Duplicate Content and Poor Link Building Results
When it comes to improving ones backlink profile, a lot of website owners decide to build backlinks by submitting to website directories. While a common practice, generating the desirable results from web directory submissions is not common. In this article are some suggestions that can help you achieve the most from your web directory submissions and also help you learn why article directories commonly give greater results for offpage SEO campaigns.
It is understood that article directories commonly provide better SEO results. There are varied reasons for this, and chief among these reasons is website linking structure. Most article directories have an internal linking design that is far superior to web directories. Whether it be navigational breadcrumbs, or the use of snippets in the category with a page dedicated to the complete article, if you look closely at most article directories they are far superior to web directories.
Very few web directories have an enhanced internal navigational structure. A good example of one web directory that has taken internal site structure serious is this website directory. In addition to link detail pages which allow permit unique text, their website directory also has a listing sitemap to improve indexing and enhance the user experience.
An additional comparison that should be made between article and web directories is the quality of content submitted. Article directories typically have higher listing guidelines then web directories. Article directories normally require a minimum of 300 words for each article while web directories require thrity words or even less. Professionals in the SEO industry know that for a backlink to offer any SEO weight there absolutely must be content on the webpage where the link appears. Web directories can be abused in this regard, and the submitters wastefully submit away short blurbs of text just to generate a backlink. This does not benefit the directory or the person submitting.
Web directories often are a dumping ground of duplicate content. The same users often submit the same titles and descriptions to each and every directory they can. The major search engines null duplicate content to a large degree and those submitting are not making the best use of their energy and time. Granted, good web directory editors will create their own edited descriptions but most never do. Article directories on the other hand tend to be operated by people that definitely want quality articles and the search engine traffic that is associated with quality content. Article directory owners normally place the burden of a reasonable submission on the person placing the submission, which is the way it should be with web directories as well.
Web directory submitters can help to control their own destiny and how much influence their directory submissions will have on their search engine optimization efforts. Since most web directories accept up to five hundred characters of text, it is very important for submitters to use as much text as possible. Webmasters submitting to any web directory should also create unique titles and description so that their listings are not overlooked by the major search engines.
