Back to Basics: Article Directories :)
-
Does anyone do this?
I don't any more but what I used to do is:
Find 20 article directories I thought were good, register to all and note down in a excel sheet.
Generate 1 article (500 words) and make a byline to go with it containing my anchor text link.
I would then systematically go through my excel sheet submitting my article to each one.
2 weeks later repeat the process.
This is something I used to do a few years ago but stopped because it was duplicate content across the directories but I think I was probably going about it the wrong way.
Anyone?
-
Yeah, I'd agree with you. I wouldn't touch traditional article sites. I certainly have nothing against posting content on external sites that are high quality. I have seen, for example, a lot of really good industry-specific "article" sites that have a strong editorial review, high quality standards, and real readers.
Especially for small site, it can definitely be worth posting some good content to quality external sites, whether the site focuses on articles, blog posts, or something else.
-
Like I said something I used to do but stopped purely because its 'crap'.
I still think it is, but wanted to make sure I wasn't missing a trick here and actually could benefit from it.
I take it you don't touch it then?
-
Article links - meh.
If they accept crap, your article gets lost in a sea of spun or just low-quality crap. Link juice is so diluted that you might not even get indexed.
If they accept good stuff, think about whether a site called "directory" is really the best spot for it. The answer isn't always no - there are some content networks where you can actually build followers and links around good content.
Re: submitting it 10 times... Google discounts links coming from syndicated or duplicate articles, and it's against the terms on most article directories to submit content that has been published elsewhere. This is why spinning was invented in the first place.
Article Marketing - Mostly a Scam if you want a second opinion.
-
Definitely. I would also suggest varying anchor texts. Think what would be most natural. Don't always get the perfect links
-
Yeah helpful,
So basically your saying:
10 keyword anchor text links + 10 brand links, will benefit rankings more then 20 keyword anchor text links?
-
For any link building profile, they key is diversity of links. If there are lots and lots of Article Directories, Guest Posts, Niche Directories, Blog Comments....in other words too much of any one linking technique and specially anchor text links is a pattern that is easily detectable and stands out from the crowd. We all know links help. We do need links. However, If you lots of article directory links in your back profile and not much of others, I would look into other oppurtunities.
In your words, every 2 weeks, when you want to essentially repeat your process of gaining links...do it...except use a completely different anchor text, maybe don't use anchor text at all...use the domain name, use the brand and so on. And try to use a complete different technique every time.
Invest that time and effort of the 500 words of content into a very useful piece of content and put it on your main-website or as guest blog posts on industry related blogs.
I hope that helps.
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
Directory listings for a new site and it's implications on SEO
Hi all, In classic newb style I have submitted my new site to several uk directory listings after seeing these listings used by competitors, both local and national. I chose ones with a low-spam score as shown on the Moz site explorer. Now my domain score has jumped up several places over a few days, as has my search position, but will these listings "hurt" in the future? I fully intend on chasing and gaining non-quick'n'easy links in the future for he record. Many thanks!
Link Building | | UkPod0 -
How can I find the best sites to guest post on while linking back to my article?
Whats the best way to find sites to guest blog on. There are just so many and I don't want to make bad choices so my current rankings don't get hurt
Link Building | | aronwp0 -
Back Links Page
Hi Everyone, I have been trying to increase my companies presence on the web by creating back links of our site to other sites. I realize that our site sent actually allow for back links and was thinking about devoting a page to this. I few sites i have approached have asked for reciprocal links so i thought it mite be useful to have a space that allows for this. Doe anyone have any advice about allowing for back links on your website. Is there an optimum number that i should be mindful of if I'm going to add links to my site? Any advice would be much appreciated Thanks Pete
Link Building | | Hardley10 -
Will placing links in articles on my site help my rankings?
I have a few page rank 2 articles on my site. Will placing links to other pages on my site with appropriate anchor text in the body of these articles help the other pages to rank higher for the anchor text i place in these links in the articles? Thanks in advance! Ron
Link Building | | Ron100 -
Website Hit by Penguin Update Rising Back From The Dead?
I have a website that had been hit quite hard by the Google Penguin update, losing about 75% of its traffic. The website dropped to positions 300 - 400 for it's most significant keywords. The website had some unnatural links but not that much, maybe about 10 to 20 unnatural links and I've had them all removed about a month ago by the SEO company (submitcomfort.com). Another issue with this website is that it was hacked in early 2012 and hackers used a writeable directory to store porn stuff (my website has absolutely nothing to do with porn!). That said, the website acquired lots of backlinks from porn and warez websites. But today I noticed that impressions are now up by 23% and clicks are up by 54% according to Google Webmaster Tools and it's now ranking in positions 30 to 50 for it's main keywords. So my question is: was that a penalty that's just been lift off? How can it come back from the dead like this? I'm investigating before reinvesting time and money in this website because I'm not sure if this is temporary. Thank you
Link Building | | sbrault740 -
Directory submission after Google panda update
I am very much concerned about directory submission after Google panda update. I have few questions in this regard 1- Should I submit the home page URL or deep links in directories? What is better practice? 2- Can I submit more than one link in one directory? What are the consequences of submitting both (home page and deep link) in same directory? 3- Should I start directory submission aggressively or I need to take care about the quantity? Regards
Link Building | | shaz_lhr1 -
Should I use Article Submitter software?
I've downloaded Article Demon a while ago and have been trying to use it all though it hasn't been as easy to use as I would have liked. I was just wondering what you guys feel about Article Submitting software, if it's useful or if it's a waste of time? Regards
Link Building | | HeadStud0 -
Is posting our original articles on competitor websites with a linkback beneficial?
We are receiving requests to repost our articles in full on competitor websites. Our competitors have expressed they are fine with linking back to our homepage, and the original source page. Would this benefit us, or do more harm than good?
Link Building | | uderic0