I ve read on a lot of blogs that web directories dont add any value to your SERPS or traffic....is it true ? are they useless ?
not all of them are useless. some are high authority directories and some are pure junk. all depends on where you submit to
Some of them are nofollow and others can help you on the SERPS, either way your link will be out there for people to click on so they will always do something.
Not all directories are useless but yes, it is not of any benefit if you would only prefer to get backlinks from 3000+ directories of PR 0-6. Try to submit your site in web directories which have authority and high PR and which are reputable in the eyes of Google (like Dmoz, BOTW & Business.com) Hope this helps.
I'd say it depends, but one thing is for sure, the services that give you 1000 submissions etc. are useless (at least in my experience). You need to dig the high quality directories and list your self there.
As far as time value, they are worthless if you are adding them yourself, you could spend your time much better creating more valuable links to your site. The Dmoz directory is something you should get into and Yahoo is great too but it's like $299 per year.
I think directory submission is still useful for SEO purpose though it is not so powerful as before. Generally speaking, submitting your sites to those niche relative directories or deep linking accepted directories would be better, IMO. Thanks,
Directory submissions are certainly helpful in terms of SEO but the only point you should keep in mind is the fact that doing it regularly will give you a lot of benefit. Don't try and submit to 1000 directories all at once. Instead, submit to 20 directories regularly which will give your site much more benefit.