As we have already established in the previous posts, being an online shop owner is anything but easy. Among other things, you have to make a brand out of your shop’s name. Now, along with all other SEO techniques, it is very important to submit your shop to directories.
What is directory submission?
Directories are web sites specialized “in linking to other web sites and categorizing those links”. (Wikipedia) Web directories are actually much more than just that. Web directories are liked by search engines, especially those which are human-edited, which means not all links are accepted, but just those that are legitimate. Good directories usually have Google Page Rank above 3, though this is not the indicator of quality in itself. The submitted links are categorized and usually the visitors of the directories get to give them reviews. So, directory submissions can bring you an increase in traffic if you choose the right ones to submit to.
Why submit to directories?
If you choose the right ones, this will provide a higher position in Google SERPS for your web site. Also, this will make it easier for people looking for the type of merchandise you sell to find you.
What not to do?
Never have anything with link farms. It is essential to differentiate web directories from link farms. Unlike web directories, link farms just bundle links and they are not something you would like to participate in, because this can bring you Google ban.
How to choose directories?
Look at the overall appearance and organization of directories, Google page rank, and the relevance of the directory for the type of products you are selling. Always make sure you choose the right category.
Recommendations
Here are a few directories we recommend.
http://www.freeindex.co.uk/ PR5 – Directory for UK retailers
http://www.dmoz.org/Business/E-Commerce/Directories/ PR4 – The famous directory for many sorts of web sites
http://storezone.co.uk/ PR3 – Another UK directory
http://www.somucheasier.co.uk/ PR4
http://shops.oscommerce.com/ PR6 – Directory for OsCommerce shops
