The Maine SEO Blog

Yes…

…because they’re easy. Typically, all you need is the link to your site and a one- or two-line sentence describing what the link talks about.

…because most are free. Some major directories (like DMOZ) and most niche directories are free to submit to. Many of them have freelance editors who sort through and edit submissions.

…because it gives you one more incoming link. We all know the importance of having strong, incoming links.

No…

…because they’re time consuming. Researching what directories can often take some time, especially sifting through the bogus niche directories. Plus, it’s always nice to submit to quite a few to make a big impact (which takes time).

…because they’re expensive. When they’re not free, that is. Sometimes paying for the incoming link isn’t worth what you get, which brings us to…

…because they’re not worth a lot. It’s difficult to guage how much an incoming link, even from a Yahoo directory, is worth. It is, however, worth a test.

Nicki Hicks
Directory Critic

You do!  Do you need to use all of them?  My guess is no, especially if you’re a small business.  But if you have a website, and expect to get half way decent search results, you had best start a good link building campaign.

There are quite a few different strategies you could use.  Rich and I have both talked about some of these strategies before.  But here’s a comprehensive smattering of all of them.

Backlinks or Backward Links

Directory Links

Directory submissions can be found in a wide variety of sites: from paid (like Yahoo!) to free (like DMOZ, JoeAnt, and Gimpsy).  While I’m not sure if paying for a directory link is entirely worth it, you might as well submit to free directories, especially those specializing in your niche.

Affiliate or Client Links

Linking to your clients or to companies affiliated with yours is a great way to share the PageRank wealth.  By linking to them, you’ll very nearly guarantee a reciprocal link in return.

Buying links

While personally, I don’t see the point in buying links or even “renting” them, there are ways to purchase them without looking like a spammer.

Resource Links

I read an example a while back that stated it’s a good idea for a website that sells shoes to link to a site that sells shoe laces or shoe cleaner, because their customers are most likely also going to be interested in those products.  However, it would be unwise to also link to weight loss formula or male enhancement supplements – while their customers might also be interested in these products, it simply comes off as looking spammy.  Above all, you want to provide added benefits for your customers, right?  So why not become a resource and anticipate their needs?

Intrasite Links

Above all else, I think the goal of linking is to make the web user’s experience that much better.  So, if you can create links within your copy to other places in your site, then you should!

Links for calls-to-action (the cliché “buy now” or “click here” links) are especially important.  Links show the web user where you want them to click, therefore making the whole experience easier and better.

When possible, you want to use text-based links – with keyword rich anchor text.  This is simply because search engines like text-based links more than image links – they can essentially “see” them better.  However, if you have to use an image (say your logo for a home link), be sure to include descriptive alt tags.  It is thought that keyword rich alt tags do have search engine clout.

Can I have too many links?

Yes.  Think about it.  When a site’s content looks like this, it becomes distracting, unnecessary, and ultimately unhelpful.  As I said, the point of links is to help direct your user – you don’t want them to become overwhlemed in the process!

Nicki Hicks
Maine SEO

I made a post when I first started blogging with an SEO Checklist for Web Developers.  I recently reviewed the list, noticing that while all those things are great to remember, sometimes it’s the simple parts of SEO we forget.

I also decided to write this post after thinking about office alignment.  Ahh, alignment, a term I grew sick of all through college (and one of my professors in particular, I’m sure, would be ecstatic to know I noticed it in the real world).  I realized that even though I work in an office of only eight people and our work constantly overlaps, we sometimes forget the effects our roles have on others’ work.

I, for example, forget that even though I have knowledge about so-called “easy” SEO best practices, not everyone I work with knows them.  So here are some major points to remember (and I apologize for any repeats from other posts):

• Use hyphens (-) NOT underscores (_).  It seems to have been handed down from the old school programming and web developing generation to tech gurus today that underscores should be used.  Don’t use them!
  Search engines see hyphens as a space (example-page is example page) and underscores as no space (example_page is examplepage).
• Keyword rich domain name.  There is debate about this – some say a domain name doesn’t matter as long as you can say it out loud and someone can easily spell it back to you (which is very true).  But I say – why not make it keyword rich while you’re at it?!  (While also remembering other domain rules: short, sweet, and memorable.)
• Title URLs intuitively.  When creating secondary and tertiary pages, make sure they make sense!  For example, NOT category2/animal12.html, BUT marsupials/kangaroo.html.
• Titles/Headers/Meta-descriptions.  These should all be keyword rich, unique, and accurate portrayals of what is on each individual page.  However, I caution you: these become difficult to create when a keyword analysis has not been done.
• Links. Links should be those important points web users will want to click on.  Links should have keyword rich anchor text, not a simple “click here”.  Also, try to use as many text-based links as you can; if images are necessary, use keyword rich alt tags.
• To have a site map or not to have a site map? I wrote in the original Web Developer’s Checklist that yes, you do need a site map.  This is another SEO conundrum.  What I’ve heard most recently is that site maps are important for large sites (retail, especially – with a ton of products).
• Directories…do I submit? Every SEO has his/her own opinion about this one too.  In my mind, you should absolutely submit a client to niche directories for their specific industries – especially a free directory.  Also, submitting to a well known directory like DMOZ never hurts either – it’s free!  I’ve heard it’s also good for new sites, especially, to buy a $299 for a Yahoo! directory listing.  Since you have to pay this fee every year, why not have the link for the first year for getting started??
• Most importantly…(drum roll, please)…design sites for web users AND search engines.  Site design and development is an art, and should be treated as one.  However, try not to get caught up in the fever that is making a website beautiful instead of the web user’s pleasure of a site being functional.

I’d like to add that SEO is most successful when done before and during a website’s existence.  Therefore, this list should really only be necessary when a site is built without optimization being done simultaneously.

Nicki Hicks
Advocate for Alignment

What’s the difference between a search engine and a directory?

–Searching in Scarborough?

Dear Searching,

Search engines and directories are both tools people use to find information on the Web. The difference is in how they get and organize their information.

Search engines use little programs called spiders or bots that scour the Internet, follow links, and bring back this information to the search engine’s index. When you use Google you’re not actually searching the Web, you’re searching Google’s index of the Web. Search engines use complex algorithms to determine which Web pages are most likely to answer the questions you pose and return these pages on the search engine results pages (SERPs.)

Directories, by contrast, are human-powered. Site owners submit their sites to directories (sometimes for a fee, sometimes free) and human editors determine the value of the site and whether it should be included in the directory. Directory visitors can search the director or drill down to the appropriate category, i.e., Arts & Humanities > Museums, Galleries & Centers > Modern & Contemporary.

Although directories have fallen out of fashion (even Yahoo’s directory is now hidden at Yahoo.com under the “more” tab), there are still benefits to being listed there. Being listed in an important directory helps your search engine visibility because it counts as an incoming link, which is one of the variables in the search engine’s algorithm.

Rich Brooks
Maine SEO