CONTRADICTORY... Analyze your links closely to know you are doing SEO right and which links you should disavow, but don’t think about backlinks. Spend years developing high quality link-bait and become an Authority, and then disavow all the links from sites that Google doesn’t like (even though they voluntarily linked to you because of your great content). Select a domain name that exactly matches what searchers want, but don’t select an exact match domain name even if that’s what searchers want and that’s what you do. Share content that is newsworthy, but don’t use press releases because that’s spammy. Don’t use directories, except Yelp and DMOZ, which are directories. Develop a world-wide brand so that you will be invulnerable to Google updates, just like the Salvation Army. http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2275191/Google-Doubletalk-and-the-Three-Bears
Interesting article. My approach to SEO in the last year is do nothing, not a single thing except for on-site work. Then I just let it run by producing good content, in time my visits increase, sometimes it can be months but it's worked every time. Currently I have 5 sites pulling in 25,000 page views a day in total, I have never placed a single backlink.
I've 3 websites and I only place links on paid & high PR directories. As soon as I place a new link in a premium/paid directory I can see an increase in traffic within 1 week. And BTW I've never been hit by any update. So I disagree with your no directories point.