Directories have been around near enough as long as the internet. Yahoo originally started as a directory and the name is short for “Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle” which is a fancy way of saying that it organised websites (the hierarchical bit) and was by no means the first (“yet another”). Unless they are completely automated, which is unusual, directories have their own rules and regulations. Sticking to these will give you a better chance of getting a link back from them.
1. Choose the correct category
This may seem like something from days gone by. After all, Google categorises everything every time you search. But directory sites like to keep things neat and tidy.
This means you need to choose the best matching category to submit your site to. Category names and classifications vary from site to site, which is why automated software is difficult to create and maintain and often fails.
Directory owners can be trigger happy with the delete key on wrongly categorised sites or – at a minimum – it can cause delays while your proposed entry is pushed to the back of the queue, behind sites who were more diligent in selecting their category.
2. Name your site correctly
Most directories are fussy about your site name. If in doubt, keep the name you use to just the business name. And do your best to keep this consistent across the directories you submit to. I find it best to keep a file with the details and copy & paste the various items. Other people like to use form filler add-ons in their browser but personally I’ve never got on with those.
The importance of naming your site correctly is magnified if you run a local business. Google uses signals from everywhere and its algorithm doesn’t necessarily match up your business details if they are different across various sites.
3. Keep your address consistent
This is similar to the name field as, again, Google uses this as an extra verification for your company data. But hides a multitude of issues – not every site has the same fields for addresses. Some of them use almost a free text system, others let you choose from a drop down selection for things like state or county. Sometimes this is just offered for the USA, sometimes it includes other countries as well. Keep this as consistent as possible.
4. No hype in the description
Directories like to present their data relatively formally. This means that they don’t like the description of your company stuffed with keywords. Treat your description in the same way as an impartial journalist would: make it a statement about your company and what it offers. You can weave in a few keywords if they are relevant but as a general rule, keep things formal and matter-of-fact.
5. Learn the skill of patience
Unless you’re paying for fast inclusion (and you’ll need to take a view as to whether or not that is worth it) then speed isn’t something that directory sites are renowned for.
Most have queues that would have made the old communist Eastern Bloc proud. A few days is unusual. Most are weeks or months, sometimes years.
That’s fine because it works in your favour. Even if you submit to a hundred directories in a day – mind numbing but perfectly do-able – they won’t all be approved at the same time. Then Google needs time to find and index them. So there’s no real chance of getting penalised for submitting directory links too fast.