Article Directories – Worthwhile or Worthless?

Article Directories – Are They Worthwhile or Worthless?

A lot of people are frustrated with their article marketing results. I know because I get some of the “huffy-puffy” emails asking me to fix what’s broken. Often they do not see the type of traffic they expected from their article submissions.

So the first thing that I make clear to all of my clients when they come to me with this issue is that submitting to article directories is NOT a worthless task. It is not outdated or a waste of time. Article directory submissions are in fact very relevant, still work, and are absolutely worthwhile.

The real key is knowing where to submit and how to submit your articles properly. I teach a lot of this in detail in my Articology training program, but I’m going to break it down quickly for you right now so that you can move forward this year making article directory submissions that are totally worth your time invested.

FIRST – Become An Article Directory Snob

Realize that you do not have to submit your article to hundreds or thousands of article directories to make an impact. That’s article submission slumming! I NEVER do that and I still receive highly qualified traffic to my sites from my articles on a daily basis.

The reason why making massive amounts of submissions is not the key to effective article marketing is because all article directories are not created equal. Just like any other website, there are good and bad article directories — and it is a waste of time – and sometimes can even be a detriment to you,  to submit your articles to these low value directories. So with that knowledge, now you understand that you have to be a bit snobby. A bit selective. Only pick the best.

SECOND – Do Your Article Directory Research

A lot of entrepreneurs hate research. I don’t mind it. Whichever way you roll though – it has to be done in order to work smart and not hard. Select the best article directories for exposure in your niche, submit consistently,  and you will see traffic results – guaranteed. Here’s how you do a little quick research:

1. Look at the traffic statistics of an article directory. If the article directory is not getting more traffic then your site – it’s out.

2. Try searching for site info on your directory in Alexa.com. While Alexa does not give totally accurate traffic stats (it only tracks visits from browsers with the Alexa toolbar installed), it is a good barometer of the traffic any given site is getting. A low number in Alexa is good, especially if the traffic # is under 100,000.

3. Do a Google search for the term “article directory”. What sites come up in the top ten? Most of them are article directories, and I am pretty sure that they all have great traffic.

4. It’s not a bad idea to pick article directories with a high pagerank. High PR means that Google places some importance on the directory and it’s content – which rubs off on you too. I like PR4 and up, but if it’s a micro-niche focused directory I will also go for a PR2 or PR3.

5. Okay – if you aren’t going to do a little work on your end, here’s an article directory cheat sheet.

THIRD – Check Out Your Article Directories First Hand

It’s important to check out the article directories you’ve hand selected for yourself when first starting out. This is why…

1. You need to check out the writer’s guidelines of every article directory you submit to. What article directories allow you links within the article body? Which ones don’t? What is the word count requirement? How long can your resource box be? This is important because every directory has slightly different guidelines and knowing how to submit properly will save you from getting your articles rejected.

2. Look around. Does the article directory have an active community of writers? Does the directory offer tips via their own blog or forum? Activity means someone is paying attention and probably will take good care of your articles quickly.

3. What kind of promotion does the directory do? Are they on any of the social media sites like Twitter or Facebook? I like an article directory that does it’s part to attract more readers to my articles.

Conclusion – Article Directories Are As Worthwhile As You Make Them

So the conclusion to the question posed by one of my readers (thank you for the article suggestion James Burow:) is that article directories are as worthwhile as you make them. The keys: Be selective. Do your research. Get the lay of the land.

What’s your thoughts on mass article submissions vs. selective submissions (snob submissions :)? Have any directories you’d like to recommend to folks. Good ones I mean. Share them with us in the comments section below.