Paid directory listings not showing in Webmaster Tools

[Karen]

Hi All,

Wondering if you can help me. I submitted a website to three paid
directories at least two weeks ago. Only one listing is showing up in
Google Webmaster tools: www.botw.org (it started showing after a day
or two). I checked the sites of the other two directories: www.l10s.com
and www.ableseek.com and sure enough, they are listing the site. Any
recommendations? I didn't want to continue submitting to these paid
directories if Google isn't even acknowledging them.

Thanks,
Karen

[glaikit]

Hi Karen,
Remember, this will also depend on when Google revisits the directory
site and finds the new link!

I'm about to do some directory checking for a few of my clients - will
let you know what I find out.

Fiona

On Jul 21, 8:37 am, Karen <klma...@charter.net> wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> Wondering if you can help me.  I submitted a website to three paid
> directories at least two weeks ago. Only one listing is showing up in

> Google Webmaster tools:www.botw.org(it started showing after a day

> or two).  I checked the sites of the other two directories:www.l10s.com

> andwww.ableseek.comand sure enough, they are listing the site.  Any

[Ty]

Karen,

Fiona is correct, not only does Google have to find the link, but then
Webmaster dashboard has to be updated. Just hang tight and it will
appear, two weeks is still fresh!
The stars probably aligned for BOTW to show up in Webmasters Dash that
quick!

On Jul 21, 9:45 am, glaikit <fdud...@weaversites.com> wrote:
> Hi Karen,
> Remember, this will also depend on when Google revisits the directory
> site and finds the new link!
>
> I'm about to do some directory checking for a few of my clients - will
> let you know what I find out.
>
> Fiona
>
> On Jul 21, 8:37 am, Karen <klma...@charter.net> wrote:
>
> > Hi All,
>
> > Wondering if you can help me.  I submitted a website to three paid
> > directories at least two weeks ago. Only one listing is showing up in

> > Google Webmaster tools:www.botw.org(itstarted showing after a day

> > or two).  I checked the sites of the other two directories:www.l10s.com

> > andwww.ableseek.comandsure enough, they are listing the site.  Any

[Karen]

Thanks for your experience and wisdom, guys. I was incorrect about
the date. It was more than a month ago that I submitted them: June
19th to be exact. Is this still within normal bounds for Google to
not pick them up? Seems like a really long time. I thought they
crawled on average every two weeks.

[Ty]

More than a month is long. Have you dbl checked the directories to
see if they are submitted? How many levels deep are these pages?

[Karen]

Yes, I have. Some are three or four levels deep. Some are two to
three. Is it better to have shallow listings rather than the "right"
category?

[Corey]

When it comes to directories, we usually "submit it and forget it".

There's not much you can do about forcing Google to visit those
pages. (Let's face it, we can't really force Google to do anything.)

So make wise choices about which ones you submit to and move on to the
next thing. In the time it takes you to check these sorts of things,
you could write a blog post, build a facebook profile, etc.

Think about creating more than monitoring.

Corey

[Karen]

From what I've read, paid directories are very helpful and that is why
I advised this client to pay (good money) for them. If it was free, I
could see paying and forgetting, but not for paid. By the way, I got
this paid directory referral from a very reliable source.

I also posted on a Webmaster Tools forum and got this response if it's
helpful to anyone else having the same problem:
http://groups.google.com/group/Google_Webmaster_Help-Indexing/browse_thread/thread/2b3de92845dcfc6f#.

Anyone have any feedback or any other helpful suggestions?

Thanks!

[Corey]

The reasons listed in the link you provide above seem logical.

Please note that I have no problem with submitting to paid
directories. We do it often.

However I still stand by the idea of "submit it and forget it".
Typically, they show up over time.

Check it once per month or so. It will happen when it happens.

When it comes to on-line marketing, the key is to keep moving and keep
doing. Don't stand still and look back.

[glaikit]

Hi Karen & Everybody,

I am posting here a couple of Case Studies on results of paid
directory listings.All of this information was run at the same time
today, covering July-to-date.

Client #1 "VWL" :
This client is set up in WebCEO and Google Webmaster Tools, but not
Google Analytics. Their server-side stats program is also limited in
scope.
They were submitted to the following paid directories in late June:
Starting point
Best of the Web
Level 10's
Seoma
InCrawler
AbleSeek
America's Best
Complete-Directory
Skaffe
Family Friendly Sites
Splash


WebCEO Tool for Linking Sites Overview reports that all but AbleSeek
and Family Friendly Sites have active links.

Google Webmaster Tools for the same client, checking Pages With
External Links shows all but Level 10's, Ableseek, America's
Best,Complete-Directory, Splash.

Starting Point
Best of the Web
Seoma
InCrawler
Skaffe
Family Friendly Sites

Client #1 Summary: a few differences between what WebCEO and Google
Webmaster tools report. I cannot tell how many of the directories have
resulted in DIRECT referral for this client. Conclusion: Google and
Webmater Tools take a little longer than a month to pick up on all
directory links.

--------------------------------------------

Client #2: "GCH" WebCEO, Webmaster Tools, and Google Analytics on this
client.
Submitted to the following directories between Feb-April:
Starting Point
Best of the Web
Level 10's
Seoma
InCrawler
AbleSeek
America's Best
Complete-Directory

Web CEO finds links from all but Level 10's.

Google Webmaster Tools finds all but Level 10's, AbleSeek, Complete-
Directory.

