How to Find Niche Directories to Boost Your SEO

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Directories have been given a bad reputation because they’re so easy to spam and they make it easy to publish poor quality content, but that doesn’t mean that all directories should be off limits. The key is not to find just any directory, but find niche directories. With a little bit of know-how when it comes to finding the right directories and using them correctly, the SEO benefits can be great, even now in 2015.

Why Niche Directories Matter

For those who are unfamiliar, a directory is a website that includes links to many different websites so that people can stop there and navigate to different webpages. Niche directories simply refer to directories that only focus on including companies from certain niches. Below is a screenshot of AllTop, one of my favorites niche directories that caters to a lot of different niches:

find niche directories

The goal is to be included in a few, quality niche directories to help your visibility as well as your SEO. Think of your link on these directories as a link you might earn in a piece of content. It helps show that you’re an authority and puts your website in front of the eyes of a targeted audience. Again, Google does not want you to be included in 50 general directories (this would not help your SEO), but a few quality directories is a good sign in the eyes of Google bots.

Extra Reminder: Before you go out and try and find niche directories, make sure you do a link audit to get rid of all the links associated with poor directories. They may not have been spammy at the time, but directories tend to go sour with Google fast.

How to Find and Analyze Niche Directories

Below are a few tips on finding niche directories and then analyzing their quality:

How to Find and Analyze a Niche Directory:

  • Start by researching on your own and search for some of your top keywords and then search “directory.” You should have at least one page of directories that are ranking best, so analyze the first ten with some of the tips described in the next section.
  • According to this article we wrote on SEMRush, you should consider downloading SEOquake and then sorting the directories you see by links or indexed pages by clicking the “?” in the SEOquake bar.
  • After you type in a general search query, use your browser’s “Find” function to search for the word directory. For Mac users simply press Apple Key +F, and for PC users press Control key +F. This will highlight which results are directories.

A Few Basic Analysis Tips to Remember:

  • Try to find directories with a Page Authority of at least 40. Page Authority is starting to become less and less important, but I find it still helps give a good benchmark to start.
  • You should never be asked to give a reciprocal link.
  • Good directories generally have engaging Web designs just like any other website. This means images, content, and even video. It is possible to find a quality directory without this variety of content, but most will have more happening than just a long list of links.
  • Pay attention to the dates on the directories. The more recent the better.
  • Look to see what other businesses are included in the directory. If they’re spammy, keep moving no matter how good the directory might look.

Be prepared that for many quality directories you will have to pay a fee. Whether or not you have to pay a fee does not necessarily guarantee you’ve found a good directory, however, it’s just something to keep in the back of your mind. There are plenty of quality directories that are free, but if you find something that asks you to pay, it’s not a scam.

Building Quality Links on Niche Directories

When you do finally find a niche directory that you like, it’s important to not only get your link on the site but also engage with the directory as much as possible. Submit an article or get involved in any comments and discussions to help bring even more visibility to your company.

It’s also worth noting that finding niche directories is important in terms of generating traffic. Some of the more general directories (though still quality) including Yahoo and DMOZ are great for link juice and visibility but not always traffic.

What are the quality directories in your niche? Let us know in the comment section below.

Directories photo via Shutterstock

24 Comments ▼

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24 Reactions
  1. Hi,
    Finding high authority niche directories will definitely boost our blog’s SEO, these high quality directories backlinks are good for SEO, after reading this article i got an idea about how to find the high quality directories, thank you very much for sharing this article.

  2. So, how do I find these nice directories? I see that you mention AllTop. I have my personal page on Alltop, but I am not included in the directory yet. Thinking about that, I will check how it looks on the podcasting directory. Thanks for the reminder! 😉

  3. Great article…yes, niche directories can be great places for businesses to be on.

    Quality is key, for sure!

    That’s what I aim for with my franchise directory. I’ve even turned companies down that wanted to add their listings to it. They were not what I considered to be legitimate opportunities…some were businesses that weren’t registered (with the U.S. Government) as franchises.

    The Franchise King®

  4. This a great article, for 2015. I have a niche directory I am working on and I think (and hope) there is still money to be made in it!

  5. A thoughtful article.

    I completely agree about engaging with the directory/business and keeping the content on the listing up to date with news or offers. Depending on the type of directory, if possible, I would wholeheartedly recommend about asking to contribute relevant blog articles. This also gives those running the directory, the opportunity to shout about any updates across social media and promoting the party concerned with leads back into the website.

    A win, win for the directory providers and the business making the listing.

  6. Good tips Amanda 🙂 it’s always best to be safe and careful with directory links 🙂

  7. This is a great article. I’m struggling to find niche directories right now for some clients in very specific industries. I’ve tried scraping with performing keywords using software but the results are too broad and inaccurate even after filtering, blacklisting and sorting. I’m going to try manual searches, combining performing keywords with directory and see what results I can get. Thanks for writing this and keep sharing brilliant, meaningful content!

  8. If I have a news site which is in fully local language and I found out a few good directories but not enough for better then should I submit my site on other non local directories in niche category?

  9. WoW !1 This a very Wonderful Tips Amanda ! I was looking for some Web Development Niche Directories . But I am not able to find out those quickly. If any body can help me out with a list of web development niche Dir ?

  10. Good tips. But I think it is rather difficult to find nishe directories. Its like looking for a needle in the haystack. Small directories are today better than the large spammy once. But how to find them? I am looking for good finance /credit card directories. Its difficult to find.

  11. Great advice Amanda, it’s always a tricky subject directory links.

  12. This is really nice post. Niche directory submission is a great way to generate traffic to any website and also increase back link.

  13. Appreciate you sharing this. Directories can help a lot with SEO, I’ve read. But I think you’re right, they need to be relevant and match your niche. Thanks for writing.

    George

  14. Can you please share how to search from niche directories? any tools or website we can use to lookout for niche directories?

  15. Hello there,
    Thank you for your tips on how to submit to directories. It really helps me and I am sure it will help others too….

  16. Niche Directories should be catering to a particular niche, as the name says it. But should have more categories, sub-categories, or sub-sub-level categories than anyone else like homzbazaar.com, which is about niche home furnishing business directory and has more sub-category level than any other directory. You may take a look…

  17. Very Helpful and Informative post.

  18. Thank you for this helpful article.

  19. I recently launched a niche directory site catering to the chocolate industry at WorldChocolateDirectory.org. I did it for the love of chocolate. While I love mainstream chocolates just as much as anyone, I also enjoy finding unique chocolates from all over the world that can’t be found anywhere else. I launched the site without a specific business plan, and now I’m back tracking and doing some research to make sure I’m doing it right. Thanks for the great article!

  20. I was so happy when I come across this site that has the content I want that talk about niche directories now I now understand how to find directories that matches my blog site

    Thanks small biz trends