Should we pay for this attorney directory?
-
I'm aware of how most directories don't matter and/or have lost significance over the past few years, but in the legal world, it sure seems like this one does: http://www.martindale.com/ I doubt we will ever get many cases from this directory, but it would be a nice link to have...I think. The DA is 88 and the page we would be listed in is a 39. Almost all of our competitors who outrank us have this link as well. Granted, it's not the only link, but it's one I could afford to obtain. Any thoughts or experiences?
***If any of you market for attorneys, and you're outside the Tampa area (don't want to cause any professional conflicts) have you recommended this directory to your clients?
Thanks,
Ruben
-
That's a good point. It's a residual, so the first year may not be horrific. However, if I compile over 5 years, I could definitely see where we could better target our efforts.
Thanks for the insights and the clarification!
- Ruben
-
I'm sorry if I didn't clarify - what I meant was that the money put toward that directory, be it a one-time payment or a residual, would almost always be better spent toward other marketing or SEO efforts. If this doesn't greatly effect your budget, then it's worth considering (especially if OSE say's it's a quality link).
Most of my customers are SMBs, so I tend to counsel against paid listings/directories - but I didn't take into consideration that you might not have a similar budget.
Let's append my answer to: if you have the money to test the value of this, then do it.
-
I appreciate your response, but I just can't seem to wrap my head around the first point. While l agree with the idea that if I can pay for it so can anyone else, and therefore it wouldn't help me against anyone who already has that link. However, my problem is that if the link passes value, (and according to OSE it is a quality link) and I don't have it, so doesn't that mean it's hurting me vis-a-vis my competition?
-
From experience with clients of my own (for which we develop websites and counsel), I can say that paying for a spot on a blanket directory is usually not worth it. The ideology behind that is twofold.
- If you can pay for it, so can anyone else. That makes the intended value moot.
- It's a common misconception that all directories benefit SEO or presence. Some actually hurt SEO. I don't know if the one you've mentioned would help or hinder, but the first point still stands.
I suggest that if you join directories, you handle that process by either asking clients (past or current) how they found you, or by researching which directories - if any - tend to bring traffic to groups similar to yours.
As an aside, I'm always suspicious/wary of any website that's poorly designed, and martindale.com is no exception.
Good luck, and I hope this has been helpful for you!
-
The other and more important way to look at this is would a user find the directory helpful? if yes then its worth it. the other factors are a bonus ontop of the user flow.
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
-
Do You Risk A Penalty From Local Paid Directories in 2022?
Hi there, I have a client who wants to advertise in a local directory along the lines of "find your nearest plumber". The directory only has paid listings and they are follow links and they also mention your site or generated landing page may get a nice bump on google. Is there a risk that they may get a penalty for using this directory? The client wants to use it regardless of if it gives them an SEO boost but obviously wants to avoid any penalties at all costs. Thoughts on this? Thanks in advance
Link Building | | Scottlinklater0 -
Are directories still a valid practice? If so what are some of your favorite and most authoritative directories?
After combing over several competitor sites I have found many if not the majority of their links are from directories. I am curious to know if individuals/companies/seos etc. still use directories, if so what are some of the favorites?
Link Building | | Firestarter-SEO1 -
How to work with directories for SEO?
Hi, How many directory links do you tend to build in 1 month? And what do you look for in a directories before you submit? I could build 2 links a day from directories but the thought of 60 links being built a month from directories shouts bad news to me. I've had a look and come across a few directories with high DA/PA but at the end of the day they are just link directories, no content, lots of thin pages with lots of links pointing out. A couple of examples of good directories would help. Cheers
Link Building | | activitysuper0 -
BOTW & Yahoo Directory
Hello! Typically how long does it take for these links to show up in Opensite Explorer? I sumbitted these approx 3-4 weeks, OSE has just updated, and I still cannot see in my link profile? Has anyone else experienced this? Thanks guys!
Link Building | | TP_Marketing0 -
Best Relevant Directory submission software
Hi Guys, Is there any really good relevant directory sumbission software out there?? Or am I just wishing for too much here! There must be a good sodtware tools out there where I can submit my property website to relvant property related directories with a jit of a button! Any help of poing me in the right direction would be very helpful! Thanks! G
Link Building | | GAZ090 -
Are link exchanges bad for SEO these days? Also, is adding my site to free yet relevent directory sites a bad idea?
I operate a computer services company in Eugene, Oregon called "Eugene Computer Geeks". We do a lot of web design, and need incoming links to my site very badly. Lately I've been asking clients if they would link to me, but they almost always ask for a link in return. If we exchange links, does Google penalize my site? Would the incoming link be better for SEO if I'm not linking back to the other site? ALSO Is it possible that manually submitting my site to free, yet relevant web directories would hurt my rankings? It's not a big deal to me if it doesn't help my rankings, as I see a benefit to having my site listed, but wanted to make sure there wasn't a chance that it would hurt my rankings. As far as I know all the directories are free from SPAM, porn, warez, or anything like that. Thanks!
Link Building | | eugenecomputergeeks0 -
Is this directory submission site worth the money?
http://www.pegasusdirectory.com/directorysubmission.php Has anybody tried these guys before or anything similar?
Link Building | | adriandg0 -
Can someone give me criteria with which to judge the quality of submission directories.
The general advice is the SEOmoz community is not to bother with low quality submission directories. Makes sense to me as there existence seems solely to manipulate search rankings, which google doesn't like. So what are some clear and actionable criteria to distinguish between a directory worth spending time on and one that is not worth spending time on?
Link Building | | JesseCWalker0