Online directory submission is one of many techniques to improve a website’s Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). It is often misunderstood as an outdated practice, which is far from the truth. So, in this blog post we will cover some of the reasons why online directory submission is still useful for improving a website’s SEO.

Online Directory Submissions Are a Form of Local SEO

Local SEO is a strategy that helps your business become more visible in local search results.

Businesses submit their location details, or post their business into a directory local to their services. This means people in that area can use the directory as a search tool to find services/products close to them. Not only this but search engines, such as Google, will be able to find and show your business to consumers who search for businesses in your niche and location.

One-way Backlink Generation

One-way backlinks are links going from other sites to yours. They are highly favoured by search engines as they indicate your content is valuable. Each listing in an online directory links to the corresponding business’ website, boosting its ranking in search engine algorithms. However, it is important for businesses to publish on high quality directories to reap the benefit of this.

Increased Website Traffic

Links to your website means more traffic to your website. If many visits are made to your website, it shows search engines that people are interested in your content. This is another form of Search Engine Optimisation as it results in higher search engine rankings.

Strengthening of Keywords

Publishing in an online directory specific to your niche, using the keywords used in your website, connects your website with your keywords better. Search engines understand your relevance to the keywords. So when consumers search these words, your business is more likely to come up.

Higher Search Engine Results Page (SERP) Ranking

A SERP ranking is how far up a website is on the search engine results page. Every business wants to be number 1 for its related search terms. All of the benefits of online directories listed above mean your website will have a high SERP ranking and will be more likely to be on the first page of Google.

Takeaway

Online directory submission can improve SEO in many different way. It is important to first do your research and find directories that are relevant to your business’ niche to maximise the benefits of listing. Include relevant keywords for your business in the title and description of your listing to help search engines understand what your website is about. It is even better if you can use the same keywords used in your website in the listing.