Submission to quality directory will definitely boost your SEO efforts and also offer a strong back link to your site. Let us try to explore the various selection factors to determine a quality directory. Quality directories can be both free and paid directories. The selection factors displayed apply same to both free and paid directories. I really don’t want to differentiate quality directories on the basis of PR after the recent Google pagerank update.

1. Search Engine Indexation: Before you submit to any site make sure that the directory is well indexed by Google/Yahoo and when the directory was last cached. If the directory was not cached by Google for a long time then there is definitely some problem with the directory. Quality directories are indexed completely and cached on a regular basis by Google.

2. Popularity of the Directory: This is the most important factor as you will be waiting for months to be getting listed in DMOZ or paying some dollars in to get listed in a quality paid directory but what is important is not only the link juice that the directory can offer to your site, but also the traffic that it can send to your site. A highly promoted and established directory can really offer you both traffic and at the same time give you the link juice for your SEO efforts.

3. Unique Category structure: Make sure that the category structure is unique and not from any of the SQL dumps for various available directory scripts. Also the categories should have a deep drilldown so that information is well organized, so that relevant information can be located quickly.

4. Link Attribute : A directory that uses a “rel=nofollow” attribute or places your link with JavaScript re-directs will not be of any SEO advantage and is not counted as a back link by Google. Quality directories will always offer a direct back link to your site.

5. Unique Design (Optional): Content always plays a very important role, but the way the content is presented also makes a difference. Unique directory design shows directory owners commitment and seriousness for his directory.

6. Links in the Category: Check the quality of the links that are present in the category that you are looking to submit your site. If the directory has spam links (low quality links), then there is really no point in submitting to such directory & as it will really not pass any link value. Quality directories do reject lot of links.

Please post in your comments, if you have some more selection criteria’s for quality directories.

Amit.

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