Paid directories Vs Paid links

The world of SEO is ever changing. As a new website owner, it can be daunting trying to rise in page rank so you can be seen in your particular keywords, and the strict rules for quality set forth by Google can make it seem impossible.

Paid links and paid directories are one of those areas that can be confusing for even the most seasoned SEO veteran. Will paying a few dollars to have your link added to a directory help you raise your page rank, or will doing so actually be detrimental to your website? We know with paid links there is a clear line drawn between what is acceptable and what is not, but what about directories?

According to Matt Cutts, the former head of the web spam team for Google, the answer is clear. Paid directories are held to the same standards as paid links, which means some are valuable, but others are not.

Just like there are good neighborhoods in any city, there are also bad neighborhoods, and if you purchase a link from a paid directory in a “bad neighborhood” you may actually cause your site harm instead of good.

If you are uncertain about whether a paid directory will be a worthwhile investment, it is important to pay attention to what the website requires, and the quality of the directory. If a directory will accept you without any sort of screening process, and allow you to pick what your wording is for the directory without any sort of screening process, it likely isn’t a desirable business directory.

These undesirable web directories may have action taken against them by Google, resulting in little to no value to you for the link you paid for.

On the other hand, directories that Matt Cutts approved of such as the Yahoo directory will have a strict editorial process. Your website will be screened carefully to make sure it is appropriate for the directory, and there may be significant editing to your description of the website. A carefully managed directory such as this will likely be worth the money.

Paid links and paid directories are treated with the same care and consideration by the Google team, as well as other important search engines. They are treated with the same care, and need to be handled respectfully in order to make use of them. Otherwise, entering random paid directories may simply be a waste of time.

If you are interested in purchasing links or a spot in a directory to help boost your search engine rank, do your research first. A high quality directory will speak for itself through carefully curating the links allowed in the directory, and doing their best to present each website in the best possible way. Getting into these directories may not be easy—you may even get rejected from several if your links don’t meet their requirements, but it is worth the effort if you are looking for a way to raise your page rank.