Do Directories Help Traffic?
Tuesday
Apr 29, 2008
When I first started this blog back on Blogger last summer, I somehow got the idea that listing my blog in as many directories as possible was the way to go. I don’t think I read this anywhere but I think my theory was that as many links I could get to my website as possible would be good. I eventually amassed a very large collection of directory listings in my sidebar. The 80×15 banner was my attribution of choice, which I displayed proudly like a badge of honor.
When I made the switch over to WordPress, I kept the directory listings for awhile but I realized that I didn’t really see any traffic from any of these directories. Most of my traffic comes from various social networks & direct visitors, as it did then as well. So I decided the space was too valuable to clutter up with 20+ little directory buttons. I also felt like the only people benefiting from these buttons and reciprocated links on my blog were the directories – not me.
It’s been a month now that I’ve been on this new home of mine and I’m starting to wonder if I did the right thing. I wonder if that “every little bit helps” method I had before was correct, and I got too full of myself in thinking that I didn’t need these links anymore.
So what have you found with directories? If anyone reading has any experience with listing themselves in the many blog directories there are around there on the net I’d love to hear it – please share!
Link Glossary: Reciprocal Link Exchanges
Monday
Apr 7, 2008
Reciprocal Link Exchanges:
- When two websites swap links to point at each other. Trading links with another website.
There’s a limited amount of success that can be had with reciprocal link exchanges. As one blogger wrote they are “so 1997″. Search engines do not give that much value to reciprocal link exchanges because you are sharing the “link juice” between the two links. A great, legitimate way to get some reciprocal links is to just make some connections with other bloggers and throw links to their sites into your blogroll. If they like you, they may reciprocate.
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Glossary Definition From The Definitive Guide to Link Buying by Patrick Gavin
