Directory Listing Quality
-
Have any of you ever purchased a directory listing with Absolute Directory (http:www.absolutedirectory.com)?
I was thinking about suggesting it to some of my clients since it was inexpensive, had a good domain authority (58), moz trust (5.81), and didn't seem to be filled with any ads or obtrusive content. Any thoughts? Is this to good to be true?
Regards - Kyle
-
There is a very clear line in this regard.
Yahoo directory does not charge to be added to their directory. They are charging to review your website. They have specific standards. They do not accept all sites. If your site passes the review you are included in their directory. If your site does not pass, the fee is non-refundable and your site is not included. That is the line which Google permits.
If a site charges and any site which pays is included, that is not acceptable. If a site charges and any site which is rejected receives a refund, that is not acceptable.
Yahoo and BOTW are two examples of permitted directories where a fee is required to be added. BBB and other organizations charge a fee to be accepted into their organization then, once accepted, you receive a listing in their directory. That is accepted as well.
-
I see what you are saying, just seems so strange that some directories are okay and some are not. Maybe the its authority they have for instance yahoo vs absolute directory?
None-the-less, thank you for all the feedback, definitely helpful in making my decision.
-
In general I would agree with Ryans comment - paid links are a no-no as far as google is concerned.
Yahoo directory and business.com appear to be the few exceptions to the rule though (many companies list in both without any detriment), there may well be a specific reason for this, but one I won't claim to know!
With association sites, most will word their t&cs to state that you are paying to be a member, and by being a member it entitles you to a link, thus escaping googles TOS. As to how viable associate site links are will be dependent on the site on which the link is, it's traffic, rankings and so on.
-
You made a very good point. What about directories like dir.yahoo.com? Or association sites that are directly related to their industry?
I am not disagreeing with you i am just trying to understand if there is a line of black and white or if it is gray.
Thank you for your reply!
-
Each SEO will have their own opinions on this matter. The best I can do is share mine.
NEVER EVER EVER advise a client to pay for a link.
I view SEO along the same lines as the doctor's oath "first do no harm". Paying for links is a clear violation of Google's policy. You are trying to assist a client to improve their ranking, and the result could be a removal of the site from Google's index. It's a bad choice.
Make great content and promote it. That is the best means of obtaining quality links.
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
Directory Submission
Is it worth of submitting our company website in directories mentioned on http://www.directorycritic.com/free-directory-list.html?sort=pr&pg=
Link Building | | Obbserv0 -
Creating Local Listings for Small Business Clients - Verifying if phone call is only verification option? Are directory submission services worth it?
I'm relatively new to local SEO --- I do a lot of local websites for small businesses (restaurants, bars, hotels, attorneys, dentists) in my area and thought it would make sense to include basic local SEO work with my websites. I have a couple of questions about adding my client's businesses to local business directories... I've started by adding each business to Google, Bing, and Yahoo business listings. I verified these listings with the postcard option which my clients then email to me. I've started adding them to additional directories but have found that many local directories require a phone call to the business to verify it (no other options). How do most SEO companies handle this? Do I ask them to forward their phone to mine for a night? Does it make sense to do local directory submission by hand? I created a spreadsheet for each company and keep track of each directory I submit to (the directory name, verification status, and username & password). I looked at services like Yext but doubt they are as thorough as doing it by hand? Any other advice on local business directory submission would greatly be appreciated. Thanks.
Link Building | | RustySmith0 -
This directory looks great - would you agree?
I know people have mixed feelings towards submitting their sites to directories, but this one really seemed special, so I decided to share the opportunity with the Moz community, as well as open up a discussion on the value of being a part of this directory (and similar ones.) We recently submitted our site to Dial a Human (www.dialahuman.com) It is a directory of companies' phone numbers, which go directly to a person (bypassing the machines.) I think this directory actually does provide users with value, and is far from your typical link farm. The Page Authority is 56 and the Domain Authority is 47, and it is a PR5 site. The other companies listed are all extremely reputable (most of them are fortune 500 companies.) The fee to join is $75-$150, but to be included with this group of companies, we felt it was very worthwhile. We would join this type of directory over and over again. Would you? If you have any other directories which are of the same caliber please share!
Link Building | | JMacSupply0 -
Quick question : Is it ok to get 300 quality backlinks ...
Is it ok to get 300 quality backlinks ... from different authoritative domains in one month...I think google might find it strange and I might get penalized...
Link Building | | ksbnok0 -
Should you guest post on a site with no quality links?
Suppose a site is related to your industry and has a relatively good domain authority of 49. However when you look at their link profile it is mostly directories and they don't seem to have any natural links from quality sites. Would you still take the link if they offered to publish your guest post?
Link Building | | ProjectLabs1 -
Yahoo! Directory Category Question
The listing for my company was buried in a bad category in the Yahoo! Directory that had no Page Authority. I was able to get them to remove the old listing because I couldn't find the account info for the individual that originally created it. I resubmitted and they didn't put my site in the category that I requested but the Page Authority of the category that I was placed in is 50. Is this OK? Or should I repeal and ask them to move it to the category that I had originally requested which I feel would be more relevant for my company and listing which also has a 50 PA?
Link Building | | TRICORSystems0 -
What is the best company to use when building links to feature on multiple directories online?
I am looking to build links for my clients who are in a very competitive industry 'airport parking', can you advise where I can submit their URL to generate good quality links without being penalised?
Link Building | | shami0 -
Will removing old (3 years+), low quality inbound links potentially improve my rankings?
I have a client site with thousands of old very low quality links purchased from directories etc over several years - I am certain these are doing nothing for the current rankings and I advised them to stop buying these links 18 months ago when I first started working with them, but do you think pro-actively getting old poor quality backlinks removed will potentially improve the site's rankings?
Link Building | | simoncmason0