so much time to spend on anything, and only some of that for link building. So, that worthless link actually did cost you all the better links you would have already had, if you'd done something else.
If directory and its inner pages are properly indexed by Google and timely updated then that directory definitely helpful in improving one way links for the website.
I voted yes as well. I am not being biased as I have a directory link on my siggy
I have managed to have good SEO results (PR and SERP) for sites that I have optimized by submitting to them. I view directory inclusion as a good investment for the long term, both traffic-wise and SEO-wise. It is just a matter of selecting which directories you submit too.
I also voted for yes. Just better choose quality directories and have higher page rank. Directories are still one of simplest way to get one way links and also a good way to target your keywords which can also help improving your ranking..
I say yes. Directories do help in improving your PR and the number of backlinks. Google doesn't like link exchanges and hence one way link is better than two way link (reciprocal link) and if link exchange is a necessity, you can go for three way link exchange. Getting links from the related niche will be better
I will have to say yes. But you have to submit your sites to directories constantly and google will take time in discovering those links. But the main problem with directories are that they have hundreds of outgoing links.
