PROS AND CONS WITH ONLINE DIRECTORIES
How many of you have signed up with an online directory in hopes to increase your search engine rankings? If I had to guess, most of you have. If not, you have probably thought about joining an online directory. A lot of people ask me this and I always tell them the same answer, "sometimes it will, sometimes it won't." Online directories can be very beneficial to your website or it can cost your website search ranking to drop like a bad habit.
Why do some online directories benefit you while others hurt your search engine ranking? Well, truth be told, nobody knows the exact formula. However, results have shown that online directories can increase traffic and your search engine ranking. We also know that it can also hurt traffic and decrease your search engine ranking. The key is knowing with online directories to join and which online directories to stay away from. Somewhere in between, there is a delicate formula that few understand. Yes, an online directory increases traffic and your search engine ranking, but it has to be a credible directory.
So what is an online directory? If you don't know what an online directory is, in simple terms, it is a hosted website where links are stored by category or niche. The traditional purpose of the online directory is having multiple website URL's in one location. Each link is placed in a specific niche category, where it can be searched for through the website's search engine. You can either type the URL or choose the main niche category. For example, you can go to an online directory looking for business related websites and it will show several different websites under the same niche. If you were looking up arts, you would choose the art category and your search engine results will display websites associated with art. This is the basic function of an online directory.
There are a lot of pros when it comes to giving your website URL to a credible online directory. You can create an account and advertise on your online directory. If someone is searching for your niche, your website will pop up with other relevant websites. Your submission to an online directory will increase your traffic and it will increase your search engine ranks. Due to this, you will have the opportunity for more sales and revenue. However, you have to make sure your online directory is credible.
Some online directories are free to join, some offer free services, and others require a payment. Online directories that require payments usually bring more traffic and higher search engine ranks. This is not to say that free online directories won't help, just not as much. The online directories that charge you, they charge because they know it will bring you more traffic and higher search engine rankings. You are paying for the exposure and traffic.
Every online directory that you will come across will be monetized. This is true because there is money to be made, point blank. Even so, at this day and age, anyone can make a website for an online directory. Due to this, you have to be careful where you place your URL. If an online directory is storing links that are spam and you submit your URL, it will hurt your website. This is why it is crucial to make sure that all your online directories are credible. Online directories are here to offer their services, but making revenue and profits are more important.
Online directory websites are controlled by real humans. If your wanting to submit your website, you need to make sure that you have quality content. Their website moderators will review your website or blog. If your content has quality and plenty of content, you should be accepted. If you just started your website or blog, don't bother sending it because it will likely be turned down. However, don't get discouraged. Always try your best to right quality content and use SEO. This alone will improve your traffic and search engine rankings.
