Google and Yahoo have worked tirelessly to reduce the importance of paid links on the internet, so much so that Google actually has a paid links algorithm, and is encouraging webmasters to report sites that are paying for links from high page rank sites. Also Google has constantly made changes to its search engine, and now apart from having relevant content it has become essential for a website to have links in relevant places too. The term relevant links means that if a site is dealing in used cars, then only incoming links from sites like a spare parts dealer or similar sites will be termed as relevant.

With so many niche sites on the internet it has become increasingly difficult for a site to find relevant incoming links, in fact in the case of sites that are unique or are a new concept on the internet link building has become a challenge as there might not be sites that can be termed as relevant to a new site. So then what can a webmaster to do carry out link building without worrying about relevance of links? Currently the safest bet is to submit a site with online directories.

When it comes to directories, search engines like Google and Yahoo do not differentiate between the incoming links, simply because it is understood that an online directory will have outgoing links from a variety of sources and there is no way that Google and Yahoo can penalise the directory or the sites for using such links. In fact if you are looking for a 100% safe link building campaign, then online directories are the best options; however there are a few parameters to keep in mind when submitting your site with an online directory.

The first thing to remember when you are considering directory submission is to clearly know which directories you must submit your site with, at present there are two directories on the internet that every site has to consider directory submission with, the first is DMOZ and the second is the Yahoo Directory. DMOZ is free where as the Yahoo directory is free or a webmaster can purchase an expedited review and submission. In either case if you choose to go with a free submission the wait time before inclusion is close to 3 months.

Once you have submitted your site with DMOZ and Yahoo Directory, the next thing to do is to look for other web directories, the simplest way to choose an online directory is to look for a directory service that caters to a niche market, for example if you have a web site that offers business services, then you should look for an online business directory. A good example is http://www.bizfive.com/ although an upcoming site the site is a business directory and is expected to perform well in the future. However one thing you have too look for is that the directory you are submitting your site with is well structured and has a proper categorisation of content, if not the chances are that such a site will probably not be termed as a directory by Google and Yahoo and the submission with the directory will prove futile.

Importance of choosing the right directory

When you consider directory submission with any online directory, the first thing you should look for is a specialised directory. Today apart from generic directories like DMOZ, there are specialised directories available that allow only websites that fit their criteria to make submissions, the advantage of choosing a specialized directory is that it will offer more relevance to your link building exercise as Google and Yahoo will instantly recognise the link as a relevant link. Another thing to remember when carrying out directory submission is that don't choose a directory that has no submission criteria, or is not properly organised. This might cause Google to view your submission as a paid link and eventually this will end up harming your ratings then helping them.