It more just depends you go about it. Most likely, it will help you "some", but results can vary. If you are just paying someone to submit to directories that knows nothing about your site, and you are not converting traffic once people arrive, I wouldn't bother. However, if you are actively involved in maintaining your site, and are finding directories that are maintained for quality, it probably will help.
I've been trying to figure out for myself for the last five years. I came to the results it benefits very very little. If you're going to submitted yourself to quality directory, you have spend many hours with little results. I used to spend hours a day submitting. and if you decide to pay someone to do it, most likely they will submit your websites that's been submitted many times. it's a great way to start optimizing very easy keywords by yourself, if you have the time to submit.
waste of time or money if you pay for inclusion unless its is local business and yellow pages kind of directory
It depends... I usually aim for Web Dirs that have atleast PR 3 ! Its better to add your site to 100 Web Dirs with PR 3 + than to 2000 with PR N/A to 2
whats use of high PR if most if not all directories are: 1) no-follow 2) do not carry the / PR into the subpages
The days of sticking up a low quality directory are gone for sure. You have to make a site people love in some way with an emphasis on quality.
Bene, Don Corleone. I need a quality directory that will give me PR-6 do-follow link. I need a million dollars in cash. I need, Don Corleone, all of those site people lovers that you carry around in your pocket, like so many nickels and dimes.
If it hasn't worked for you, then you are probably doing it incorrectly. I don't mean to sound condescending, but it's a fact that most people (even top-level SEOs) simply do not understand how to submit correctly. Even people that have been doing it for 10 years, still do it wrong, and always have, but they play the hit 'n' miss saturation game, and have never bothered to work out how to do it properly. This is a good point, but really this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of it "depending on how you go about it". People submit and forget, and whilst that might be good advice if you don't care, if you want results it's the worst way to go about things. If you want your site to benefit from directories then you need to understand how submission works, and how to gain listings that will work for you. Directory submission will never bring you massive SERPs power, on their own. But they should be thought of as one club in your golf bag of promotion. Would you play a round of golf without a club? You mightn't use that club all the time, but at some point you will need to --- and when you need to use it, you really should know how to use it.
doing it incorrectly : Can you shed some light on this sir? It is very much talked about that if used correctly, DIR submission can boost your SE Rankings. My idea of submission is submit your website to its respective or most likely category after considering DIRies PR value, category's page PR value. I also look deep into the DIR whether it is a serious one or not (spammy or not). Well ,I could not have asked for more experienced posters for this thread. Such a previledge
I think directory submission may work only if you submit to high Pagerank Dofollow Directories, not to all those low quality directories,
Low quality directories/link farms are done.. the links are worthless. Good maintained quality niche directories are good, but people maintaining these will usually want a fee.
How to submit correctly? Here's a quickie guide. 1. Follow the directory's guidelines. 2. Submit to an appropriate category. 3. If the other listings in your category don't belong there, don't waste your time submitting. 4. Write a description like an advertisement rather than a keyword-filled bunch of gibberish. 5. Look around at the other listings on the page and modify your site description to help the page your listing will appear on rank for some commonly used terms on the page. 6. Don't compete with yourself by putting your top keywords anywhere other than the title. 7. Ignore PR unless it's fake. 8. If the category spans dozens of pages, you're probably wasting your time unless you pay for featured status to get on the first page of the category.
Interetsing that this post as come up - I asked this question last week, got no definitive response and am now trialling Brad Callen's Directory Submitter. Will let you know how it all works out.
I disagree with you. It all depends on your choice of directories. There are tons of crap paid directories. But, lets not forget there are many good quality paid directories you can choose from. You get traffic as well a vital back-link.
Directory submissions works better than most other link submissions. No idea why! but it does. And thats from 10 years experience.
Yes directory submission is working, you need to do it properly you must submit your website in the relevant category in the directory. It will give you back link and keywords popularity
Directory submission is useful but it should be done along with other link building methods. You also have to spend your time submitting to some of the better directories. Submitting to the first 500 you find won't help. There is a lot of crap out there and a lot of dead directories. Quality is more important than quantity.