SeoMoz Directory List

[activitysuper]

Is it worth cracking through the directory list on SEOMOZ as the first step when link building to get things moving?

[seohive-222720]

Hi ActivitySuper

I would say if you get 5 mins, certainly have a look at the directory as there are some good sites in here.  Depending on your business, your target audience? i.e local, national or international.  I'd be more interested in researching link building in a more relevent way and being more creative in how you get your links.

For example, building linkable content, something people want to link too? also searching for competitor broken links? maybe you can rebuild the content?

shivun

[AITLtd]

I would agree with seohive. It's a great place to start in order to get some quick wins, such as web directories that you might not be using.

In the long run you really want to be creating unique and more importantly useful content. This content will be the stuff of dreams that gets shared and naturally builds links.

Do this in conjunction whilst using social media to share that content with people who share an interest in that product and they will hopefully link back to your site, and if they are interested and operate in a market related to your product then hopefully that extra relevance will add some extra credence to your link.

[Cyrus-Shepard]

It certainly won't hurt, as long as you keep the following in mind:

1. Not every directory link is right for your site. Be selective and don't go for every link out there.
2. Pace yourself. A good hint I got from Ian Lurie's Fat Free Guide is the 2:1 rule: for every two directory links you build, make sure to build one genuinely natural link. This helps to keep your link profile looking “natural”.
3. Research. Understand where your link will be placed before you go after it. Check Google’s cache of the page to make sure they are indexing it. Large directories are often plagued by bad SEO, and not every link carries the weight it should.
4. Seek relevancy. Ask yourself if this link has the potential to send qualified traffic to your site. Even if it's a small amount of traffic, it's probably worth the effort.

I originally wrote these tips in a blog post published a few months ago.

According to rule #2, you should be safe with a couple of directory links - but if you are just getting started I wouldn't push it further than this. To really add value, try to ensure they are related to your niche. The harder it is to get into a directory, the more value it adds.