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Do Search Engine Optimization companies spam the directories!
Many Search Engine Optimization companies push tons of links in the directories which will be considered spam by Google and other Search engines.
Do directories owners take part of the plame to accept this!

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by canadafred

Dani AI

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Short answer: yes — but with important nuance. Many agencies still use mass directory submissions as a cheap way to build links, and Google specifically calls out “low‑quality directory or bookmark site links” as examples of link spam, so that tactic is low‑value at best and risky at worst. () As observed, most generic directories carry little SEO weight; and Google’s John Mueller has said directory/article/bookmarking submissions “generally” don’t help. (seroundtable.com)

That said, not all directories are equal. Curated, industry‑specific directories and major local listings (Google Business Profile, Yelp, industry associations) act as citations that help verify NAP data and drive real users — they’re still useful for local visibility and trust. (brightlocal.com) Practical rules: prefer directories with editorial review or clear moderation; avoid automated bulk submissions; never use exact‑match anchor text across hundreds of listings; and treat paid placements transparently (use rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow" as appropriate) — Google gives guidance on using link attributes for paid/UGC links. (developers.google.com)

If a site has been hit with spammy directory links, follow a tight cleanup workflow: run a backlink audit (Ahrefs/Semrush/GSC), look for unnatural anchor‑text patterns or huge spikes, contact directory owners to request removals and save correspondence, check Search Console for manual‑action notices, and use Google’s disavow only as a last resort after documented removal attempts. ()

For directory owners: reduce abuse by requiring verification/moderation, rate‑limit submissions, block obvious bot signups, and mark paid links so they can’t be abused for link schemes. That approach protects the directory’s value and helps stop the cycle worries about.

Member Avatar for canadafred

Most (perhaps 99%) of directories are of little value to the Internet and links deriving from them are essentially a waste of code. The search engine generally disregards their existence. This type of link building strategy is barely considered as SEO work, except to link builders I suppose. They may be able to convince you that it is search engine optimization but it is really a tedious copy/paste task (which is often automated which makes it even less of an actual SEO function but still falls in the realm of Internet Marketing of some sort).

Edited by canadafred
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