One of the most important lessons that businesses have learned since the introduction of Penguin is that the quality of your directory listings matters — a lot. If you have not yet cleaned up your directory link profile, now is the time to do so. One part of this process is to get rid of all junk links. The other part of this process is to keep or add good directory links, and for many businesses, that means finding niche directories or geotargeted directories. How to find niche and geo-specific business directories may seem like a difficult or mysterious process, but it need not be.
Search Your Keywords
As old-fashioned and obvious as it may sound, one of the best ways to get an idea of which directories may be right for you is to conduct your own research. Perform searches on some of your top or most unique keywords or phrases and take note of which directories you see in the results. Chances are you will notice a few popping up repeatedly, and there may well be reasons for this.
Search for Directories
Performing a search for the “top local directories” or a similar phrase will return you many lists for review. Look for those that have the most recent dates (especially post-Penguin) and that are from reputable SEO industry sources. As with the above, you will likely see trends and may even find one or two surprises.
See Who’s There
Once you create a shortlist of directories, take a look at what other businesses are listed there. The directories that can be most useful to you will feature businesses that are appropriate for the topic, be that by industry, location or something else. You may also find some of your top competitors in these directories.
Don’t Count, Just Do
When targeting your niche or geo-specific business directories, don’t worry about getting as many directory listings as possible. Instead, stay focused on finding the ones that are appropriate for your audience and work them. Three good directory links are far better than five bad ones.
