The Do?s and Don?ts of Directory Submission

If you own a business online, would like to increase targeted traffic to your site but simply don't have any free time, hiring someone to submit your URL to niche directories may be what the Dr. ordered.

I hope the following interview with Tim Mathews who owns http://timmathews.com a Directory Submission Service helps.

Before we get started Tim tell us a little about yourself.

I am an avid web designer at heart. I have been in the computer industry for about 10 years - back when AOL 2 was the bomb, and if you didn't have a 14.4 modem, you were cruising slow. (Wow, how times have changed). I really enjoy taking the mom and pop 100 product site and building it into a powerhouse ecommerce site. I love building sites, then getting them listed in the search engines and directories, and watching the sales roll in for the client.

How did you get started in directory submission services?

I first stumbled into Directory submission services when I was trying to get a companies site listed in the search engines. I was trying and trying to get it listed, but no use. After numerous reworking, I finally got the site listed. I was then thinking... Huh, this was tough for me, and I am a pro! I was wondering if others were having issues, and alas, THEY WERE! From then, business has spawned from current local clients to all the seven seas!

For those new to the internet could you explain what a directory submission service is?

A Directory Submission Service, in my opinion, is a company that will submit your website to directories. Now, the client must be careful when selecting a company. Many I have seen say something along the lines of "We submit you to over 800,000 Search Engines and Directories". This statement alone lets me know that they are not trustworthy. We can all fire up ANY free/shareware submitter and boast the same statement. What I LIKE to see, when checking my competition, is a listing of directories they will submit to. And, of course, no one can guarantee inclusion.

What was your motivation for offering directory submission service?

Well, to be blunt, I was thinking this could make us some money. I was thinking of my stumbling in the submissions, and how long and hard I worked to get sites listed. I learned what to do, and definitely what NOT to do. I figured it would be a great service.

What problems did you have to overcome to start your directory submission service?

Our main problems are the sites that boast hundreds of thousands of submissions to directories... This confuses the client to thinking there are this number of "separate" directories. After explanation that there are far less, (We submit to as few as 20 directories up to around 200 for some clients), so you can see why this would be a problem.

How did you overcome these problems?

We overcame the issues by explanation of the services that the "other guys" provide, and most importantly, we overcame the problem with RESULTS. We do what we say, and get it done.

What impact can using a directory submission service have on ones online business?

Directory submissions can make the business, LITERALLY. Submitting to search engines is fine, and SHOULD be done. Submitting to directories is definitely a necessity.

What kind of gains can one expect to make by using a directory submission service?

Once Directory listings take, you can expect to probably double your traffic. Double traffic could mean double sales/leads.

What could the downfall be of using a directory submission service?

Well, un kept promises. Many "other guys" make big promises, but deliver seldom few or none altogether. Do your research. How long has the site been in business? Do a "who is" look up and see when they bought the domain name just to be certain.

Can you give 3 tips on successfully submitting to directories such as DMOZ for example?

With Pleasure!

Tip 1.) MOST IMPORTANT
Proper Category Selection is KEY
You MUST submit to the applicable category. This is the most overlooked, because we think we have a site selling Sports Blankets, like http://www.blanketmall.com/tim and they wanted to be listed into the "sports category" After research, I decided it be best that they be submitted into the Shopping: Sports: Theme Merchandise category. If I would have submitted the site into the root of sports, I can GUARANTEE it would have not been accepted.

Tip 2.) Wait.
Do NOT submit your site to ODP (dmoz.org) again in a month. Give it 2 months to see results. If after 2 months, you are not listed, rethink your submission, drill down to a deeper, more relevant category, and resubmit.

Tip 3.) Do not hound the guides.
I have seen people talking about "direct relationships with guides for category "****" They say to email the guide and bug them. We disagree with this. If your site is properly submitted, you will not have a problem. We have clients that tried this tactic, and have never been listed. We submitted them, and got them listed.

