Traffic Flow SEO

Directories are great sources for building inbound links to your site, but you need to be careful as to what directories you submit to especially if they charge a review fee. Below is a quick list of what I look for in a directory before I pay any review fees:

1. A unique logo and/or custom or customized template.
- If a directory owner does not care enough to make their directory stand out from the crowd I feel that is a direct statement on how much they care about their directory (probably not much, so why should I care).

2. A unique set of categories.
- If a directory owner uses a common category download and does not spend the time to make their directory a little unique by creating their own categories, it is another sign that they may not care a lot about their directory.

3. Something that shows activity and life.
- What do I mean by this? Well I am looking for a stats section or a news section or anything that shows me the directory is active and alive. This gives me the feeling that I am going to make a good investment because I want to be involved in a directory that is growing and being actively promoted, so my investment does more than provide just another link to my site, but also provides a little traffic.

4. Active responses to inquiries.
- When a submission review fee runs $50 plus I will usually send a quick email to the directory owner and track how long it takes for him/her to get back to me (if at all). If they are responsive in a timely manner, it gives me a good feeling that I will get a fair and quick review of my submission. If there is a delayed response or no response at all I usually just pass over the directory as it is a sign that the owner may not care much about customer support.

5. General stats.
- Check out Google PR, Yahoo back links, Alexa rankings, age of site, etc. The more stats your can review the better as no one stat can provide a whole picture.

There are additional items that I analyze before submitting sites for reviews including making sure there is some kind of contact information and/or open 'who is' information, but the list above will give you a good start.