If you’re trying to rank your website on the first page of SERPs like Google, link building with web directory backlinks can give you the edge you need. You see, Google’s algorithm for ranking websites considers two main factors: on-page factors and off-page factors. On-page factors refer to things like the content on your website, while off-page factors refer to things like link popularity.
Link popularity is determined by the number and quality of backlinks pointing to your website. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the higher your link popularity will be, and the better your chances of ranking on SERPs. Getting your business on a web directory is one way to get high-quality backlinks.
What Are Backlinks?
Before we get into how you can use web directories for link building, let us take a step back and explain what backlinks are. Backlinks are simply links from other websites that link to your website. Search engines use these links to crawl the web and discover new websites.
The process goes like this: Website A links to Website B (this is called a backlink). Search engine crawlers find the link on Website A and follow it to Website B. When they index Website B, they also take into account the number of backlinks pointing to it. This is one factor that determines a website’s link popularity.
Now not all backlinks are made the same, some backlinks can improve your SEO while others can hurt it. To give you an idea, there are two types of backlinks that you should know about: dofollow and nofollow.
Dofollow links are backlinks that pass link juice, which is basically a vote from one website to another. This tells the search engine crawlers that Website A thinks Website B is important and should be ranked higher on SERPs.
Nofollow links, on the other hand, don’t pass link juice. These are usually used when someone is linking to a website but doesn’t necessarily endorse it. For example, if you leave a comment on someone’s blog post with a link to your website, chances are that link will be nofollow.
Why Are Backlinks Important For Link Building?
Link building is technically the process of acquiring backlinks from other websites, with the goal of increasing link popularity and improving SEO. The logic behind it is simple: the more high-quality backlinks you have, the higher your link popularity will be, and the better your chances of ranking on SERPs.
Link building can be a bit of a challenge because it’s not always easy to get other websites to link to yours. This is where web directories come in.
Web directories are basically lists of websites that are categorized by topics. When you submit your website to a directory, you’re essentially getting a high-quality backlink because most web directories use do-follow links.
However, since not everyone uses the web directory strategy for link building, most link-building techniques you will find include doing guest posts, creating infographics, or even link baiting.
In general, link building is an important ranking factor for SEO, and high authority-to-follow backlinks can give you the boost you need to rank higher on SERPs.
How Does Link Building Help With SEO?
SEO is a complex process that involves many different ranking factors, but link-building is definitely one of the most important ones.
Remember, link popularity is one of the main things that search engine crawlers take into account when they’re indexing websites. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the higher your link popularity will be, and the better your chances of ranking on SERPs.
In addition to link popularity, link building can also help improve your website’s PageRank. PageRank is a metric developed by Google that basically measures how important a website is. It’s one of the things that determine a website’s position on SERPs.
The logic behind it is simple: if a website has a lot of high-quality backlinks search engines trust that website more, and it will rank it higher on SERPs.
Of course, link building is just one of the many ranking factors that search engines take into account when they’re indexing websites. But it’s definitely an important one, and it’s something you should focus on if you want to improve your SEO.
How To Use Web Directories For Link Building?
Now that we’ve gone over what backlinks are and how link building can help with SEO, let’s talk about how you can use web directories for link building.
The process is actually pretty simple: you find a relevant web directory, submit your website to that directory, and wait for the directory to approve your listing. Once your listing is approved, you’ll have a high-quality backlink from that directory.
The key to using web directories for link building is to find relevant directories. There’s no point in submitting your website to a directory that’s not related to your niche because chances are that link won’t be very valuable.
Fortunately, there are a few ways you can find relevant directories. One way is to use Google search operators like “keyword + directory” or “keyword + resources.”
For example, if you’re in the fitness niche, you could search for “fitness directory” or “fitness resources.” This should give you a good list of relevant directories you can submit your website to.
Another way to find relevant web directories is by looking at your competitor’s backlinks. You can use a tool like SEMrush or Majestic to do this. Just enter your competitor’s website into the tool, and it will show you all the places they’re getting backlinks from.
Once you have a list of relevant directories, the next step is to submit your website to those directories. This usually involves filling out a form with your website’s information, such as its URL, title, and description.
Some directories will also ask you for a link back to their website. This is called a reciprocal link, and it’s not required by all directories.
However, if a directory does require a reciprocal link, it’s usually worth it because that link will also be counted as an SEO ranking factor.
