Web Directories : Use with Caution

Why use web directories?

Directories were here before search engines, and search engines still rely on them to an extent. A well-run directory is much like an online library, so there are clear benefits to Google (whose stated aim is to organise the world's information) in paying attention to information that has already been organised for them.

Google's use of links in its algorithm means that sites that offer links are in demand. On the whole, directories represent a quick and easy way to get links. Therein lies the problem as far as Google is concerned: links aren't really supposed to be quick and easy to get, and certainly not in large numbers.

If all directory owners had Google's best interests at heart, they would only feature carefully vetted sites and control every aspect of the listing process. But there are many thousands of directories that offer links to pretty much any website (either for money or for a working email address to send direct marketing to) and will give the website owner control over the text used in the link - a key ranking factor.

Google's stance - the stated aim and the reality

To combat this, Google needs to identify those directories it shouldn't rely on and ignore the links they give out. However, in the UK at present (Autumn 2009) I still see sites at the top of the search results with link profiles consisting almost entirely of links from directories run for search engine optimisation purposes only.

Google's webmaster guidelines on paid links state that "Buying or selling links that pass PageRank is in violation of Google's webmaster guidelines and can negatively impact a site's ranking in search results".

Most poor quality link directories offer a paid option that pretty much guarantees a listing. This means that even if you haven't paid for your link, it has still come from a link seller. Google have acted on paid links in some high profile cases, but I still see paid links powering top rankings.

Seeing this, it's tempting to say "If you can't beat them, join them" and emulate these linking tactics.
Before you do, bear these things in mind...

1) Google's stated aim is to put a stop to this; what works today could work against you tomorrow.

Google penalises sites that have too many links from poor quality websites - especially if they are gained over a short period of time. The practice known as 'Google bowling' involves pointing truly massive numbers of poor quality links almost overnight at a competitor's domain in an attempt to completely destroy its Google presence. The threshold for Googlebowling is very high, so unless you're doing this on a massive scale you're not likely to harm your site. But if your site gets a hand review at Google (unlikely, but it does happen sometimes) poor quality links are a flag saying 'possible ranking manipulation'.

2) It is possible to damage your rankings with fairly small numbers of poor quality links.

If you over-use a search term (or term group) in the link text, you can ruin your chances of ranking for that term. You can reverse this by removing the links, but poor quality directories do not usually respond to removal requests. So you need to add more links of a higher quality using other terms or your business name to balance out your link profile.

3) High quality links will beat low quality links.

It's more work to develop higher quality links, but they have the following benefits: they usually last longer, they nearly always help rankings more, and they can even drive traffic. Poor quality link directories are often 'throwaway' websites with a short shelf-life. If the directory is sold, the new owner often clears out all the links. More serious websites stick around for longer, and the link could benefit you for years to come.

next: Tips to help you assess Web Directories