Directory Submission Secrets
by Dawn Gray
Have you been frustrated trying to submit your website to directories? The "Submit" button on the home page often leads to a @#$%^ long page of directions, and when you do find the right button, it takes 6-8 weeks to find out if you've even been added! If you haven't, you have to go through it all over again.
Yet directories are a great way to spread the word about your website. Since human beings select the websites to be included, directories are usually seen as having more relevant results than search engines. Unlike minor search engines, minor directories (especially if they are limited to a certain audience or type of website) can send significant traffic to your website.
How can you capitalize on this great source of traffic without the frustration?
- Make sure your website is ready.
Take out any "Under Construction" signs. Be sure to include your physical address on your website. Make sure your website looks good with Netscape and Internet Explorer using different screen resolutions. Most of all, make sure your website has useful content: articles or tools your visitors will want!
- Find (or build) a list of directories to submit to.
I have one (see link above), but it's a short list. You'll want to find more. Having a list will make the process go much faster, and you'll know which sites you submitted to, so you can check them and resubmit later if necessary.
- Create a file with all the information you'll need:
- A 10-word description of your website.
- A 15-word description of your website.
- A 25-word description of your website.
- A 50-word description of your website.
- A list of your main keywords.
- Your website's URL.
- Your email address.
- Your business (physical) address.
- Your telephone and fax numbers.
- Any special comments about your website.
This makes the business of submitting your website a simple task of copy-and-paste. Open this file and visit as many directories as possible in a single session. (This is why having a list of directories is so nice!)
- Start visiting directories.
Instead of going directly to the "Submit" button, find a category that fits your website. Look for a "Submit" button on this page. (In Looksmart it's at the top of the results, in Yahoo it's at the bottom now. Other directories may have it in a sidebar.)
If there is no "Submit" button, look for an email address. In some directories, such as About.com, you have to email the category's webmaster.
- Follow directions.
I know this is time-consuming, but submitting your website the wrong way will lead to rejection, and then you have to do it all over again (sometimes several times), which gets to be even more time-consuming. Trust me. Read the directions and follow them precisely. (This is especially true for Yahoo!)
Getting listed in directories can be a time-consuming task, but following these steps will make it easier, faster, and more likely to yield positive results.
Happy marketing!
About the Author
Dawn Gray can help you drive more traffic to your website. For other great articles on website promotion and a free email newsletter, visit her website at http://www.busymarketing.com.
All articles published on EthanCote.com are copyrighted by their respective author. They are not to be taken without the consent of the author.
|
