Member Avatar for tadisaus2

Hello,

I know this is an old question but I like to ask to make sure that I won't try it anymore.

Is web directory submission really dead for getting back links?

How about good PR web directories?
How about new directories?

Should we continue using this method to gain back links?

Thanks very much!

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by austin11

Dani AI

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Short answer: for raw SEO link power, generic directory‑submission is largely a dead tactic — mass, auto‑approved lists give little (if any) ranking benefit and can create an unnatural‑link footprint that risks algorithmic de‑valuation or manual action. ()

The old “high PR directory” idea is outdated. Public PageRank scores were removed years ago, so selling “PR placements” isn’t a meaningful proof point; judge directories by editorial quality, traffic and relevance instead. (searchengineland.com)

Where directories still help: curated industry directories, government/education listings, and local business platforms act as trust/citation sources and referral drivers — they support local visibility and help Google verify NAP (Name/Address/Phone) data. For local businesses this remains a useful, measurable channel (not a magic backlink hack). (brightlocal.com)

Practical checklist (keeps the risk low and the upside real):

  • Prioritise official and widely used listings first (Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Maps) and keep NAP identical everywhere. ()
  • Target a handful of high‑quality, niche or association directories that real customers use; avoid one‑click mass submission services and auto‑approve sites. (websitepromote.com)
  • Measure value: track referral traffic (UTM tags), check whether directory pages are indexed, and only keep listings that send real users or improve local signals.
  • If you inherit lots of low‑quality directory links, audit and remove or disavow rather than adding hundreds more. ()

This balances the thread: , and are right that directories aren’t completely extinct; and are right to warn about trashy lists. Focus effort on quality, local citations and outreach rather than bulk submissions.

Recommended Answers

All 7 Replies

Member Avatar for Member #949455

Is web directory submission really dead for getting back links?

Not really.

There's Bing Search Engine page where you can submit a website to Bing directory.

Should we continue using this method to gain back links?

I think that method is bit old so I don't have any suggestion regarding about that.

Member Avatar for mayaestat

Web directory submission is not completely dead in SEO. We can still submit our website in High PR directories for the backlinks.

Member Avatar for Dipesh1234

You can use web directory submission to get backlinks because web directory submission is not dead completely.

Member Avatar for prince sinha

Directory Submission is not at all useful for optimizing websites. Even if you get approval from high quality directories, there will not be Page rank, more outbound links and no traffic. Without these benificial how can g oogle consider this as quality backlink.

Member Avatar for canadafred

A link from one of the zillions of dumpster directories is about as useful as ... as ... I don't know. It's useless. USELESS!!! Complete waste of time and energy, waste of Internet space ...

Member Avatar for pravien

no ,it's useful one

Member Avatar for austin11

Submit your website links on High PR directory sites it will get you high quality backlinks.

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