Search
Related Links
WEB DIRECTORY LISTINGS - YOUR KEY TO HIGHER SEARCH ENGINE RANKINGS
Online competition is undeniably fierce, with an estimated 5
billion webpages on the net. And all of them vying for the
attention of around 2005, 202,888,307 Americans, or 68.9% of the
entire population of the country that's online (June 2005
Nielsen/NetRatings survey).
In December 2005 - these shoppers, spent a total of $25 billion
on the net, from between October 29 and December 16, pegged the
first seven weeks of the 2005 holiday season.
How can you make your website stand out from a sea of over 5
billion webpages?
How can you get traffic that is easily converted into paying
customers? The answers to these two questions are simple - have
your website listed in web directories.
A web directory is the online equivalent of a library, for it
contains the addresses of websites, indexed and organized
according to specific subject matters. And to complete the
analogy, the virtual librarians are human editors who evaluate
and catalogue websites submitted for listing.
Here are three good reasons why you should use web directories
to gain increased search engine rankings. * Higher Ranking In
Search Engine Results Major search engines such as Yahoo! Google
and MSN search use the databases of web directories to
complement their search results. In addition, to these major
search engines, your site is sure to appear in Netscape Search,
Google, Lycos, and AOL searches. * Immediately Accessible to
Your Target Markets Web directories index websites according to
categories. So all your audience has to do is, access that
specific category, and click on the link to end at your landing
page. * Permanent and quality links from the web directories
Search engines award websites that have more quality links,
higher rankings. Therefore, your site benefits two ways,
increased visibility due to its' link to a respected web
directory and by association, it becomes a quality site. Should
you go for paid inclusion or free submission? It all depends on
your budget and the target audience you want to reach. Many web
directories, list websites free provided that these websites
have to pass strict guidelines. Moreover, you should be prepared
for a long wait, if you are applying to a major directory.
There's the ratio of a few human editors, against hundreds of
websites, to consider.
In addition, while there are web directories, which charge
nominal monthly or one-time inclusion fees, the fees do not
guarantee immediate traffic to your site. Nor does the inclusion
fee guarantee your site will be listed. However, if your site is
rejected, most directories will return your fee. Here's what you
can do to increase your chances for inclusion: * Have your own
domain name. * Ensure your site's name matches your domain name.
* Before submitting to a web directory, double-check to ensure
you have no bad links, images, and Java script errors. If it's
sloppily done, your site may be rejected. * Have your company's
details, such as postal address and phone numbers, clearly in
view. * Ensure the links to your company's privacy policy,
return policy, and guarantee, aren't broken. * Lastly, if you
are selling online, make sure your e-commerce facilities are
secure.
Submission Tips Worth Remembering
Consider what kind of site you have and the services you are
selling, use this knowledge as a guide in selecting the
category.
Here's an effective way to find out what category your site
belongs to. Launch a search at the directory for websites whose
services are similar to yours. Surf these sites, Evaluate why
these web sites had themselves listed in this particular
category.
Carefully read the directory's instructions and comply with
these. It will lessen your chances of being rejected and have
all the hard work wasted.
Does the application give you an opportunity to provide more
information about your site? Use the form. If your site has
special benefits or products, be sure to write these down, for
the directory editor. Focus your attention and time to
submitting to directories but don't ignore the smaller ones, as
long as these directories are relevant to your site. That way,
you increase your opportunities to reach your target audience.
And, the more listings the greater the links you'll have, adding
to the link popularity of your website. In conclusion, remember
two things about directory listing. It's just one of the many
strategic e-marketing tools you can utilize. And it's cheap.
Second - remember to constantly surf for relevant directories to
submit your site to. One such directory is
http://www.alivedirectory.com . You'll gain quality links and
increased visibility, which will give your site higher engine
rankings. And attract quality visitors, who can easily be
converted into paying clients.
About the author:
This article has been prepared by http://www.articleauthors.net
and is being used exclusively to promote the best directory to
submit your website to at: http://www.alivedirectory.com