Directory Submissions Fate in 2012

Tuesday 3 January 2012

Why It is Not What it is Predicted to Be?


SearchEngineLand.com's Eric Ward 'predicts' the fate of directory submission in 2012 that is to join extinct SEO strategy archives. Is it fair to say so? Let's find out!


Directory Submissions 2012

Directory submissions is the most sought after SEO service - for 'failed predictions' since time unknown. It holds on its stand midst on and off SEO trends that are constantly under scrutiny for quality online web promotions. For all those who are not aware of what is the history and recurrent events that happened in the life of poor old directory submissions, here is a preview:


1993 - 1996 - Not every business was registered online, search engine dinosaurs like Lycos and Webcrawler could not mark their presence, the only resort for existing websites was to be listed on online web directories. Then came in Yahoo search and Yahoo directories that worked in coalition with each other. DMOZ.org (open directory) gets high recognition in this period and is a huge hit amongst websites that look for online traffic. It was an historic start to organize online data on the internet.


1997 - 1998 - Search engine giant of present times - Google, enters the internet search arena. It suddenly realizes that depending on directories like Yahoo and DMOZ costs tremendous manpower and labor hours, instead they come up with something independent and pre-programmed that allows filter search and provide relevant results. Sure there were speculations that it was the end of the Directory Submissions, only to realize it wasn't.


1999 - 2006 - Web directories slowly lost their glory to automated search engine algorithms but still remained as the indirect source of links that was eventually counted as a 'green signal' towards the presence of a certain website listed in it. The web directories were established with a huge traffic of reciprocal links flowing in. During this period paid directories were showed down by Google as the search engine giant believed search engine ranking via directory submissions mustn't be priced.


2007 - 2009 - Web directories gained larger importance to help sites that catered to specific niche markets. This was more of a transition phase for directories from a stagnant presence to a much categorized ability to attract target visitors to your website. Spam directories were slowly penalized by Google and quality directory lists were constantly updated to offer meaningful online listings. Apart from Niche web directories, country-specific directories also helped promote local businesses better during the growing trend of local business optimization online. 


2010 - 2011 - While web directory submissions' fate were being predicted by webmasters on a moderate scale, it seemed to have sky rocketed courtesy Google Panda update in 2011. However, whoever really understood the Google Panda update would realize that apart from some directory network sites that offered directories with spammed content, most popular and seemingly high page rank directories remained untouched. Eric Ward predicts that Directory Submissions would die a fatal death in 2011, to only correct himself again today to re-predict the final demise of directory submissions in 2012. Another, predictable prediction that seems like it would re-surface yet another year (unless the concept of Dooms Day stands true)


The fact is, however, much deeper than what these webmasters predict, and what they predict is only an assumption that apparently is a weather forecast without a satellite. 


Learn why directory submissions are still here to stay and become the 'Extant species in the Survival of the Fittest theory' and just does not wish to disappear from the face of the SEO Earth yet. Following is a quick overview of the information that can prove these early predictions about directory submis wrong:


High Ranked Directories: If directory submissions were to face its end, why are most directories still ranked high by major search engines? Here is an online web directory page rank report to prove my point. It is a known fact that there were some directories that were quarantined by the Panda, but the rest of the high PR directories remain untouched and still do contribute a prominent assistance in getting websites indexed by search engines through various directory submission services.


Least Cost, Most ROI: Directory submission service costs the least amongst various SEO services currently quoted in the SEO industry. As these submissions are made available at throw away prices, the ROI on this particular SEO strategy remains higher than any other. The ROI can be even enhanced further by increasing the approval rates which in turn depends on the following factors: 


a.) Relevant homepage content that helps the editor decide almost immediately that the site is professional and genuine business/info to the site visitors. 
           
b.) Appropriately written title and descriptions that do not stuff in the keywords, instead share information that is relevant to the content of the site


c.) Websites submitted to relevant categories


d.) Acquaintence to different online directory submission site rules


e.) Absence of unnecessary ads on the homepage that generally gives the impression of sites that are solely created to contain these ads. 


Source of Rich Snippets: Matt Cutts of Google says so himself that they acquire rich snippets from the high PR directories like DMOZ.org to display on search results, if they are unable to crawl the webpage to return a search result query. 


Determine the right quality of the directories you want your website listed onto and you would have no problems choosing this essential SEO ingredient for your website, that is apparently NOT DEAD!

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