Thursday, August 21, 2008

Technorati Profile

Web Directories Are They Worth The Time?

There are many types of web directories, some are general directories that list many different categories and others are specialized directories that cover a specific niche broken down into smaller categories.

Another difference in web directories is that some are free submission web directories and others are paid listing web directories. Are paid directories better than free? Sometimes, sometimes not. The more important factor in web directories is not how much it costs, or does not cost to get listed, but how high the directories page rank/popularity is. It does not do much good to pay for a submission to a web directory that does not get any visitors, but a free submission to a web directory that has quality traffic can help you immensely.

One of the main reasons for submitting to web directories is the back links, or links to your site for link building popularity, which helps with search engine rankings. Some directories only allow reciprocal link submissions, meaning that you must link back to them on the page of your site that you wish to link to. Reciprocal link web directories are not as good at helping with page rank building, but if you find a high traffic, quality niche web directory site that requires a link back, it may be worth it.

Another thing to check out when searching for web directories to submit to is whether or not the web directory utilizes the “nofollow” attribute within your links. The “nofollow” attribute will keep the search engine spiders or robots from following the link to your site.

The best thing way to start utilizing web directories to promote your website is to submit to some of the most popular general web directories that list all topics. Then start searching for popular niche web directories that cover your topic. If you make an effort to maintain a consistent web directory submission campaign it will be well worth it!

For more information on website promotion, Website Promotion InfoandResources.org is an excellent place to start.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Link Value - How Much is a Text Link Really Worth?

The value or worth of a link will vary from person to person, but the main objective of any link is to bring traffic back to your website. Of course, it must be real traffic rather than bots or programmed scripts that may visit your website but offer no opportunity for sales or advertising revenue. There are a variety of ways to receive links but it can be difficult to determine how much each link is worth because of the numerous factors that reflect a link's value. So let's take a look at some of the factors that make up a link's worth.

1. Traffic - the ultimate goal of any link is to generate traffic. Obviously, the more traffic a link can generate the better the link is.

2. Type of traffic - If you can receive targeted or relevant traffic it is much more valuable than non-targeted traffic.

3. Link Location - It is important that the link is easily accessed. If the link is located on a page that can only be accessed by clicking through 5 other pages the link isn't worth much. Also, if the link is coming from a "bad neighborhood" on the internet that will decrease the link's value.

4. Link Type - Is the link a one-way link or reciprocal link. A one-way link is much more valuable than a reciprocal link especially to search engines.

There are many other contributing factors to a link's value but these are the key points to consider. Just like anything of value, a link is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. While a link may not be actually purchased for cash, something of value is always exchanged. It be your time, information, a link on your site, or anything else of value.

To better understand the value of a link I have created a new project that will allow links to be traded in an open market environment such as the stock market. Through this project I hope to get a better understanding of what a link is worth.

To learn more about the project visit the link investment board at http://www.1stock1.com/1stock1_039.htm The free investment information website, 1stock1, was created by Alan Reisch. He has worked as a licensed securities broker for two large investment firms after earning a degree in finance. To learn more about investing and the stock market visit his site at http://www.1stock1.com

Alan Reisch - EzineArticles Expert Author