SEO experts and internet marketing professionals alike know the importance of directory submissions in a comprehensive search engine optimization plan. Not only do the one-way links provided by directory submissions increase your search engine rankings, but listings in a niche directory can drive targeted traffic your way. Before you submit your site, however, be sure you know these six things:

1. Log Your Submissions: Every time you submit your site to a directory, write it down. Simply open up a notepad document and note the name of the directory to which you submitted, the URL, the category to which you submitted your site, and the date you made the submission.

2. Use the Right Directories: There are several sites available that list SEO-friendly directories, so check those out; they're the ones you want to use. You can also use these sites to keep up with the Google PageRank of the directories that interest you. Start by submitting your site to the directories with the highest PageRank and work your way down the list. And be sure to use niche directories to your advantage. Try shopping directories if you're offering a physical product. Whatever your product or service, you will be able to find directories that cater directly to it.

3. Choose the Right Categories: One of the most important things you must do is choose the appropriate categories for your listing. Choose inappropriate or irrelevant categories and chances are your submission will be rejected. One way to find the appropriate categories is to search the directory using one of your keywords. The most appropriate categories are most likely the ones that appear in your search. You can also search for your competitors' listings and submit to those same categories if you think that your website is also relevant.

4. Choose an Effective Title: Before you submit to a directory, check the guidelines regarding the title. While some directories will allow you to include keywords in your title, others will only allow you to use the official name of your company or website. Prepare several titles before you even start submitting so that you can take advantage of the directories that allow you to list keywords in your title. Be sure that you alter the title from directory to directory if possible. If you submit the same title to each directory, search engines will think that you haven't built your links naturally.

5. Write a Good Description. Before you start submitting, write several good descriptions of your website. One should run between 15 and 25 words, and another should be around 30-50 words. Although each directory has guidelines for descriptions, most of them have this in common: Don't use all capital letters, make sure you don't capitalize the first letter of each word, and don't use extraneous characters like exclamation points and asterisks. The most important thing to remember is that your description should be unbiased and factual. A description that looks like sales text will get your submission rejected right away.

6. Make Sure Your Timing is Right: Don't submit to too many directories all at once. Instead, submit to one or two directories every couple of weeks. Search engines will consider this natural link-building rather than artificial, and artificial link-building can cause search engines to penalize you rather than rewarding you.

Directory submissions are a straightforward way to build links and drive traffic to your site. If you're ready to take on the task yourself, rest assured that it's a rewarding job. But don't hesitate to hire an SEO expert or internet marketing professional to do the job for you if you need to concentrate on other aspects of your business. Either way, you'll be thrilled with the results!