Smellycat Productions Blog

This is where you, yourself, with a little time an a lot of patience, can really help improve your website ranking by taking advantage of free listings in online directories, and links to your website from other websites. The best and fastest way to build inbound links is to take advantage of free basic listings in online business directories.

The most important of all the hundreds of online directories is Netscape’s Open Directory Project., DMOZ. Many search engines use this directory to find new, quality websites for their searchers. Before you submit your website to it, however, make sure you’ve done everything you can to make it a quality site with good, helpful information.

It’s likely that your business is already listed in any number of online directories, and the directories are just waiting for you to claim your listing. To find out, do a search on your company name and click on whatever comes up that has your name in it. Then do a search for your URL (yourcompany.com). Note–many of these directories will try to sell you a premium or “enhanced” listing first. Bypass these and look for the “free listing” or “add your company for free”, or similar wording.

After you’ve searched for your company name and URL, and claimed your free listings, perform searches for “directories”, “on-line directories” and “business directories”, go to each and search for your business name, claim it if it is already there or add it, if it is not there.

If your company donates money or items to a charity, give them your website address to include in the “Sponsorship” page of their website. Consider creating a page on your website dedicated to other companies you do business with, and offer to list their company logo and website address in return for them listing your business and website address on their website. This is called reciprocal linking.

Written by: admin on April 5, 2010.