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Backlinking vs. Directory submission vs. Article Marketing

by Adam7
9 replies
  • SEO
    • |
Hey everybody,

I'm trying a lot of different methods to build organic traffic, and I've got a couple contractors through Odesk that are using different methods. One is link building, one is doing directory submissions (with 3 different keywords), and I'm trying to write some articles here and there. It seems like although I've got far more backlinks than directory submissions completed, the directory submissions seem to be bringing up my organic traffic much more (I've hit pages 1 and 2 on Google for all 3 keywords). Is this just a coincidence (maybe these words are less competitive), or is this just a better method?

Anyone care to provide some insight on what seems to work best for you?

Thanks,
Adam
#article #backlinking #directory #marketing #submission
  • Profile picture of the author PhilipSEO
    Hi Adam, some confusion needs to be cleared up here. All links from other sites to yours are called backlinks, whether they come from articles, blogs, forums, PRs, or any other source. So it's all "backlinking." All the methods you have described are low-level link building, which is why they are available cheaply. Such links are still better than no links at all, and they can rank you for keywords that are not competitive and few in number. It may take a long time though. If you want reliable top rankings fast, cheap link building isn't the way to go. Power links require a certain budget, but unlike low-level links they don't waste your money, and if your online business model is sound they prove eminently profitable.
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    • Profile picture of the author Adam7
      Hi Phillip,

      Sorry for the confusion. You're right - I should have clarified that last post by asking "which backlinking method do you find most productive". By 'link building' I really just meant creating links in forums, blog posting, etc.

      The links that I'm getting are mostly on pr4 and pr5 sites, but I'm not sure I know what "power links" are. Are they authoritative root domains linking in directly? Or sites with a higher page rank?

      Thanks
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      • Profile picture of the author PhilipSEO
        Well, 4-5 is good PR, but it's not all about PR, there are many other factors involved, and one of them is the type of link. Nofollow links (those that contain the antispam code rel="nofollow") have no SEO value at all. "Dofollow" links transfer 4 kinds of things in varying degrees:
        -- trust
        -- thematic relevance / relatedness
        -- geographical relevance
        -- PageRank

        It is best when all these metrics combine and work together, but of all of them trust is by far the most valuable. For example, a link within a blog post is much, much more powerful than a link in comments. The reasons for this is that Google knows what type of link it is and knows that blog comments are consistently abused by link builders for manipulation. The key difference is editorial discretion. Editorial choice conveys trust; if it's a free-for-all and anybody can get a link then it is not trusted.

        Power links are those that can rank you fast in a competitive market. When I take on a new client I can demonstrate an increase in rankings, traffic and conversions within a couple of weeks, whereas most SEOs take months to show any improvement if the niche is even moderately competitive. It's the power of our links that sets us apart.
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  • Profile picture of the author dvduval
    The good thing about directory submissions is they undergo a review process, especially the better directories, and Matt Cutts from google has commented multiple times that directories are fine so long as there is a clear review process that includes rejecting sites that don't meet certain standards.
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    • Profile picture of the author PhilipSEO
      On articles, I agree with what Rand Fishkin has to say here:
      SEOmoz | Article Marketing + Submission for SEO | Whiteboard Friday
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      • Profile picture of the author wilsonusman
        That was an excellent link...Truly appreciate it!
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    • Profile picture of the author hotftuna
      Originally Posted by dvduval View Post

      The good thing about directory submissions is they undergo a review process, especially the better directories, and Matt Cutts from google has commented multiple times that directories are fine so long as there is a clear review process that includes rejecting sites that don't meet certain standards.
      True dvduval. While I would not rule out free directories, many quality directories are paid. Some of the best are Yahoo, BOTW & Romow.com.
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      HeDir.com ranks #1 for "human edited web directory"


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      • Profile picture of the author Adam7
        Thanks guys, great resources.

        It makes me wonder if it's really worth paying the steep prices to be in the Yahoo directory? I feel like I heard somewhere that it was going away? Not sure though.
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        • Profile picture of the author dvduval
          Originally Posted by Adam7 View Post

          Thanks guys, great resources.

          It makes me wonder if it's really worth paying the steep prices to be in the Yahoo directory? I feel like I heard somewhere that it was going away? Not sure though.
          I think there are lots of quality link directories besides yahoo. One resource you might want to check is
          Free Directory List - SEO Friendly - Info Vilesilencer
          The main thing is you want to submit to directories that have a review process, and beware of offers to submit to 1000 directories for $10. It's not really that hard to do it yourself, and you might want to try a few submissions just so you get the feel for it before you hire someone to help.
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          It is okay to contact me! I have been developing software since 1999, creating many popular products like phpLD.
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