Directory Submission

[PPP]

How Directory submission affected our site ranking ?

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[taylor28]

Well directory submission gives backlinks from your site. And banklinks makes our site to be indexed or it gives traffic.

[Stella]

Hello

How Directory submission affected our site ranking ?

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Hi,
The Directory submission is very important for part in SEO. If a SEo not submit their directory so its the site lost.

[Finkoo]

Directories are important because many people use them to find a suitable website. So, it is a powerful tool for users

[megri]

If you submit to directory farm or info directories which are on on IP you site may have negative impact.

[zenodoo]

Directory submission so good to the site,

[Guest]

Submit your site in web directories proper category and sub-category.
you can get one way backlinks from

[Guest]

you should have to submit only to those directories which are good in ranking.

[Ethan Cole]

Directory submission used to be a buzzword in the early days of SEO—but many marketers still debate whether it’s relevant in 2025. Recently, after conducting a targeted directory submission campaign for one of our mid-tier websites, we started noticing changes in our ranking performance. So we decided to dig deeper into what was working and what wasn’t. If you’ve been wondering whether this method is outdated or still valuable, keep reading.

Let’s begin with a quick refresher on the definition of directory submission. It’s the process of submitting your website to online directories—platforms that categorize and list websites by niche, industry, or topic. These submissions can be manual or automated and are often used to gain backlinks and improve online visibility.

Now, directory submission isn't a magic bullet, but when implemented strategically, it can still positively impact your SEO efforts. Here’s what we observed after running a directory-based campaign for 90 days:

• Improved Indexing for New Pages
  After submitting our site to several quality directories, Google crawled and indexed a batch of our new pages much faster than before. This was especially noticeable for product pages and blog posts that previously took weeks to appear in search results.
• Enhanced Domain Authority (Mild but Noticeable)
  While directory links aren’t as powerful as editorial backlinks, they did help us diversify our backlink profile. A few directories with decent metrics slightly boosted our domain authority over time. However, the quality of the directory matters more than the quantity.
• Traffic from Niche Directories
  Surprisingly, we started receiving a trickle of traffic from some niche platforms. Visitors coming through these listings had a lower bounce rate, likely because they were already searching for services like ours. This reinforced the idea that targeted listings work better than general ones.
• Toxic Link Alerts From Low-Quality Submissions
  While exploring sites that offer free directory submit options, we came across many that were poorly maintained, spammy, or filled with broken links. Submitting to such sites backfired and led to a couple of red flags in our backlink audits. We quickly disavowed those URLs to avoid penalties.
• Minimal Impact from Generic Lists
  Submissions to broad, untargeted free web directories didn’t show any real benefit. They neither drove traffic nor influenced rankings. Most of them appeared outdated and inactive—some hadn’t been updated in years.

This experience reminded us that directory submission is only effective when used as part of a broader SEO plan. If you treat it like a checklist item or spam tool, it won’t help your rankings—in fact, it might do the opposite.

From a strategy standpoint, we learned that search engine strategies must now be smarter, cleaner, and more user-focused than ever. Directory submissions should be done:

• Selectively (quality > quantity)
• To relevant, niche-specific directories
• With accurate, keyword-rich descriptions
• Avoiding auto-submit tools or m*** submission services

Our take? Web directory submission still has a place in SEO—but it’s a small piece of a much larger puzzle. When done right, it helps improve visibility, indexing, and domain diversity. But it’s not a standalone technique, and it certainly won’t replace high-quality content, user experience, or authoritative backlinks.

Have you experimented with directory submissions recently? What kind of results did you see—good, bad, or neutral?
Let’s use this thread to compare experiences and share updated tips on how to make this old-school strategy work in the modern SEO world.