Once you’ve submitted your website to a directory, all you have to do is wait for the directory to approve your listing. This can sometimes take a few weeks, so be patient.
And that’s it! That’s how you can use web directories for link building. Just remember to find relevant directories and to fill out your listing information carefully.
How To Choose Web Directories For Getting Backlinks
When choosing web directories for link building, always make sure to keep an eye out for green and red flags that could indicate a directory’s quality.
Some of the green flags you should look for include:
– The directory is well-designed and easy to navigate
– The directory is well-organized and categorized
– The directory has a high PageRank
Some of the red flags you should watch out for include:
– The directory is poorly designed and hard to navigate
– The directory is barely populated or hasn’t been updated in a while
– The directory has a low PageRank
If you see any of these red flags, it’s probably best to avoid that directory. Remember, link building is all about getting high-quality backlinks, so it’s not worth your time to submit your website to a low-authority directory.
What To Prepare For Web Directories
Even though not all directories run the same, there’s a pretty standard list of information you’ll need to have ready before submitting your website.
The first thing you’ll need is your website’s URL. Make sure this is the exact URL you want people to see when they click on your link because some directories won’t let you change it after your listing has been approved.
Next, you’ll need a title and description for your website. The title should be brief and to the point, and the description should give a brief overview of what your website is about.
You might also need to choose a category for your website. This helps people quickly find websites like yours when they’re browsing the directory.
Aside from these, you may also need to prepare pieces of content, like articles or blog posts, to submit to the directory.
And finally, some directories will require you to link back to their website from yours. If this is the case, you’ll need to add a link to the directory on your website before you can submit your listing.
Now that you know what to look for and what to prepare, let’s take a look at some of the best web directories for link building.
The Best Web Directories For Link Building
1. DMOZ
DMOZ is one of the oldest and most well-known web directories around. It’s edited by a team of volunteer editors, which means it can take a while for your website to get listed. But because it’s such a high-quality directory, it’s definitely worth the wait.
2. Yahoo! Directory
The Yahoo! Directory is another long-running directory that’s very well-respected within the SEO community. To get your website listed, you’ll need to fill out a form with your website’s information and then pay a one-time review fee of $299.
3. Business.com
Business.com is a directory that specializes in listing business websites. If your website is related to business, this is a great directory to get listed in. To submit your listing, simply fill out the form on their website and wait for a member of their editorial team to review and approve your listing.
4.NearMe VIP Business Directory
NearMe is a VIP business directory that’s totally free to list your business in.
To get started, simply create an account and then add your business listing. Once you’ve done that, your listing will be reviewed and approved within 2-3 days. NearMe also offers premium listing options with free content for a monthly subscription.
5. Gimpsy
Gimpsy is a directory that specializes in listing websites that are geared towards women. If your website is aimed at female audiences, this is a great directory to get listed in.
Using Web Directories For Digital Marketing And SEO
Web directories can be a great way to build links and improve your website’s SEO. But it’s important to remember that link building is just one part of a larger digital marketing strategy.
To really see results, you need to focus on creating high-quality content that will attract natural backlinks. Once you’ve done that, link building can help give your SEO a boost and help you achieve even better results.
Aside from using web directories to rank your website on SERPs, you can also utilize it in digital marketing by submitting linkable assets like articles, blog posts, or infographics.
When you submit linkable content to web directories, be sure to include a link back to your website so people can find and read your content. If you do this right, you can generate a lot of traffic and high-quality backlinks that will help improve your website’s SEO.
Why Today Is The Best Time To Start Link Building With Web Directories
This SEO strategy is not new, but it has been proven to be effective time and time again.
Link building with web directories can help you improve your website’s SEO, increase traffic, and get more leads and sales.
What’s more, it’s a great way to get high-quality backlinks from relevant websites.
If you’re looking for an easy and effective way to get started with link building, then web directories are a great option.
To find the best link-building opportunities, simply browse through some of the most popular web directories and see if there are any that are a good fit for your website.
Once you’ve found a few possibilities, reach out to the directory owners and submit your website for inclusion. If everything goes well, you’ll soon have high-quality backlinks that will help improve your website’s SEO.
The Bottom Line
Link building is a digital marketing strategy that has been around for quite some time. It involves adding links from other websites back to your own. Web directories are a great way to build links and improve your website’s SEO. If you’re looking for an easy and effective way to get started with link building, then high-authority web directories are a great option.
