Directory Links: Which Directory Submissions Still Help SEO
Directory links come from listing your site in online directories. Which directory submissions still help SEO, and which ones Google calls spam.
Directory links are links you get by listing your website in an online directory, a site that organises businesses or websites by category or location. Directory submission is the act of adding those listings.
Some directories are still genuinely useful: they send customers, confirm your business details for local search and give a new site a sensible base of links. Most of the rest are leftovers from an era when directories were built purely to sell links, and Google's spam policies name them directly.
Do directory links still work?
Yes, for the right directories and for the right reasons. Google's spam policies list "low-quality directory or bookmark site links" as an example of link spam. The word that matters is low-quality. A listing on a well-used industry directory or a major local platform is a normal part of having a business online. A submission to hundreds of generic "add your URL" directories is not.
Directories were once a central part of how the web was organised. DMOZ, the volunteer-edited Open Directory Project, was a respected source of links until it closed in 2017. Most directories that survived were never curated like that, and they're the ones to avoid.
Which directories still pass value
| Directory type | Examples | Why it's worth it (or not) |
|---|---|---|
| Major local platforms | Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Yelp | Customers use them, and they confirm your business details |
| Chambers of commerce and trade bodies | Local chamber, professional associations | Membership-based, relevant and trusted |
| Industry-specific directories | Directories for your trade or profession | Relevant audience, often vetted |
| Curated niche directories | Human-reviewed lists in a narrow topic | Useful if they're actually used and edited |
| General web directories | "Submit your site" directories covering every topic | Rarely visited, little value |
| Bulk submission services | "500 directory links" packages | Exactly what Google's policy describes |
| Social bookmarking sites | Old-style bookmark and link-sharing sites | Named alongside directories in Google's policy |
Directory links for local SEO
For local businesses, directories overlap with citations: listings that show your business name, address and phone number. Consistent details across the main platforms help search engines trust that your business is where you say it is. That's covered in depth in local citations and link building for local businesses.
Many of these listings are nofollow. That's fine, because their job is to bring customers and confirm your details, not to pass authority.
How to tell a good directory from a bad one
| Check | Good directory | Bad directory |
|---|---|---|
| Who uses it | Real people searching for businesses or resources | Nobody, it exists to sell listings |
| Organic traffic | Ranks for searches in its niche | Little or none |
| Editorial review | Listings are checked or limited to members | Everything accepted, often instantly |
| Focus | One niche or one location | Every topic going |
| Listing pages | Useful information about each business | Hundreds of links per page |
| Payment | Membership fee or none | Pays only for the link, often "dofollow guaranteed" |
The simplest test: would you expect a customer to find you through it? If the answer is no, the link is unlikely to help either.
How to do directory submission properly
- Claim the major platforms first: Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect and the biggest review site in your sector.
- Add industry and professional directories for your trade, including any association you belong to.
- Join local organisations that list members, such as a chamber of commerce.
- Use the same business name, address, phone number and website everywhere.
- Fill in each listing fully with a real description, hours, photos and categories.
- Stop there. Generic web directories and bulk packages add risk without adding customers.
Are paid directory listings OK?
Paying for a listing on a genuine directory (a trade body membership, a premium listing on a platform customers use) is normal advertising. Paying a directory that exists only to sell followed links is buying links, which Google's policies treat as link spam. The difference is whether you'd pay for it if the link didn't exist. More on where the lines sit in link schemes.
The short version
- Directory links come from listing your site or business in online directories
- Google's spam policies name "low-quality directory or bookmark site links" as link spam
- Major local platforms, trade bodies and industry directories are still worth listing on
- Avoid general web directories and bulk submission packages
- Keep your business details identical everywhere, and judge each directory by whether customers actually use it
Directories belong with your foundational links: useful as a base, never the whole plan. For other no-cost options, see free backlinks worth having, and for every tactic side by side, the link building strategies hub.