Page 23 - The Dark Side of Back Link Building

THE DARK SIDE OF LINK BUILDING 23

And so directories turned into a cycle: As soon as a directory matured enough to

attract paid links, new ones were born and submitted to it.

This was, quite clearly, terrible. It became another tactic that Google had

to hamstring.

Are Link Directories Still Useful?

Even in a post-Penguin world, link directories have remained quite relevant. Acquiring
links in high-quality directories can be safe and effective.

It’s just probably not going to boost your SEO. Google learned its lesson with that one.

But directories can help you build trust with your audience, especially if you run a

local business. After all, you could argue that Google Business Profile is a type
of directory.

There are quite a few online directories that boast a lot of traffic. The Yellow Pages,
your local Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau, and many directories

can be great places to list your business.

Just make sure you’re targeting directories that have relevant categories for your
business and that you think your target audience might use.

One exception to note is that Google is very much not a fan of article directories.
These are generally filled with low-quality content that contains links. This generally
results in over-syndication and spammy content, said Matt Cutts, Google’s former

head of search spam, in 2014. They don’t seem to have changed their opinion since
then, and their technology has only improved. So, don’t do it.