Thank you for the opportunity to give my feedback in this. It has really been a pleasure. Thanks!

Brian Holte
Email: theebookking@shaw.ca
Copyright-Brian Holte

Have You Been Thinking of Creating E-books? Brian Holte is a freelance writer/researcher and owner of http://www.theebookking.com. He publishes a newsletter which focuses on brainstorming and researching techniques for e-books.

---

Proven Traffic Generating Techniques

What good is a website without traffic? A website without... Read More

Traffic Building - Understanding the Basics

So, you've spent hundreds of thousands on a state-of-the-art website.... Read More

Simple Steps to Increase Traffic to Your Website

Every website owner wants their website to be popular; some... Read More

Link Popularity and Your Add URL Page

With all the buzz going on about the importance of... Read More

How to Drive Traffic to Your Website with Traffic Exchanges

The number one problem new website owners have is, "How... Read More

Triple Your Website Traffic Every 90 Days!

Proper Use Of Meta tags For A High Google RankingGoogle... Read More

How To Generate Traffic Using Public Domain Works

A websites profitability depends solely on directing visitors to that... Read More

Finding Keywords to Build Your Web Site Traffic

What are web site keywords and how do I go... Read More

Marketing Made Easy

Is website traffic convertible to cash? The answer is yes.... Read More

Free Tips To Increase The Number Of Visitors To Your Website

If you are looking to increase the number of visitors... Read More

Are Manual Surf Exchange a Dying Breed ?

3 years ago when I started trying to make money... Read More

Seven Red Hot Tips for Linking

1. Vary the keywords in your link 'anchor' textUnless you... Read More

Submitting To Directories: A Comprehensive Guide

Why submit to a Directory?Every webmaster is looking for ways... Read More

Guerilla Marketing: 4 Ways To Generate More Traffic Next Week

You can create more traffic for you and your business... Read More

Are You Down With OPP? Get High Rankings with Other Peoples Popularity

There are many "offsite" promotion tactics that work well to... Read More

A Beginners Guide to Exchanging Links

Reciprocal linking is an effective, free way to get more... Read More

No Cost Ways To Increase Your Web Site Traffic Promotion

Web site traffic promotion is crucial in today's Internet world.... Read More

The Hidden Traffic Strategy That Skyrockets Your Profits

If you agree that traffic is the true currency of... Read More

Use eBay as Cheap Traffic!

Did you know that according to alexa, www.eBay.com is ranked... Read More

How To Generate Targeted Traffic...and Cash In On It.

We all know that generating traffic to your site is... Read More

Ten Tips for Generating Traffic To Your Website

I know what you're thinking, oh great another article about... Read More

The #1 Secret For Building Website Traffic

The number one question among webmasters is "How can I... Read More

Increase Online Traffic - What NOT To Do

Since everyone is so obsessed with ways to increase our... Read More

How to Get Great Organic Search Engine Listings

All too often I find site owners are confused (or... Read More

Increase Your Online Traffic in 60 Minutes or Less

Increasing your website traffic does not have to be a... Read More

What Do Your Site Statistics Mean, Anyway?

The purpose of analyzing your web site statistics is to... Read More

Targeted Traffic to Your Mini-Site

Generating traffic for your mini-sites is the challenge.Search engines look... Read More

5 Tips For Increased Website Traffic

There are lots of ways to get traffic to your... Read More

Maximizing The True Value Of Your Traffic

You may be shocked to hear this.You DON'T need a... Read More

8 Breakthrough Ways to Bring Free Visitors to Your Site!

Many websites have great ideas, excellent content, brilliant deals and... Read More

How To Generate Loads Of Free Traffic To Your Website

One of the most popular ways to generate free traffic... Read More

7 Simple Ways Of Driving Traffic To Your Site Using One E-Published Tips Booklet

I am not a web designer or search engine optimizer,... Read More

10 Tips to Avoid Getting Ripped Off by Web Traffic Experts

If you are looking at ways to increase traffic to... Read More