Google Analytics shows only one DIRECT referral from Seoma (month of
July to date).

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Client #3 "RRT" Web CEO, Webmaster Tools, no Analytics, good log stats

Submitted to the following between March-April:
Starting Point
Best of the Web
Level 10's
InCrawler
America's Best
Complete Directory
Seoma
AbleSeek
Skaffe
Family Friendly Sites
Splash

WebCEO finds all except Level 10's.

Google Webmaster Tools finds all except Level 10's and Complete-
Directory.

Site stats show 5 DIRECT referrals from Starting Point, InCrawler, and
America's Best.

------------------------------------------------------

My comments and conclusions: be patient - as Corey said, do them and
forget about them.
HOWEVER - I know from my own experience that our clients want to know
why we are recommending these, what do they get for their money, what
are the results they will see? And they want to see proof. The proof
is a bit intangible. The results are not going to be coming from
direct referral from these directories. But as part of my standard
arsenal, I "know" that they will help boost quality backlinks to your
site, and help raise rankings. They are especially useful for sites
that are very weak on incoming links. They are only a starting point,
but fairly good ones.

ALSO - since this is the first time I've had a chance to do some
direct checking on the results of my directory submissions, I will
probably drop Level 10's and Complete-Directory from my usual list.
They used to be good... but as with all things SEO, things change!

Fiona

[Karen]

Thanks Fiona! Appreciate all your research. Thanks everyone. Got
it. Will move on.

[Corey]

Thanks Fiona.

Excellent breakdown.

(You're awesome!)

[jak]

pretty helpful discussions. I guess I have never understood paid
directory listings. If you don't get immediate DIRECT links, how
exactly do these services work, a to z, to provide improved incoming
links over time.

[Ty]

Karen,
You may have noticed that Google recently updated their Page Rank.
Just to show you that SEM's need to focus on additional linking
strategies, I have a personal website that went from a zero PR to a 3
PR in just 1 1/2 months, How?
Effort... I did not pay at all for one directory (Although I need to
submit to BOTW). I simply inititiated an all out campaign to get
involved in social media cirlcles, commented on blogs with key anchor
text, and other 'White Hat' methods so as to get ORGANIC back links.
Yes, you should submit to a few select paid directories, but remember
that Google loooooves organic inbound linking, especially if it is a
related, non-competing site.

Like Corey & Fiona are intimating, use paid directories, however
aggressivly seek other linking opportunities, do not RELY on a few
paid directories, but think outside the box a little.

If all I had to do was submit my clients to a few paid directories and
Google were to throw me on the first page that would be great,
soooooooo easy! But, that's not reality. You need BOTH...

[glaikit]

No arguments there, Ty!

Yep, a few good paid directories are "a start".

I signed up for Corey's Blogging seminar in Asheville a month from now
to learn more myself. I'm going a bit off topic here and maybe we
should start a new thread - for the past few months I've been
attempting to work out a plan or a set of tools for the best social
media marketing methods. I've asked around, posted the question on
Asheville's meetthegeeks.net , trying to find out who uses what "as a
user", not as an SEO'er to try to pinpoint best strategies and then
start emloying them myself.

Fiona

> > links over time.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Karen]

Thanks Ty. I've really never understood PR. Do you mean the button
you click in the Google toolbar that checks your PR (heard this isn't
that accurate) or do you use Stompernet's new tool on FF or do you
have another method?

I, too, am curious what social media marketing methods are the best to
use. I'm sure it would depend on the client, but Ty, please do tell
if you are open to divulging your "secrets" :0).

I was hoping to attend Corey's PPC and Blogging classes, but it's the
one week I will be out of town! Shucks. I'm actually going to look
into changing my flights but need to see what the "penalty" will be.
Corey, will you be recording or anything like that?

[Ty]

Karen,
PR is not meant to understand! With the recent update, there is
further reason to not pay too much attention to the Green Bar....With
that said, my site I referenced, has leapfrogged to page 1 & 2 of
Google for key words.....by linking. Don't worry about PR, worry
about being aggressive, yet 'white hat' with linking.
For social media marketing to name a few ideas; After one of my blog
articles are posted, or when my website rolled out, I always bookmark
these pages with Technorati, delicious, furl, etc..
Set up a Squidoo page, create custom page for your client, (Tip, set
this up in separate account so if they ever drop your services, you
can sell it to them)
Set up digg account (Then digg your own articles)
Set up StumbleUpon account (Same as digg)
Set up Facebook
Set up LinkedIN
Set up Twitter
Find related blogs, and with sincerity post a comment on their blog,
and be sure to use keyword anchor text as your name. (Do so even if no-
follow)

The point is, to make a community, be friendly, don't come across as a
'marketer', but a person genuinely interested.

Finally, make sure you attend Corey's classes! he knows his stuff!

[Corey]

Nice tips.

"Google PageRank is not meant to be understood." Good one, Ty. Very
true at times.

Regarding social media, I would recommend starting with Twitter,
Facebook, and StumbleUpon, in that order.

The classes are not going to be recorded. We have not gotten to that
point yet.

[Karen]

Thanks Ty.

[Matthew Gardner]

 
What do you see?
 
During big events like the Olympics, do you see your traffic patterns adversely affected?
 
Coupled with end of summer distractions, back to school tasks, etc. ???
 
Not only site traffic, but can you see competition for dollars during these events?  Are conversions altered as well?
 
 

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