So what are web directories? Web directories are web sites that are made up of categorized pages that contain links to other websites. If you wish to be included in the directory you can simply submit your link to be included in one of the categories listed in the directory. Some directories will require a reciprocal link in order for your site to be listed in the directory, while others require you to pay a small one time fee to be included in their directory. If you have a small budget you may want to setup reciprocal links with the directory because this will get your site included in the directory for free.

By having your site included in web directories you not only increase your visibility on the web but you are also increasing the number of sites linking to yours. As a webmaster I am sure you are aware how important it is to have websites link to your site. The theory is the more websites that link to yours the higher your site will rank in the search engines. Google even says on their website that links help their web crawlers find your site and can give your site greater visibility in Google's search results.

I am not saying that by submitting your site to directories you are going to be rich, but you can increase your online visiblility by being listed in web directories.

It is important to note that when you submit your site to be listed in a directory that you should submit to a directory that is related to your type of business. It wouldn't be valuable to list your computer hardware website in a directory that is focused on gardening websites. Also many web directories are human edited which means someone is actually reviewing the website before it is included in the directory. To increase your chances of being included in the directory make sure your site is well designed and includes useful content.