Directories are online lists of websites broken down by category and subcategory. Internet users looking for information on particular subject can search a directory and find relevant websites. Unlike search engines, directory results are listed by category rather than by rank, but directories are still a very important part of your overall internet marketing strategy. Best of all, they're easy to access. Simply submit your site according to directory guidelines and your site will be included in no time. Here are 6 benefits of using directories to promote your business.

1. Link Popularity. Since most directories don't require you to link to them, the link you receive from the directory is considered a one-way link by search engines, and search engines place a premium on one-way links.

2. Traffic. Since you have to submit your site to a particular category and subcategory within a directory, you are assured that traffic to your website from the directory is targeted to your market niche.

3. Price. Although some directories charge a fee to include your website, many do not. And even those that do require a fee don't charge a prohibitive amount.

4. SEO. Directories are a great way to use some of the best search engine optimization practices. For example, you can customize your title and description to include your keywords.

5. Getting Started. Let's say that your site is relatively new and hasn't yet been indexed by the more popular search engines such as Google and MSN. If you can get high-quality links from authoritative directories right away, your site will be more likely to be crawled within days or weeks instead of months.

6. Permanent Links. Search engines place a high value on one-way links from older, more-established websites. That means that the value of your one-way link from a directory increases in value as time goes by.

As a bonus, here are 8 tips for getting started with directory submissions:

1. Keep a running list of all of the directories you've submitted to so you don't duplicate your efforts.

2. Only submit to a few directories at a time. Building links from directories gradually appears more natural to search engines than does submitting to hundreds of directories at one time. A good rule of thumb is to spend an hour or two each month submitting your site.

3. Gather all of your pertinent information and keep it in front of you while you're submitting. This includes keywords, descriptions, titles, and email addresses.

4. Take advantage of niche directories. There are directories for almost every niche, so do your research and find those that cater to your area of expertise. One great advantage of niche directories is that they almost guarantee targeted traffic. In many cases it's even worth the effort and expense to pay for a listing in a niche directory.

5. Before you submit to a directory, find out its Google PageRank. PageRank is not the ultimate guide to the quality of a directory, but it will give you a good idea of whether or not the directory is authoritative and well-respected. The higher the PageRank for a directory, the more reasonable it may be to pay for a listing.

6. Make sure you're familiar with each directory's submission guidelines before you add your URL.

7. Submit your site to the appropriate category. You'll get listed faster if you've done your research and submitted your site to the categories to which it is most closely related.

8. Even if a directory is new and doesn't have much exposure, submit to it anyway as long as it's free. You never know when a directory may gain popularity and start charging for listings.

Directory submissions are an easy way to get one-way links and drive traffic to your site. If you're interested in taking on the task yourself, you'll find that's it's definitely worth your time and effort, but don't hesitate to hire an internet marketing professional to do it for you if you need to focus on other aspects of your business.