16 replies to this topic

[identicality]

Hi everyone.

I'm a long time lurker and newbie with a problem I'm sure many of you have faced. I am beginning to plan for directory submissions for a site I'm designing and I'm trying to write copy with niche keywords for my directory descriptions.

My site is a blog that finds and reviews cool, unique products (men's and women's clothing, accessories, luggage, home decor, cookware, electronic gadgets) from a range of online stores. I write the content, but am an affilliate publisher.

Here's my problem: All the keywords I'm generating for my directory submissions are extremely high competition.

For example, one description I came up with is: Shopping guide publishes online coupons and product reviews for women's and men's clothing, designer handbags, gourmet cookware and electronic gadgets.

This is descriptive, gives a top-level view of the site--but herein lies the problem: there ain't a niche keyphrase in there.

I'm split on whether I should put very specific keyphrases (which I've been saving for inner pages of the site itself) into these directory submissions, or if I should stick with something generic.

What do you think? If I put specific keyphrases into my directory submissions, will I risk not describing my site well enough? Will it be considered keyword spamming?

Any advice is appreciated.

Adam

[Jill]

Unless you can get your keyword phrases into the clickable title of the directory, it really doesn't matter what words you put into the description as far as it helping your rankings in the search engines.

Write the best description you can that will entice people to click on your listing and best explain what your site is all about.

[Rajesh]

Hi

Its better to add unique title and description for every directories and make sure
that in the title have a main keyword and also niche description as Jill suggested.

[Jill]

make sure
that in the title have a main keyword and also niche description as Jill suggested.

Well, I didn't really suggest that because with most directories you have to use your company name. It's nice if you can get them in the Title but for most sites, it's just not doable.

Which is why directory links aren't always the great link people think they are. Still, a link is a link (as Debra is fond of saying) so they are certainly useful to have in one way or another.

[SearchRank]

Jill is right in that most directories only allow you to either place the company name or the web site name in the title field. That will end up being your anchor text for your hyperlink. If you try to stuff any keywords in the title field, they will either be removed by most editors or the submission will be deleted altogether.

As for your description, this is where a good meta description tag becomes useful. Typically you can simply copy and paste your home page meta description into the description field. However, some directories don't like that which is why I always write a second description that is more like a third person review of what the site has to offer. JoeAnt is this way. So is Illumirate (if anyone even submits to them anymore).

There are some paid directories where you can insert keywords in the title. With those, they really don't care because you are paying. However I wouldn't recommend going overboard.

I think the real benefit in being listed in directories is that you gain a backlink and you gain one from a category page that is hopefully related to your business somehow.

[identicality]

Thank you all for clearing that up!

[dawndelcastillo]

does anyone ever get their keywords as anchor text in directories?

[Jill]

Dawn, as searchrank mentioned, you can get keywords in your anchor text at some paid directories. Basically, that's what you're paying for!

[jmoney]

Hi All! I too have been a lurker for quite a while but I thought I might be able to contribute to this thread. Hopefully it will be somewhat of a good first post.

I recently posted to a similar topic over at the SEW forums regarding anchor text and web directories. I agree with everyone here that having keywords in the anchor text would be ideal but - as Jill mentioned, most directories do not list sites this way. Regardless, I still feel that some, but definitely not all directories are excellent sources of natural inbound links. I often submit my sites to the most relevant categories because even if my site is listed with the company name hyperlinked, I feel that I can still benefit from the keywords in my description and the descriptions of other sites listed around me. Unless I am off - I view a listing in a relevant category as a contextually relevant link that will often tell the SE's that my site is related to the keyword text on the page.

[Randy]

Welcome jmoney and Adam !

I would agree that directory links certainly aren't going to hurt.

Perhaps you may be able to achieve more gain if you could specify your anchor text, but simply being included in the correct category does offer the spidering engines some clue, which can then be fortified by other links.

The search engines are getting better every day at analysing such things. It's one of their goals. So who knows, some day those directory links that don't contain exact anchor text will be every bit as valuable as those where the anchor text is 100% on point.

[Scottie]

Welcome jmoney and adam!

Directories are a good source of links and the good ones will send some traffic in their own right. With a purely commercial site, sometimes directories and paid links are the only reasonable way to get those needed incoming links.

[Leann_Pass]

My suggestion is this:

Directories are different, some allow very long descriptions, some only 250 characters, some only 200 characters.

Some only allow the "business title" of the site, but in my experience MOST allow a more descriptive title.

Pre-write descriptions and titles for each of the above, so you can copy and paste them to save time.

Unless you can get your keyword phrases into the clickable title of the directory, it really doesn't matter what words you put into the description as far as it helping your rankings in the search engines.

I have to disagree with the above quote because the text surrounding the link itself can add relevancy to the link. Yes, you want to try to have your keywords in the link text, but either way a good description (preferably as long as possible) making use of your key word phrases does help (a lot in my experience).

The description is especially useful when the directory provides your site with an additional page (they usually call it a business card page or something) that contains only your link (or links) and your description, which makes your description even more powerful.

I'm split on whether I should put very specific keyphrases (which I've been saving for inner pages of the site itself) into these directory submissions, or if I should stick with something generic.

Also, don't forget that some directories allow links to deep pages of your site. This is something you should not overlook and it really helps get those "niche" keyword phrases out there.

Leann
(edited to add last quote)

Edited by Leann_Pass, 08 July 2005 - 10:33 AM.

[identicality]

Thanks for the additional feedback. I am going to submit to gimpsy, which does have a "business card" page, so I will add keyword and write copy very carefully before submission.

I am also planning on adding a "non-commercial" inner page of my commercial site to Zeal, and with luck, I can get into Looksmart for free. ;-)

Has anyone had success using that tactic with Zeal?

[Leann_Pass]

am also planning on adding a "non-commercial" inner page of my commercial site to Zeal, and with luck, I can get into Looksmart for free. ;-)

Has anyone had success using that tactic with Zeal?

Unfortunately, Zeal isn't gonna work that way. If there is anything remotely commercial on the site at all they won't add it for free.

Honestly, Zeal submissions don't seem to do too much for folks. I think I recall a conversation a while back where it was discussed that NOBODY had ever seen a link from zeal show up in their back links. (I don't think anyone ever gets traffic from it either)

There are TONS of good directories out there...some free, some reciprocal, some pay for inclusion. It is worth the time to sort through them, IMO of course.

Leann

[torka]

It might or might not work -- it's up to not just the Zealots, but the LookSmart editors, too.

From their guidelines about commercial content:

Deep-linked content pages within advertising-driven sites may be considered noncommercial. For example, while E! Online's main page is considered commercial, a deep-linked page that has an interview with a celebrity would be acceptable in a noncommercial category, as long as the site's description focuses on the noncommercial elements of the site and does not mention any commercial activities that users could engage in on the site (such as shopping for videos featuring that celebrity).

But then again...

Informational pages that promote a product or service are considered commercial.

So, give it a try. The worst they can do is say no, eh?

--Torka