The Real Deal on Link Building

Directory Submissions & Article Marketing

In the realm of SEO strategies, directory submissions, link building, website SEO and article marketing these aspects stand out as great methods for cultivating a robust network of backlinks, amplifying website traffic, and ultimately catalyzing conversions.

For those delving into the intricate world of SEO for their online business, navigating the vast landscape of available strategies can be daunting.

Among all the options, directory submissions emerge as a compelling choice, enticing with their seemingly straightforward nature. However, true SEO mastery demands a deeper understanding of techniques beyond surface-level simplicity. At level343 we’re all about natural and organic strategies to build your online business. We create user friendly content on landing pages that will garner links to your website.

Link Building Organically

This includes technical SEO, which involves optimizing various technical aspects of a website to enhance its visibility and performance on Google and other search engines.

Furthermore, effective link building strategies, such as directory submissions, must be complemented by the creation of high-quality pieces of content tailored to different types of audiences. These pieces of content serve as valuable assets in attracting inbound links and establishing authority within the digital realm.

Thus, while directory submissions offer a tangible avenue for link acquisition, they are just one component of a multifaceted SEO approach that encompasses technical optimization, diverse content creation, and strategic link building endeavors.

Indeed, directory submissions offer a straightforward approach to SEO enhancement, but beneath the surface lies a landscape fraught with intricacies and nuances. Similarly, article marketing, while heralded for its efficacy, demands a substantial investment of time and effort. The truth is, if the process of executing these tactics feels swift and effortless, it’s likely indicative of a shallow approach.

Using Your Keywords Strategically

Additionally, strategically using keywords in blog posts and other content is essential for effective SEO. Knowing your audience well is key; it helps place keywords where they matter most and creates content that resonates with them. This includes various types of content like articles, videos, or infographics. Utilizing tools like Google Analytics aids in content optimization, enhancing your overall digital marketing efforts.

Understanding the intricacies of your target audience’s preferences and behaviors is crucial, as it informs the strategic placement of keywords and facilitates the creation of compelling content tailored to their needs.

Furthermore, recognizing the pivotal role of backlinks as a ranking factor in search engine algorithms underscores the significance of both directory submissions and article marketing. These methods help create important links to your website, making it more visible and authoritative in search engine rankings.

Basically, mastering directory submissions and article marketing means understanding SEO, creating audience-friendly content, and using keywords and anchor text strategically. By making these practices a core part of your SEO toolkit, you ensure long-term growth and visibility online.

Article Marketing

Article marketing works something like this:

1. You write an article (or two, or three) on your chosen topic.
2. You submit this article to an article site, such as ezinearticles.com.
3. People find this article through keyword search and read it.
4. People then follow the link back to your site.

It sounds easy, but it’s a little more complicated than that.

Many beginning Do-It-Yourselfers (and SEOs, for that matter), use one article and submit it to several sites. Others take an article already on their website and submit it. The problem with these two methods is duplicate content.

A lot of article sites will now deny an article once it’s been posted elsewhere. Those that don’t (with some exceptions) are probably not worth your time anyway. The second method generally ends up with the article site ranking for your article and keyword, rather than your website. Leave the articles on your website where they’ll do the most good by increasing the amount of information available to your visitors.

Briefly, let’s also touch on article marketing software. The sales hype for this software says you can submit 100s of articles to over 50 different sites in a short amount of time. It’s true; you can. However, there is no specific way to submit an article that crosses all article sites.

Some require a little bit of coding knowledge to get the article looking right, such as paragraph and heading marks. Because of this, you have no idea what the article will look like until it’s live. Often, it’s an absolute mess.

Article Marketing The Right Way

If you’re going to spend the time, you might as well do it right, right?

1. Selectively choose ten article sites that look like they might get high traffic.
2. Write an article on your chosen topic for each site.
3. Submit one article per site, with a call to action in the bio box.
4. Watch your traffic statistics over the next month or so to see which sites bring you the most traffic.

a) If none bring you traffic, build another list of ten.

b) If you get traffic, narrow the list down to the top five traffic providers.

While watching your traffic…

Instead of waiting to gather information, go ahead and write another ten articles, as well as build your second list of chosen sites. This way, you’ll be ready for either eventuality. If you have five sites that bring you good traffic numbers, submit two articles to each of the five and so on. It may take you a few tries to get that top five, but your traffic will rise once you get them. The rest is then up to your website, content and product/services.

Directory Submissions

Directory submissions work something like this:

1. Submit your website to a directory with key terms
2. People find your link with said key terms
3. Traffic comes to your site.

Again, it’s a little more complicated than that.

With any directory submission, there are two key points to remember: themed directories and Page Rank. Now, Page Rank doesn’t seem to mean much anymore, but a directory with a strong PR provides better basis for link building than one without.

As with article submissions, let’s touch on submission software. Submission software works like so:

1. You get (or choose) a list of directories
2. You put in your meta information (URL, page title, keywords, description)
3. You push enter, start or go

Yes, it’s easy. However, you aren’t just looking for links. You’re looking for quality links. Directory submission software does not distinguish between the two.

Directory Submissions, The Right Way

When submitting to directories for link building purposes, go to directories that have a PR of 3 or above. You can use a program like SEO Quake (plug in for Mozilla Firefox) to get an idea of the PageRank. Now, here’s the catch. Find the most relevant area for your services and check the PR.

See, most directories will have a PageRank of 3 or above on the home page, unless they’re a new directory. What many don’t have, however, is any kind of PR on the pages where your actual link will be, and that’s what you need. Why is this so important if PR doesn’t matter anymore? Because it’s still positive signals towards your link authority and profile.

The largest part of SEO is finding relevance: relevance in content and relevance in linking sites. Keep your directory submissions as relevant to your site as possible. Instead of a section called “Business”, delve down until you find something that matches your services or products, such as “Category: Business, Sub-category: Internet, Sub-category: Website Design”.

In conclusion

While directory submissions and article marketing demand careful consideration and investment, they offer invaluable benefits in enhancing your website’s visibility and authority. Remember, when navigating the world of directory submissions, prioritize quality over quantity, and allocate a reasonable budget to ensure optimal results. While some directories may require a significant investment, the return in increased traffic and improved rankings makes it a worthwhile endeavor. By approaching the process thoughtfully and selectively, you pave the way for sustained success in your online endeavors.

Added March, 10, 2010: What are some effective techniques for building links? By Matt Cutts