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Home » Computers And Internet Articles » How To Harness The Power Of Web Directories The Missing Link In Your Seo Strategy

How To Harness The Power Of Web Directories: The Missing Link In Your SEO Strategy

So you want exposure on the Internet? Of course you do. You want to drive people to your site, because that's the only way your online business can succeed. And the more eyes you can get to your page, the better off you are. It's common sense.

You've probably already thought of Google, and rightfully so. It's the top search engine, so you want to make sure you're a part of it. You may have also done some search engine optimization, and tweaked your site in certain ways so that Google will index you better. That's a good start, but it's also where many people go wrong.

The search engine marketing community often discusses this faux pas: people become obsessed with ranking on Google, and forget that there's so much more to the Internet, so many more places where you can be found. It's back to common sense again: don't put all your eggs in one basket. Here are some reasons why:

- People use multiple search engines.

According to Nielsen//NetRatings, 58% of the people who search on Google also use another search engine. The same is true for 70% of MSN searchers, and 71% of Yahoo searchers. If consumers are looking for information in several places, it only makes sense for you to be in as many of those places as you can.

- Google indexes your web directory listings.

Ironically, when you work to broaden your horizons beyond the Google universe, you're also working to improve your chances of showing up on Google. That's because when a major search engine indexes the Internet, it also indexes the content of other directories.

Here's the best part: if you can get listed in a web directory that provides search-engine-friendly one-way-links (that is, links that connect directly to your URL), you are essentially acquiring a "vote" to your site, and therefore improving your site's authority in the eyes of Google, Yahoo and other major engines.

There are thousands upon thousands of Internet directories where you can list your site. Some will charge for submission, and the price will vary, from as little a few dollars, to as much as hundreds. Some will accept your site right away, and others will need to review it, to ensure the integrity of their database.

Common sense applies again here: the goal is to get listed in as many directories as you can, so you get maximum exposure. But web directory submission can be very time consuming, so you have to be selective to maximize your productivity. Here are a few things you'll want to keep in mind:

- If the price seems too high, it's probably not worth it. If you have a little money to invest, it's a good idea to get into some of the paid inclusion directories. Pick and choose from some of the mid-level ones, and try to diversify your presence by picking some foreign directories, as well as some local ones. Some directories also offer special inclusion, where you pay a premium to get listed quicker. It's definitely worth it if you're looking to improve your traffic as quickly as possible.

- Before submitting to any web directory, check to make sure the directory is not banned by Google. Here's a handy site, where you can type in the URL of the web directory and find out if it's banned right away: http://123promotion.co.uk/tools/googlebanned.php

- Be prepared before you start submitting. Write a few descriptions for your website in different lengths (50 words, 100 words, 200 words), so you can just copy and paste when you're submitting. This is guaranteed to save you a lot of time.

- If you don't want to spend a lot of time searching for, picking and choosing directories, start at this page, which provides a great list of the top search-engine-friendly directories on the web: http://www.eliteweb.cc/directory/internet/web_directories

- If you don't have a lot of time to devote to this, don't worry about doing it all in one shot. Bookmark the link above, and take a few minutes every day to do one or two directory submissions, until you make it through the list.

Good luck, and happy submitting.

And here is another random article you might be interested in...

PR: A Potent Force for Success

What's REALLY potent for a business, non-profit or association manager is public relations' ability to alter individual perception leading to changed behaviors. And then, to persuade those key outside folks to the manager's way of thinking, and help move them to take actions that allow their department, division or subsidiary to succeed.

Potent because public relations does something positive for managers about the behaviors of the very outside audiences of theirs that MOST affect their operation.

And ESPECIALLY appropriate when such potency helps create the kind of external stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving those manager's managerial objectives.

But how potent is it when business, non-profit and association managers are handed the precise public relations blueprint they need designed to get all their team members and organizational colleagues working towards the same external stakeholder behaviors? Wouldn't that insure that their PR thrust stays focused?

Talking about a PR blueprint plan like this one: People act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished.

Yes, potent's a pretty darn good word when results like these start to crop up: a rebound in showroom visits; capital givers or specifying sources looking your way; new proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; membership applications on the rise; new feedback channels; community service and sponsorship opportunities; enhanced activist group relations; new thoughtleader and special event contacts; improved relations with government agencies and legislative bodies; prospects starting to work with you; customers making repeat purchases; promotional contest overtures, and even stronger relationships with the educational, labor, financial and healthcare communities.

It must be a prime concern to you as to who carries out this PR plan for you. Just who is going to do the work anyway? Will it be a regular public relations staff? Or people sent to you by a higher authority? Or possibly a PR agency crew? Regardless of where they come from, they must be committed to you as the senior project manager, to the PR blueprint and its implementation, starting with key audience perception monitoring.

Something to keep your eye on. Simply because a practitioner describes him/herself as a public relations specialist doesn't mean they've bought into the whole the program. Assure yourself that your team members really believe deeply why it's SO important to know how your most important outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. Be certain they buy the reality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can help or hurt your unit.

Now spend some time reviewing the PR blueprint with your PR team, especially your plan for monitoring and gathering perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. Questions like these: how much do you know about our organization? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with the interchange? How much do you know about our services or products and employees? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

Now you can use professional survey counsel for the perception monitoring phases of your program if your budget will allow. But remember that your PR people are also in the perception and behavior business and can pursue the same objective: identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.

It's goal-setting time. Here, you do something about the most serious distortions you discovered during your key audience perception monitoring. In other words, establish your public relations goal. And that could be to straighten out that dangerous misconception, or correct that gross inaccuracy, or stop that potentially fatal rumor dead in its tracks.

For success, you need a solid strategy, one that clearly shows you how to proceed. To keep things simple, note that there are only three strategic options available to you when it comes to handling a perception and opinion challenge. Change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. Of course, the wrong strategy pick will taste like week-old cole slaw, so be certain the new strategy fits well with your new public relations goal. Naturally, you don't want to select "change" when the facts dictate a "reinforce" strategy.

Now you need to hit members of your target audience with a powerful message. But persuading an audience to your way of thinking is hard work. Which is why your PR folks must create some very special, corrective language. Words that are not only compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual. Only in this way will you be able to correct a perception by shifting opinion towards your point of view, leading to the behaviors you are targeting.

Check out your message with your communications specialists to make certain its impact and persuasiveness measure up. Then, sharpen it before selecting the communications tactics most likely to carry your message to the attention of your target audience. You can pick from dozens that are available. From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others. But be sure that the tactics you pick are known to reach folks just like your audience members.

It's well-known that the credibility of a message can depend on its delivery method. So you might consider unveiling it in presentations before smaller gatherings rather than using higher-profile tactics such as news releases. People will soon request progress reports, which will alert you and your PR team to get back out in the field and start work on a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience. You'll want to use many of the same questions used in the first benchmark session. Difference this time is that you will be watching very carefully for signs that the bad news perception is being altered in your direction.

Should program momentum slow, try speeding things up with more communications tactics and increased frequencies.

By now you know this secret about potent public relations: the right PR can alter individual perception and lead to changed behaviors which, in turn, lead directly to achieving your managerial objectives.

end

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net. Word count is 1170 including guidelines and resource box.

Robert A. Kelly © 2004.