Many have said that submitting your website or blog to directories is no longer an effective way to build links and improve your website’s search engine rankings, but this isn’t entirely the case. Yes, not only are (some) directories still good for SEO and link juice, but listing your website and local business information on directory sites can also increase your Google Local/Google maps rankings as well as Google Local pulls from many trusted directory sites when verifying that your information is correct.

So now you need to know what directories to submit to and what rules to follow. Here are 5 tips that you should follow when listing your site or blog on a directory.

1. Is it a niche/legal directory?

You don’t want to submit your website to a directory that is too general or has nothing to do with law because this can actually negatively affect your rankings. The quality of you inbound links is very important, and the last thing that you want is a bunch of links coming in from non-legal-related sites.

One directory that we can show as an example (there are plenty out there but this is just one that we prefer for a number of reasons which we’ll explain below) is Local-Attorneys.com. This is a directory site that specializes in ONLY lawyer listings.

You can also look for niche directories that are location-based, meaning they only list businesses in your city or state. These can be good for improving your location-based search engine rankings and some of them are also good for traffic as a lot of quality directories that are location-specific get a pretty good amount of visits.

2. How does the directory rank?

How the directory is structured is also very important to look at. You want to make sure that any directories that you submit to have SEO-friendly URL’s for your listing (meaning that some of your keywords are actually included in the URL of your listing), some sort of content on the directory site and not just a bunch of links, and a decent Google Pagerank.

Again, we like to use local-attorneys.com as an example because they have all of these things and also rank on page 1 for terms like “local attorneys”, “find local attorneys”, etc. Try to see if the directory you’re listing on ranks for any of your local searches (also, conduct these searches to see what directories DO come up and submit your website or blog to those as well).

This is important for rankings because a) the higher the quality and rank of the directory, the more “link juice” that you’ll receive by being listed, and b) a quality directory is a lot more likely to get more visits which should direct some traffic to your website.

Remember, a directory can help you in two ways: it can help improve your inbound “link juice” which will dramatically improve your Google and other search engine rankings, and some directories can also get your website more traffic.

3. It’s a paid directory, is it worth it?

Clients e-mail us all of the time asking if they should be listed on a paid directory and if it’s worth the submission fees.

Yes, there are plenty of free directories out there that are effective, but a quality paid directory can help you earn a return on investment as long as you know what you’re looking for.

(And, by the way, if you’re using any types of software or web-based programs to submit your website or blog to multiple free directories at once, you’re shooting yourself in the foot).

We’ve seen listing fees range anywhere from $50 all the way to $1000. So, our tip: find some quality directories with lower listing fees ($50-100 is usually pretty reasonable) and submit to a few of them to start off with.

You can monitor Google Analytics to see if any of these paid directories have referred traffic to your website, but just remember that there is return on investment that you won’t be able to see and that is the link juice that this directory is providing your website and helping it rank better on the search engines.

4. Be sure to use effective effective submission methods

What do we mean by “effective submission methods”?

Don’t use the same description for every directory. Be sure to change the wording and included keywords around and, if possible, try to link to interior pages of your website for appropriate keywords/practice areas.

In other words, if you’re submitting your site or blog to directories trying to build your “link juice” up for an auto accident keyword, don’t always link back to the home page itself. Your website should have a page dedicated to each of your areas of practice, and the more inbound links that you have going to these types of interior pages, the better.

Also, to save time, instead of typing or copying and pasting all of the generic information like address, phone number, e-mail, etc., download and use a Firefox plug-in called Informenter. This will save you a LOT of time, trust me.

5. Always try to be as detailed as possible

Listing a website or blog on multiple directories in one sitting can become very tiring and repetitive, but you’d be surprised how much adding little details like a company logo or hours of operation can actually make a difference. Try to take the time to fill out AS MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS AS POSSIBLE. Add as much content to every directory submission as you can and make sure that you’re maximizing the listing on that directory. Sure, it may take a few extra minutes, but it’s better to do it then and to do it right than to have to go back and do it again.

George Murphy of Foster Web Marketing recently asked Josh King, Vice President of the fast-growing legal directory Avvo, a few questions about the site after it is heading into its third year online. Here is what he had to say:

So just give us some feedback on Avvo and a few of it’s selling points.

 Avvo helps guide consumers in handling their legal matters with confidence and choosing the right lawyer.  For lawyers, Avvo offers a free web presence where attorneys can add highlight their practice and stand apart online.  Attorneys can also answer legal questions posted on the site by consumers, and use Avvo’s self-publishing tool to create “legal guides” in their areas of law. 

All of these activities help create a depth of profile that makes it easier for buyers of legal services to make the decision to hire a lawyer.  Avvo is not only highly trafficked, but is also highly search-engine-optimized.  This is particularly valuable when a potential client is looking an attorney up by name. Another very popular feature of out site is the Avvo Rating, which is our assessment (based on an algorithm we run on every lawyer profile) of the likelihood an attorney will be able to help a consumer with their legal problem.

 

Sounds like way more than a directory site. What kind of success stories have you been hearing from attorneys using Avvo?

 We’ve heard from many attorneys who tell us they receive numerous clients through Avvo.  One WA firm told us that earlier this year, one-third of their new clients were from Avvo, and another told us they were acquiring two clients per month. Not bad for a free website.

 

Not bad at all. What kind of growth have you experienced since launching last June?

We’ve grown over 400% in 2008.  We also cover more than 1 million attorneys, making us the largest legal “directory” in the U.S.

 

Impressive. What does the future hold for Avvo?

Very soon, attorneys will be able to advertise on Avvo, much as Google features sponsored listings along with search results. We’ll also expand coverage into the states in which we currently don’t have lawyer profiles.

 

We’ve spoken about this before, but with Avvo.com having a web 2.0, almost social-media type of feel to it, what are your thoughts are on social media for attorneys? Especially Twitter?

I think Twitter is a terrific way to network and expand readership of attorney blogs, when used properly.  However, attorneys will need to find the right balance between not letting Twitter be a time sink and not posting once and going away. 

Amen to that. Thanks to Josh for his feedback, and for any attorney out there who is looking to expand their online reach, go claim your Avvo profile (everything is pulled from State Bar records, so not anyone can register as an attorney on the site. Very cool!).

Coming tomorrow: Twitter For Attorneys, in Video.