Whether or not we tend to admit it or not, directory listings are an important piece of the puzzle in the SEO and link building world. Almost any good web site promotion and launch begins with paid listings in Yahoo.com, Business.com, Best of the Web, and Microsoft’s bCentral.
Afterwards, you can always submit to the Netscape Open Directory Project, and wait years for a free listing.. but what kind of additional directory link building can one do after these most important Big 5 directories?
Luckily, Aviva has put together a nice list of web directories ranked via Page Strength.
If you don’t remember Page Strength, here’s a refresher… it’s the web site importance measurement tool brought to us by SEOmoz.
PageStrength looks at the following criteria when ranking a site: Google PageRank, Links to the Home Page, Links to the Domain, Google Ranking for Site Title, Domain Age, Links from .edu sites and .gov sites, Alexa Rank, Domain Visibility, Internal Linking, Technorati Links, del.icio.us results, DMOZ listings and Wikipedia Links.
So, in order to help differentiate the strong directories from the weak ones, here are the top directories with PageStrength 5 and above from the Aviva Strongest Directories list:
Page Strength 10
http://www.dmoz.org/ (free)Page Strength 9.5
http://dir.yahoo.com ($299 per year)Page Strength 9
http://www.business.com/ ($199 per year)
Page Strength 7
http://www.exactseek.com/ (free)
http://www.joeant.com/ ($39.99)
Page Strength 6.5
http://www.alivedirectory.com/ ($34.95 / $74.95)
http://www.elib.org/ (50 Euro)http://www.familyfriendlysites.com/ ($4.95 per year + recip / $49.95 per year + recip)
http://www.gimpsy.com/ ($40)
http://www.goguides.org/ ($39.99 / $69.95)
http://www.sevenseek.com/ ($40 / $99.95)
http://www.skaffe.com/ ($44.99)
http://www.uncoverthenet.com/ ($39 / $199 per year)Page Strength 6
http://www.avivadirectory.com/ ($34.95 / $74.95)http://www.botw.org/ ($149.95)
http://www.chiff.com/ ($59.95 per year)
http://www.dir777.com ($25 per month)
http://www.ezilon.com/ (free / $49)
http://www.haabaa.com/ (#30 / #50)http://www.relmaxtop.com/ ($20 per month)
http://www.qango.com/ ($50)
http://sbd.bcentral.com ($49 per year)
http://directory.sootle.com ($19.99)
http://directory.v7n.com ($79.95)
http://www.webworldindex.com/ ($25)http://www.wowdirectory.com/ ($35 / $55 per year)
Page Strength 5.5
http://www.businessseek.biz/ ($12 / $20 per year)
http://www.goongee.com/ ($19.99)
http://www.incrawler.com/ ($24.95 / $49.95)
http://www.link-pimp.com/ ($19.99)http://www.linkopedia.com/ ($9.95)
http://www.search4i.com/ ($15 per year / $25 per year)
http://www.site-sift.com/ ($49.95 / $100 per year)
http://www.thisisouryear.com/ ($19.95)
http://www.umdum.com/ ($40 / $99.95)
http://www.vxbox.com/ (free)http://www.web-beacon.com/ ($39.99)
http://www.webs-best-directory.com/ ($19.99)
Page Strength 5
http://www.2yi.net/ ($5.95 / $24.95 per year)http://www.abilogic.com/ ($7.95 / $39.95 per year)
http://www.allestra.com/ ($39)http://www.anthonyparsons.com/ ($10 / $40)
http://www.arielis.com/ ($25 / $25 per 6 months)
http://www.axeq.com/ ($15)
http://www.beaconpost.com/ ($49.95)
http://www.bloggeries.com/ (unknown)
http://www.browse8.com/ ($35)http://www.galaxy.com/ ($9.95 / $99.95)
http://www.highstuff.com/ ($15 / $28)
http://www.hoppa.com/ ($12)
http://www.imegamall.com/ (free / $95 per year)
http://www.linkcentre.com/ (74.95 Euro per year)
http://www.searchturtle.com/ ($7.95 / $39.95)http://www.webskyguide.com/ ($14.95 / $49.95 per year)
No, PageStrength is SEOmoz.org metric and pagerank is only one of the things they look at.
The problem with directories is that they’ve become worth very little because little is put into most of them. A paid directory is not seen as legitimate from a user perspective, because it is biased in favor of only those who pay, meaning it’s not even close to comprehensive.
