Link building is seldomly our favorite SEO task. You could spend hours researching and emailing for just one or two measly links. Nevertheless, we can’t just throw in the towel and say “screw link building! I’m done with this!”
If you do, your SEO will probably suck. High ranking websites have A LOT of links.
Not only do you need to build A LOT of links but you need to build the right kind of links. There are two types: “dofollow” and “nofollow”. Both can be very important for your SEO.
What is a “NoFollow” Link?
“Nofollow” links do not build your website’s authority. They have a no index tag which prevents robots from crawling the link. In this case, Google cannot read that the link is on the website and will not give your website credit as a source.
You can find a “nofollow” link in the following context on a page text:
<a href=”http://www.website.com/” rel=”nofollow”>Link Text</a>
“Nofollow” links are most commonly seen when inserting your information is easy and fast. You can find “nofollow” links at the following websites:
- Forums
- Blog Comments
- Paid Links
- Many Directory Listings
How Is a “Nofollow” Link Valuable?
A “nofollow” link might not speak to Google but it can create referral traffic! Most of our major local search directories use “nofollow” links. Nevertheless, a directory can be a leading source for reviews, contact information, and learning about new businesses in town.
If you own a hospitality business then you should make sure to get listed on directories. After all, one of the first things that I do when traveling is research top restaurants. Most often, this search leads me to a directory database. I choose my restaurant, hotel, or destination according to ratings, reviews, and photos that I find.
Valuable Local Directories
- Yelp
- Manta
- Yellowpages
- Whitepages
- Superpages
- City Slick
- Angie’s List
- City Squares
- Dex
- DexKnows
- DiscoverOurTown
What is a “Follow” Link?
A “Follow” link is what every SEO Specialist strives for! A “follow” link builds your domain authority. Your URL is indexed on the sitemap of the website that linked to you. This means that robots discover your website when they crawl the source.
Earning “follow” links can be difficult. The best way to do it is create credible articles that make you an expert in your field. That doesn’t mean it’s the only way! There are hundreds of free website directories that will provide you with a “follow” link.
To get listed, you choose your business’ category, and insert your description, contact information, and URL. Most website directories give you the option of a small fee to get listed faster. Otherwise, you may have to wait weeks, or even months, to earn your link.
The following directories will accept almost any type of business. You can find more specialized directories depending on your field:
Easy “Follow” Links
- Dmoz
- USA Listing Directory
- Marketing Internet Directory
- Sites Web Directory
- Add Page
- Submission Web Directory
- Promote Business Directory
- ABC Directory
- Scrub the Web
- Directories List
- So Much
- PooZl
- 123 World
