Directory submission is not an afterthought. Submitting your website to reputable and relevant directories will provide your website with links, looks and leads if you take the time to develop an effective directory submission strategy.

Directory submission strategies are developed during the process of search engine optimisation and search engine marketing. Directories provide links, looks and leads. The link to your website that is submitted to the directory for submission builds up your back links which builds up your search engine reputation. Search engines also look for directory submissions when evaluating websites for their search engine results page. The original purpose of online directories was to provide a valuable link for users to follow when researching information. Providing a link to your website for this native purpose can provide you with valuable leads for future customers.

There are thousands of directories. Many are beneficial to your website, however just as many can be detrimental to your website. The process of directory submission also provides an avenue for locating websites that have content related to yours, providing a valuable resource for link building and competitor analysis. Developing a directory submission strategy requires determining the most advantageous methods for search engine results and search engine marketing, as well as a cost and return analysis of your search engine budgeting. Unfortunately, it's not a simple task to put a monetary value on link building, search engine exposure and customer leads since there are so many variables, both tangible and intangible. A directory may charge a fee for your submission, or it may charge a recurring fee. There are many directories that do not charge for submission, however close scrutiny to the directory's reputation is imperative to avoid being penalized by the major search engines. Budget decisions must be taken into consideration when developing your directory submission strategy.

Registering your directory with the primary and most reputable directories is beneficial to search engine results, although this may get costly depending on which directories you choose to submit to. Knowing your target market and having a well-developed customer profile can help you hone in on the directories that are most likely to give your website visibility and reach the customers that are most like to buy your product or service - or complete your call to action. Thus, you will be spending less money, but reaching customers that are most likely to commit, making the directory submission process more efficient.

Directory submissions are not limited to search engine directories. Directories range from industry directories, academic directories, phone directories, business directories, government directories, resource directories, medical directories, and of course, restaurant directories, travel directories, and regional directories. Finding the directories most suitable for your niche and directory submission strategy will strengthen your search engine reputation as well as your website visibility to visitors most likely to be attracted to your website.

A Directory submission strategy is not the most important aspect of search engine optimisation or search engine marketing, but it should not be neglected if you are seeking to optimize every avenue of opportunity for search engine recognition and website visibility. A directory submission will bring you links to increase your page rank, looks to increase the probability of being included in search engine results, increased traffic, leads for new customers, link building and competitive analysis. Don't underestimate the value of developing a directory submission strategy, or your website will be underestimated in search engine results - and overlooked by potentially valuable visitors. Submit your URL to directories to surpass your competitors that aren't using directory submission - and your website visitors will be submitting to you.