Directories



Directories are different than search engines. They have actual humans reviewing your website and determining how high - or even if - you should be listed.  Because they capture a substantial part of the visitor traffic, you want to make directories a part of your local Internet marketing campaign.

  • Yahoo! To get started, snoop around at the Yahoo home page, and learn to what Yahoo is trying to tell you. In general, the more you follow the rules, the better off you will be.

    • Yes, it's true - if you get a good ranking with Google, you will also find yourself ranked at Yahoo. But, it never hurts to cover all bases, and - you never know when that top Google ranking may disappear, and you will be glad that you have listed with Yahoo separately.

    How much does it cost to pay for a listing at Yahoo? Unfortunately, the answer is $299.00 per year. And, you are not guaranteed a top spot.

    Finally, one other word of caution: Directories are run by humans. They actually look at your site and decide if it would be valuable to their search customers. BE SURE YOUR SITE IS IN GOOD SHAPE before you waste the $299.00. If they determine that you are not suitable for listing, you may never get a second chance to make a good impression!

  • DMOZ (Open Directory) . Go to http://dmoz.org/add.html  Even though a listing with Open Directory translates to less traffic than one with Yahoo, it is still worth doing - and its free! Most of the ideas stated above relating to Yahoo apply here, expect for the cost - at the time of this writing, DMOZ is still free.
  • LookSmart. Go to http://listings.looksmart.com/. While they were originally a pay-for-listing directory, like Yahoo, they are now moving to a Pay-Per-Click model. Take some time to read and understand what LookSmart is providing.
  • The other directories, such as MSN, AOL, Alta Vista and Ask Jeeves are automatically covered when you submit to the big three above.

Directories are a major part of search engine ranking and traffic. They should be included as you plan your



local Internet marketing campaign.