Major Web Directories
This is a list of Major Web Directories and reviewed web guides. Web Directories
Business.com charges a $299 annual listing fee. Business.com is a purchase more for direct traffic than link popularity.
DMOZ - also known as the Open Directory Project - provides free listings, but it may take a while to get your site listed.
Gimpsy verb based directory which charges a one time $40 fee or also list your site free if you are willing to wait 21 days.
GoGuides one time $40 fee or provides free listings for editors.
JoeANT one time $40 fee or provides free listings for editors (it is quick and easy to become an editor.)
Lycos Directory European based directory.
Skaffe one time $40 fee or provides free listings to editors. Originally Built from GoGuides core data.
Uncover the Net - Newer directory which has more link popularity than all but a couple directories on this list. My friend Shawn has done a fantastic job promoting Uncover the Net. $39 fee. Highly recommended
Web Beacon one time $40 fee or provides free listings to editors. Originally Built from GoGuides core data.
Wow Directory - Bruce Stone's directory. Offers free inclusion, paid inclusion, and sponsorship opportunities. Highly recommended
Yahoo $299 annual fee or free for non commercial websites.
Reviewed Web Guides
About
BBC Webguide
Lirarians' Index of the Internet
WWW Virtual Library
More Directory Information
the directory archives is my ongoing project which is to be a directory of directories. I also like a number of smaller directories like Rubber Stamped, and recently wrote a more up to date post on directories.
Comments
Is it possible to get indexed in one day on google using Pr 6 site.
Hi Aaron,
Is listing in a high PR directory really that important?What value do i get if your site is one in a thousand in a category listing - will my traffic increase? Google supposedly relies on dmoz for its listing - thats why dmoz is so important to all.But about other directories i am not so sure.
Have you considered opening up this list to be a bit larger? Or are you prefering to keep your key directory listings in the SEO Book itself? Simply curious.
>Is listing in a high PR directory really that important?
There are a ton of factors such as listings on the page, position of category in the directory, whether or not you can control the anchor text, etc
>What value do i get if your site is one in a thousand in a category listing - will my traffic increase?
The link popularity is split up amongst all internal and outbound links.
>Have you considered opening up this list to be a bit larger?
I make this list as a starting point...some of the best established and / or best value directories available.
From seo perspective directory submissions are relevent only the top few directories.
I tried submitting to a large number (around 300) of directories without considering relevency and PageRank.
The results were not good.
I can say that there are about 60-80 top directories where one should submit a site. The rest are useless.
To jimmy: Hi, Jimmy, not only the sites with PR high are important to increase the value of your site. Also its important if the theme of the site is related to your site theme. Hope my english is understandable.
With all due respect Timon, I think there are probably more than 60-80 directories that are worth submitting to; it's all about having the right criteria to determine what the value of the directory link is. Source notwithstanding, I don't think there is any such thing as a "bad link".
Hi Jason
For most webmasters with new sites trying to rank well in Google I would not recommend submitting to over 60 directories.
More realistically I would probably only submit to 5 or 10.
Cheers
Aaron
Hello Aaron. Do you think any of these directories will accept affiliate sites? It's unfortunate that some directories (dmoz) have a blanket policy against anything affiliate related, regardless of content. Are these directories different?
Thanks.
Tom
Hi Tom
If the sites are blanket affiliate sites then most directores do not want them. Its not hard to create a small amount of original content and still have your site primarily driven by affiliate partnerships though.
Many of the smaller directories listed in the personal directories or smaller general directories categories at the Directory Archives are not extremely stringent with their listings.
Recently I listed a site which is moreless a lead generation site in all the above directories with the exception of LookSmart (because its pay per click), Zeal (because it is non commercial), and DMOZ (because they take a while and I doubt they would have listed the site and I believe it was already submitted.
My suggestion is to do most of the third tier ones and the pick and chose trying some of the larger directories.
Hi Aaron, I want to optimise 4 month old website. Is it possible for as new a domain to get top rankings. If yes, How
Hi nivedita128
I answer SEO questions in our member forums. You can also use our site search in the right rail to hunt for answers.
I'm not Aaron, but...chances of getting top rankings for a 4 month old website to get top rankings are pretty much zero.
If you go for keywords that nobody else goes for (those usually don't bring in much traffic, which is the problem) you might get top rankings rather quickly, but I assume you had "top rankings for valuable keywords" in mind when you asked that...and in that case the answer would have to be no.
Hi Aaron,
We have paid the annual fee for Business.com and Yahoo.com in the past but skipped these last year. When I go to their directories we are still listed. Does this mean we are getting the same benefit or are we missing getting better PR or direct traffic by not paying the fees each year?
Thanks!
If the link is there the link is there. But sometimes they disappear...sometimes they catch it right away, and sometimes they don't delete it for a while.
When I click Lycos directory link,, it was redirected. Do they not have directory any more?
I think they killed it off.
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