Would you keep Paid Directory Submissions a part of your SEO Strategy?

[globaleyeglasses]

We've been debating this. We've had some budget allocated to quality paid directory listings. We read that SEOMOZ analyzed some 2685 directories, 20% of which were banned from Google.

So our question is, should we keep paid directory submissions with keyword rich anchor texts as a part of your SEO strategy or should we drop it.

Thanks!

[KevinBudzynski]

Depends. Typically not, but depending on what you are doing you may have to rely on some of these to meet mkt objectives.

Here is an example, for industrial b2b, ThomasNet, Globalspec & MacRae's are paid directories that are typically used because of the amount of prospects using them. So in a way it is a paid link to your website that Google frowns upon even though a firm may not be using it for that purpose.

In a grand scheme of things, Google is a paid directory via adwords.

[Nobody1560986989723]

I suppose it all depends on what you mean by 'directory'. If you just mean paid inclusion - i.e. there's no value in being on that site, or even no listing on that site if you don't pay, then No, because essentially it's a paid link (which is generally bad).

If that directory is offering you some other paid service on top of a good free listing on a quality directory, then you have to assess that website in terms of its return for you. Do a few minutes research to determine if being listed on that site is likely to be good for your business, except for another 'keyword rich anchor text'...

You need to assess each site on its own merits, but we don't use paid directories - in our eyes you'd be better investing that time and money in producing some great content and then getting that out over social media. There are usually much better investments for your business finances than a paid directory - especially if there's the risk that a website you've paid to be listed on falls out of the Google index and therefore is giving you precisely nil value.

Remember link building should be a natural thing, so get a variety of websites, a variety of link texts and as is preached here at SEOmoz, get good quality editorial links where you can too.

Hope this helps a little.