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Directories
are different than search engines. They have actual humans reviewing your
website and determining how high - or even if - you should be listed.
Because they capture a substantial part of the visitor traffic, you
want to make directories a part of your local Internet marketing
campaign.
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Yahoo! To get started, snoop around at the
Yahoo home page, and learn to what Yahoo is trying to tell you. In general, the
more you follow the rules, the better off you will be.
Yes, it's true - if you get a good ranking with Google, you will also find
yourself ranked at Yahoo. But, it never hurts to cover all bases, and -
you never know when that top Google ranking may disappear, and you will be
glad that you have listed with Yahoo separately.
How much does it cost to pay for a listing at Yahoo? Unfortunately, the
answer is $299.00 per year. And, you are not guaranteed a top
spot.
Finally, one other word of caution: Directories are run by humans. They
actually look at your site and decide if it would be valuable to their
search customers. BE SURE YOUR SITE IS IN GOOD SHAPE before you waste the
$299.00. If they determine that you are not suitable for listing, you may
never get a second chance to make a good impression!
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DMOZ (Open Directory) . Go to
http://dmoz.org/add.html
Even though a listing with Open Directory
translates to less traffic than one with Yahoo, it is still worth doing -
and its free! Most of the ideas stated above relating to Yahoo apply here,
expect for the cost - at the time of this writing, DMOZ is still
free.
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LookSmart. Go to
http://listings.looksmart.com/.
While they were originally a pay-for-listing
directory, like Yahoo, they are now moving to a Pay-Per-Click model.
Take some time to read and understand what LookSmart is
providing.
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The other directories, such as
MSN, AOL, Alta Vista and
Ask Jeeves
are automatically covered when you submit to the big three
above.
Directories are a major part of search engine ranking and traffic. They
should be included as you plan your local Internet marketing
campaign.
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