Steps to ensure while creating Link Directories

Steps to ensure while creating Link Directories

1. Don't create a directory page with all your links on one page.

You should have no more than 30 - 40 links to a page. The reason is that some sites will not link to you if a page you put their link on has too many links, because it dilutes the value of the link to them. To understand why, you need to know about Google Page Rank and how it's passed to another site from your link page. That's a subject too lengthy for this topic.

2. Plan your link directory on paper first.

Decide what names you are going to give each category in your link directory. Make the names fit with the theme of your site and try to avoid adding categories which are nothing to do with

3. Only link to web sites that relate to your site theme.

Make sure other sites have something to offer your visitors. This refers to item 2. If you don't have categories for unrelated topics, you'll be less tempted to link to them because you don't have a category to put them in.

4. Choose names for link categories that you want to use now and in the future.

5. Avoid having sub-categories or sub sub-categories in your directory.

The reason for this is again to do with how search engines will rank your directory pages. If your directory pages are more than two levels or two clicks away from your main index or home page they will either not be indexed by some search engines, or if they are indexed they will achieve a lower ranking. Some web sites will not link to you if the page you are to put the link on is more than 2 clicks away from your home page because these webmasters know what I've just told you.

6. Ensure each page of your link directory has a link back to your home page.

Once again the reason for this is to do with how search engines will rank your directory pages, so make sure these links are in place.

7. Don't be obsessed at linking only to websites with a good search engine ranking.

Look first at whether the site has anything to offer your visitors. If it has poor or unrelated content don't link to it. If it has good related content that compliments your own content but has zero or low page rank, consider linking to it. Later on you may be glad you provided a link, when it's page rank improves.

8. Don't use link directory software that doesn't automatically check links.

Link directory software must be able to check links to your web site are still present on other sites. Doing link checking manually can be tedious and you have to remember to do it. Software that you can set a schedule to check links and automatically send out emails to webmasters when links are not found will save you a lot of time. Link management software that will automatically suspend links and delete them if they are repeatedly not found is an added bonus.

9. Don't use standard templates that come with any link manager.

Link directory management software comes with standard templates that you must modify to match the look and design of your own web site. This requires you know something about editing a web page using an HTML editor. Also don't use the standard email templates, personalize them in some way, even if it's only to add your name.

10. Don't assume you're finished once you've set up your link directory.

Once you've done all the things I've suggested, you must test and retest every aspect to ensure everything is working properly, before visitors arrive.