Directory Submission for Website Traffic is Not Dead
Contrary to what you may have heard, directory submission as a means of generating links and traffic to your website, is not dead. But in 2010 the game has definitely changed. Instead of being about quantity, it is all about quality.
The Internet directory boom that started around 2004 and peaked in 2006 led to thousands of directories being created. Most were short lived and created only by website owners seeking to make a quick buck. This left the Internet directory landscape littered with the remains of these now defunct websites. Submitting your fresh new site to one of these dead sites will lead to zero results for you.
If you are looking to build relevant links and new traffic to your website, you need to find quality established directories. What determines quality of a directory? One of the most important factors is the age and longevity of the website. Search engines trust older sites more than new ones. They have been indexing their pages for years and have built up a certain trust level with these search engines. This leads to a higher valuation of the links included in the directory which can be passed to your website if it is included in the directory after you submit your site. Older sites will generally rank higher in the search results, which could lead to more people seeing your link and visiting your site,
Another important aspect to look for in a web directory is responsiveness of the owner. Does the site sit for long periods of time with no activity? Or is it updated daily? One way to find out is to check if the site has a link count box. You can check that over a few days to see if it changes. You can also look to see if the top links in a certain category change over time. A final fool proof way of seeing if there is anyone actually at the helm of the directory is to email the webmaster with a simple question. If you get a response within a day or so, it is a good indication that the site is being frequently updated.
Once you have found a quality web directory, submitting your website is still a great idea. If you link is accepted you can see a steady flow of visitors as well as the benefit of increased search engine rankings.
Jake Davis is an authority on Search Engine Optimization/Marketing and operates one of the oldest and most respected web directories at http://www.directoryvault.com Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/online-promotion-articles/directory-submission-for-website-traffic-is-not-dead-1767678.html