The Homework Blog

Directories and Back Links

Any webmaster knows that to get his site noticed he needs links to his site. The problem is though, there are backlinks then there are backlinks. In other words, they aren’t all equal. Links from some sites are of far greater value than others. This is certainly true of directories, where many just are not worth bothering with. Let us take a look at some types of backlinks that can be worthwhile. It seems the proliferation of Directories knows no bounds. Go to any webmaster site and virtually every day you will find new directories springing up.It is true to say that some directories are very good, have a high Page Rank with Google, and do get read. The problem is though that the good ones charge. Whether it is worthwhile paying for backlinks from directories is a matter of choice. Getting in early when one first comes online can be an advantage, as many owners will offer free links for early submissions just to get the ball rolling. One of the best links you can get is from DMOZ. But, be prepared to wait a while to get your site listed. Sometimes it never happens, but if you do not try you will never know. The great thing about DMOZ is that some other small directories use the DMOZ directory categories to take their listings from, so you could get a lot of additional backlinks without trying.  Another excellent link would be from the Yahoo Directory. Non-advertising sites can get listed in there for free. But, again, it is not guaranteed to happen, as there are thousands of sites constantly in the queue. Pay $299 and your site will be reviewed by Yahoo, but with no guarantee it will be listed, though apparently the vast majority are successful. The irony is that Google rate these Yahoo links very highly, yet they  object to paid-for links. Having said that, the $299 is said by Yahoo to be for the cost of reviewing sites, rather than the listings. Slightly strange then that the $299 is renewable every year. Yet another quality directory is Best of the Web, which currently has a PR value of 7, that’s very high! BOTW has an annually recurring charge of $149.95 for commercial sites. Websites like Swom are also takign the palce of directories as of late. Commercial sites means that if anything is sold via the site it is classed as commercial. Non-commercial sites are those such as community websites, local non-profit organizations, personal home pages, school sites, and places of worship. No charge is made for their review. Again, as with Yahoo, there is no guarantee your site will get listed, whether you have paid or not, and your money could be wasted on the review if your site is rejected for inclusion.