Over the past couple of years I have kept a small backlog of clients happy by adding their websites to every relevant directory I could find under their niches. Any time I find myself with nothing to do I’ll drag out my old list of URL’s and descriptions and register a large number of websites.

As much as I’d love to claim that I am an expert on SEO I stand by the theory that no one possibly could be, no matter how many PhD’s they can throw around to claim so. Search Engine Optimisation hasn’t been around for long, and the SEO fad shorter than that! How can one claim to be an expert in something that constantly changes and is too young to extensively test unless they knew the algorithms behind the worlds most powerful search engines?

This being said I’ve had some minor successes with SEO implementation, having provided tips for a number of small businesses on how to keep up with their (sometimes huge) competitors. Often this involves compiling a list of what should be done by a Web Designer and leaving them to wage war on how ’some kid’ has come into their workplace to tell them how to do their job. My successes have allowed businesses to keep their foot in the door, often occupying a first page result in Google against some very strong competition and whilst a lot of businesses don’t appreciate this achievement it has made me happy.

Whilst I do use a small amount of my time adding websites to whatever directory I can find, I strongly believe that directory submission is a dead art and has no large SEO benefit other than to have a link where one person a year might think of clicking on it.

Just to clarify, the large directories like DMOZ and Yahoo have great benefits! I would definitely apply to get a place in both of them (only Yahoo if you have money to burn), even though more often than not DMOZ is full of corrupt editors and dying categories. My beef is with the average directory, perhaps peaking at PR3, whose only purpose is for webmasters to flock to the website to add their links and view their ads. The reason these directories never take off or provide substantial traffic/increases in ranking is because the only people who visit these directories are webmasters looking to add their websites to get more PR! It’s like having a window salesman come to an empty house full of other window salesmen. They’re all looking to sell windows, but the only ones that are listening are people trying to sell windows. It simply does not work and isn’t worth your time.

This isn’t to say that you should avoid submitting to a directory if you feel that it could benefit you, but that directory submission is a fish in the proverbial sea that is SEO. A pond with loads of fish but no water isn’t a pond, it’s a mass grave of fish.

The art of link building involves getting popular and relevant links to your website. A directory is often not relevant to your cause and is rarely ever popular with anyone but webmasters. If you’re looking to promote your website a bit more then I would highly recommend working on the content of your own website over anything else. This is the dominant area that Google recognises and with great content the links you require will come in no time at all.

As a final note, this is my 50th post on CodingFresh! If you’re reading this I hope you enjoy it and feel free to read more on this Blog. Thanks to all those who have visited and commented on this Blog. It’s your kindness that have kept this Blog going through some pretty tough times.