SEO in 2019: Are Online Web Directories Still Useful?

For a long time directories occupied an important role in the evolution of the web. Before Google and complex search algorithms most of the internet was categorised using Yahoo's original web directory which categorised websites manually by niche and from which the company took its name.
Things have changed a great deal since then and last year, twenty years since its inception, Yahoo rather innocuously announced the death of its directory, bringing to a close a fundamental chapter in the history of the internet.
A Moz research revealed that web directories and local citations are still a small ranking factor, and mainly for small businesses. Although Google’s John Mueller said that directory links “generally” don’t help with the SEO.

What Purpose does Web Directories Serve?

Directories are the large databases, that hold huge number of websites segregated based on their categories and sub-categories. There are always paid and free directories, some of them take websites on the whole and some accept only a webpage or a post.
Long before Google, Bing and other search engines came to be, web directories were developed as a means to help people more easily find information on the web. Beginning in the early to mid-90’s the popularity of web directories rapidly grew, giving rise to early pioneers, including Yahoo! Directory, the Starting Point Directory, and The Mozilla Directory. But soon, companies like Google arose to provide people with an automated way to search through the quickly expanding, which ultimately began a decline in popularity.

Does Directory Submission For SEO Still Work?

The answer to this question is both – submitting your site to directories can be both GOOD and BAD. It depends on which directories you submit to, how you go about submitting, your intent, and the approach you take. Web Directories probably still have a small impact on your rankings, just like any other site that links to you and passes Page Rank. However, because they’ve been abused as an SEO tactic over the years, Google penalizes people that use web directories. With the rise of Penguin 4.0, many of them are probably ignored.
It seems obvious that many site owners are still unsure about listing their sites within directories. Perhaps it’s because they’re concerned they might get hit with a penalty, or perhaps it’s because they don’t see any real value in it, or perhaps it’s just that they don’t know where to start. But does these all mean that we should stop submitting to directories? Perhaps not; because online directories can surely boost your SEO, provided the job is done properly. However, here is the help line:

Quality

Directory Quality matters a lot. Since all directories are not made to perform equally well, choosing the right one will make all the difference. The best thing will be to focus on those that are indexed by Google. Also, your preference should go in favor of submitting to paid directories in your niche. There are quite a good many paid directories offering choice links since their editorial know-how invariably helps in ensuring quality.

Relevance

Relevance is equally important. If you intend to submit to directories that are miles away from your niche, how do you expect your buyers to find you? Therefore, choose directories in your category or  group. One of the ways of testing the relevancy of a directory involves search queries for your given keyword and then to observe whether the directory functions. Alternatively, follow blogs(industry wise) that provides directory lists.

Scheduling

Schedule your submission so that they can have better effect. Why not submit to most relevant niche directories over time. The truth is, with the introduction of Panda and Penguin updates to Google’s algorithm, organic links are more highly valued than ever, and the best way to get them is through building your SEO through natural search traffic.

Category

I've come across so many sites that have been listed under a category within a directory that was just wrong. Make sure you understand exactly what your client does! While some directories have editors who will switch your site to a different category if they feel it belongs elsewhere, it's always better to get it right the first time. This will prevent a delay or even a rejection in your site submission.

Conclusion

Generally, you should avoid them, but sometimes web directory submissions might be useful, especially when it comes to local businesses and local SEO. Before you submit your links, make sure that the online directory is relevant to your niche and has a good link profile. If you’re looking for a company to help you get to the top of the search engine rankings, Give SEO Ninja Softwares a try! With more than 5000+ satisfied clients and over 2000+ raving fans, our search engine optimization skills have been proven to help businesses just like yours find success online. We offer Premium Local SEO, E-Commerce SEO, and global SEO from startups to Corporate businesses. Our pricing is reasonable, high-retentionable and offer #1 Ranking on Google. Feel free for any queries or questions you may have to our 24/7 customer support. So if you don’t see results, we’ll give you your money back. We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have about our SEO pricing plans or any other queries, or the methods we use to improve your site’s visibility in search engines such as Google. Feel free to contact us at any time!