UK web directories

[londoncakes]

This post is deleted!

[GPainter]

Google doesn't like web directories and penguin doesn't like them.  Although Some directories do work like a niche directories where the user may find your website helpful for the most part directories for gaining in SERP is not a good idea and not recommended.

[londoncakes]

but I dont mean abour Webdirectories with PR4-5 but famous paid webdirectories with PR6-7.If not webdirectories so what you can recommend to get more valuable links ?

[GPainter]

You could look into the likes of yell.com or the yahoo directory.  You may find a better thing to look for blogs about cakes etc. and connect with the community and you may get some links through there is you are after some links.

[GPainter]

You may also find it helpful to look into wedding or birthday etc. directories ( I use the word broadly) for people actively looking to find your service etc. or just

http://dir.yahoo.com/business_and_economy/shopping_and_services/food_and_drink/baked_goods/cakes/decoration/

Hope some of that helps.

[BenjaminMorel]

Unfortunately, generic directories are close to useless for link building. I know exactly why they feel useful - you can get a link with about two minutes of effort. The problem is, search engines these days's don't particularly care for them. There's a good reason for that: when was the last time you used a directory like www.the-web-directory.co.uk or botw.org.uk to actually find something? I'm willing to bet that the answer is "never". So directories have almost no value for users, and at the end of the day search engines want to know you're providing value for users. So I'm afraid that rather than answering your question I'm going to join Chris in saying "that's not the way to go".

Having said that, there is one type of directory that does get used: the local directory. If you have a Google Plus business listing (and if you don't then setting one up needs to be your first action after reading this) then complementing this with results in directories like FreeIndex, HotFrog, or All In London will help the search engines to confirm your business name, address, and telephone number are correct and so may give you a boost in the local rankings - which is rather useful as I imagine a lot of your customers use local terms like "birthday cakes London".

You'll run out of local directories fairly quickly, though, so the big question is "what do we do next"? The answer, as it so often is, is "create and share content". I know what you think whenever somebody says that. "Creating content takes loads of time - time that I could be baking cakes" but there's something yo should probably know.

Your cakes are remarkable.

I mean that. Looking at your site, the cakes you have produced are amazing. And from the number of them that there are and the skill it takes to make them I imagine you're pretty passionate about baking. The great thing is, if you produce remarkable content then people are going to want to remark on it. On Facebook, on Twitter, on your website. You already produce content that people want to talk about and share, so all you need to do is get the conversation started.

Invest some time in social media. Talk to people about baking, commend other people on their work (both pro's and amateurs). Find the Moz for bakers - the place online where they all hang out - and answer their questions, write blog posts, and let them in to one or two of your secrets. Comment on their blog posts, correct them if they get things wrong, and build up your reputation among other bakers.

Doing this is a lot more work than just getting some directory links, but they bring about a whole lot more benefit  And by benefit I don't just mean better search engine rankings, I also mean more website visits, people spreading the word about you themselves, and much, much more return on the investment of your time. And speaking from experience, social media is much more fun than trawling through the web looking for dubious directories.