If you have recently launched a website, you may be wondering how to get it noticed. New websites may take weeks to get “crawled” by search engines – a delay which can transform the heady, champagne-guzzling high of a website launch into a nail-biting, pillow-punching pit of despair. Ignored websites are like those trees that fall in forests in which there are apparently no animals with auditory capabilities.
Once
you have passed that trial by fire, there is another one awaiting
you. The search engines have found your website, but there is no
traffic – other than members of various networking sites you have
entreated to please
visit!
Now is the time to list your website on a web directory.
Web
directories are not search engines. Search engines display lists of
websites based on keywords found on the pages of your site. In
contrast, a web directory lists websites by category and subcategory.
Most web directories are run by people, usually volunteer editors.
This can make the process of listing your site just as slow as a
search engine. But it is worth the wait, because directories also
include descriptions of the website's contents (written by you). A
good, detailed description provides increased incentive for people
to visit your website.
Important
Tips for Website Submissions
Because
website directories are organized by category (and staffed by harried
humans), it is important to do the following:
- Find the most relevant category for your website, including sub-category.
- Include your most important keywords in your description.
- Observe submission guidelines (read them first!)
- Keep your descriptions concise and informative. (Your description is not an ad, avoid words like “best” and CAPS.)
- Look at the titles and descriptions of websites in the same category. Make yours similar in tone.
- Don't submit to a number of directories all at once. Search engines respond to a progression of new links each month.
Free
directories
About
Us
Alexa
global rank: 79,888
Sites
linking in: 3,128
Currently,
more than 9 million people visit AboutUs.org each month.
Aside from listing your website, AboutUs provides a great “Home
Page Analysis” to help you maximize your SEO. The analysis not only
indicates problems with meta-tags, descriptions, and images, but will
explain how to fix them. (I used this feature to improve the
subheading on my site listings.) Highly recommended.
All the Websites
https://www.allthewebsites.org/
All the Websites
https://www.allthewebsites.org/
Alexa global rank: 79,892
Sites linking in: 1,038
All the Websites has been around since 2003. It has a section for Books and Publications, as well as a Free category (in case you are planning a giveaway). As with most other web directories, your website will be reviewed before it can be posted.
All the Websites has been around since 2003. It has a section for Books and Publications, as well as a Free category (in case you are planning a giveaway). As with most other web directories, your website will be reviewed before it can be posted.
R-TT Web Directory
http://directory.r-tt.com/
Alexa global rank: 158,565
Sites linking in: 1,104
This directory is organized by area of interest. It includes a section on "Arts." It doesn't get quite as much traffic as About Us or All the Websites, but it's free.
http://directory.r-tt.com/
Alexa global rank: 158,565
Sites linking in: 1,104
This directory is organized by area of interest. It includes a section on "Arts." It doesn't get quite as much traffic as About Us or All the Websites, but it's free.
Paid
Directories
Best
of the Web
Alexa
Global Rank: 24,907
Sites
linking in: 3,470
Best
of the Web was founded in 1994 at SUNY Buffalo. It introduced the
concept of recognizing the best sites online (through an annual
vote). Best of the Web has long since abandoned their web awards, but
it continues to maintain a list of high-quality, spam-free websites.
The company employs a team of paid editors that search the web for
sites with original content, taking into account user-friendliness
and normative web standards. Best of the Web lists both commercial
and non-commercial sites, which are reviewed by paid editors. (Best
of the Web also maintain a Blog Directory which lists the best blogs
online.)
As
far as increasing traffic to your site, Best of the Web is considered
one of the best directories to get into. The fee is $149 to submit
and $149 annually if accepted.
Website
Directories Lists
There
are literally hundreds of directories out there, which means you can
spend hours researching where to list your website. To weed out the
directories which will do you no good, either because they are
searched by a demographic that does not represent your market (if you
write romances, you don't want to list on a directory that appeals to
men under 24) or are viewed infrequently, always check them out on Alexa
before you submit. In addition to providing stats, Alexa also posts
reviews. These can be very enlightening.
With
the plethora of web directories, many of which may not apply to
fiction writers (although most do list author sites), you may want to
check out the most reliable and well-regarded sites before you start
listing. Below are three well-organized and informative lists of
directories. Go through these to find the niches that apply to you.
With
a little research, careful planning, and a judicious selection of
where to list your site, your author's website can achieve not only
greater exposure, but some SEO that is better than … (something else
with three letters).
Very helpful information. Thanks for the post.
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