Plus, directories are generally pretty static and boring. Once a link is added, it sits there indefinitely, with no changes, no new descriptions, like a bump on a log. There’s no attempt at timeliness and rarely an attempt by editors to go out and find sites that would make search results better. That’s why Webmasters look at directories but no one else does.
DMOZ takes the top spot by default, because no one else has really tried to create something worthwhile. But Webmasters also know that DMOZ has many editors who keep a stranglehold on certain categories for their own purposes.
All this led me to start a new search site, Bessed, that is a human-powered search site/directory. There is no fee for inclusion and, because it’s built on WordPress blog software, you can request addition of your site directly on search results pages. You can also suggest other sites that are relevant, or even argue for why another site shouldn’t appear or why the rankings should be changed. We think it’s the next generation of directory-type sites, combining the benefits of human editors with a social media aspect to create better results.
The site is ad-supported, not supported by inclusion fees, so it is something that is actually useful for site visitors instead of being merely a place for Webmasters to submit in hopes of increasing their “Google juice”. And there will never be inclusion fees–Bessed will either sink or swim, but it will never bait and switch.
It’s an ambitious project, but we believe there is still a place for human-powered search, and we encourage Webmasters to submit to us.
Great resource — thank you for taking the time to compile this valuable reference.
Great list, worthy of social bookmarking. I prefer BlinkList myself.
hemant at [link deleted] does not have S*** on his blog. Two posts and and Google ads! SEJ should authenticate comments before they publish links to splogs.
Thanks for pointing out the Page Strength Tool.
Looks like Advolution is at a 5.5 Page Strength – http://www.advolution.com
Any directory for a specific themes?
Another good UK directory to add sites is http://www.whitepages.co.uk
you have missed a PR7: http://www.busybits.com
You should have added http://www.excellentguide.com also.
Nice list of directories. MadMouse Web Directory – http://www.madmouse.com, would look nice on it with a PageStrenght of 5.5.
B2BCompass also a free directory. http://www.b2bcompass.com
Hey Friends!
I have developed a new web directory and need your valuable comments to know if something needs to be inculcated.
It will be of great pleasure to have your valuable comments.
Hey Friends!
I have developed a new web directory and need your valuable comments to know if something needs to be inculcated.
It will be of great pleasure to have your valuable comments.
http://www.seo-web-dir.com
national legacy registry has page strenght 4. One time inclusion fee is only $3.
Awesome list. will surely help. Thanks
Excellent website.
Nice listing – if one were to submit to all the paid directories It would cost a small fortune. Reckon your ROI would be better if one were selective on the paid and included a health dose of free directories,
this list is really helpful.
Very nice list.
http://www.beatmylink.com
Very few of them are really affordable.
Very nice list, I think it is worth to be listed in Yahoo directory maybe more than in Dmoz…
You should have added also http://www.gurcan.com
My Directory is PR6
It should be on your list.
My Directory is PR6
It should be on your list.
http://www.hotvsnot.com
Is there any way for me to get the cvs or spread sheet of list of web directories????
Free The Next Generation Web Directory Search Engine,Ajax Directory ,Free Submit Url to Directory ,Add Url Free Help build the most comprehensive directory of the web
Best general web directory
Thanks for List
http://www.bestworldpro.com
it is very informative,but i need some more names
Thanks to share this useful information.
Very useful information.
Not very useful, most of these are paid, and hence worthless junk.
I like to use directory submissions as one of my main sources of back links, especilly with higher end directories where you have a decent editor and thus more quality websites, and so I was quite grateful to come upon this strongest directories list, though it is a abit old and there are many others that would fit in there.
I now use the seomoz Trifecta to double check on any directories i’m serious about submitting to, I have a large list of paid and free directories and keep a running tab on their Trifecta scores. it’s at least one good indicator (though I could hardly afford to submit to many of these directories as that would be well over my budget! hehe)
here it is. have fun
http://www.seomoz.org/trifecta/
great list.. it’s much effective .
thanks
Thanks for the list, also consider adding an informative web directory – http://www.1websdirectory.com to the list.
Hi,
I think you missed two important directories.
1. http://www.hitwebdirectory.com
2. http://www.freeprwebdirectory.com
Thanks
Thanks for the useful resources. also suggest to add general web directory – http://www.247webdirectory.com/ to the list.
Nice source indeed. Thanks for sharing.