Case Study: Diverse Link Building Methods Helps a Religious Website Rank First on Google
Posted on May 15, 2012
Filed Under Directory Submission, General, Link Building, Off-Page Optimization, Search Engine Optimization | 1 Comment
“The team at Directory Maximizer is quite professional, we are using their services from the last 3 years and they have worked round the clock to add value to our search engines rankings. Their pricing structure is remarkable as compared to several other service providers. I wish them all the best in their future projects.”
– Mayank Goyal
URL
Rudra Centre was founded in the year 1997 with the sole idea of enlightening people about the merits of Rudraksha and help them understand the scientific and practical usage of Rudraksha. It commits to supplying good and genuine quality Rudraksha to people worldwide.
Requirement & Challenges
With two important keywords to rank for, and a task in hand to enhance the site’s exposure in this competitive domain, www.rudraksha-ratna.com needed to be smart about their link-building strategy. From the onset, Mr. Goyal was very much clear about what he wanted to achieve. He had a clear vision of ranking high for his targeted keywords. Along with that, he also wanted to increase the visibility of his site which was much needed due to the competitive nature of the industry he is in.
Action Taken
Mr. Goyal wanted to have variety in his backlink profile so keeping this in mind we used different link building processed to build links for www.rudraksha-ratna.com:
• General Directory Submission – We submitted www.rudraksha-ratna.com to quality search engine friendly directories which give out permanent one-way links and are constantly indexed by Google and other popular search engines. These submissions were done regularly over time & was not a one-time activity which sends out a signal to the search engines that the site is cared for.
• Social Bookmarking Submissions – The social bookmarking links ensured that the site got instant visibility and exposure which helped a lot in increasing traffic to the site.
• Custom Link Building – On Mr. Goyal’s request we also sourced a list of niche websites & directories only relates to his website’s topic & built links from them. Getting links from relevant websites from the same niche is considered valuable by the search engines & these links have no doubt helped www.rudraksha-ratna.com tremendously in increasing it’s rankings.
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Why Directory Submissions are Effective even after Google’s Penguin Update
Posted on May 10, 2012
Filed Under Directory Submission, General, Link Building | 4 Comments
Finally Google has launched it’s much anticipated ‘webspam update’ and named it after the cute bird Penguin. The entire SEO fraternity – blogosphere, Twittersphere and SEO forums are abuzz with reactions to this update. Google says it is fighting web spam, but we really don’t know how effective this update is. In case you were caught up with something else last week, get a quick overview from here. We have had a couple of customers asking us how directory submissions and links obtained using this tactic are affected with this update.
What is the Penguin Update?
Let’s take a quick snapshot of the Penguin update to begin with. The update aims to punish sites that are detected with the following issues.
- Inbound links from dangerous sites
- Aggressive exact-match anchor text
- Low-quality article marketing & blog spam
- Keyword stuffing
Over the last 6 years of our existence, we have seen several search engine updates, especially from Google and directories have survived all these updates. I agree, the value of links from directories is not the same what they used to be then, but it still remains relevant. The key component of modern search engine algorithms is backlinks. The number and quality of backlinks remain the most important factor to calculate rankings. Many of our own sites, including directorymaximizer.com have a link profile which is dominated by links from quality directories.
A step back – What are Directories actually?
Web directories are basically sites where you get information classified across categories. Not many people may be using it to ‘search’ for information these days, but the very purpose of directories cannot be ignored at all. For example, if you are part of a trade or industry association, how would the organization maintain an online list of its members without taking a ‘directory’ approach? Or how would an educational institution share a list of its alumnus? Or how an event website can maintain a list of participants and sponsors for a mega event? Check out some of these sites to know how a ‘directory’ kind of approach is invaluable.
http://www.usa.gov/directory/tradeassc/index.shtml
http://www.pmalink.org/search/newsearch.asp
The point which I am insisting is, just because a website has a directory approach to maintain its content, it does not become spammy and no search engine has ever considered it so.
There’s no denying the fact that these days web directory listings have the added (or primary) objective of link building, and many have made use of this loophole to abuse the system by using automated submission tactics and softwares.
Directory Submission Process
So what would constitute “safe” link building? In a nutshell, you find a site that’s relevant to your site and request them to link to your content or they find your site to be useful and link to you. A manual directory submission process also follows a similar process–
So, our role is nothing but help you with this tedious task. We have developed an expertise in this process, over the years and we offer it as a service to webmasters to save their valuable time.
Are directory links good or safe after the Penguin update?
Broadly, there are two kinds of directories.
| Free directories | Paid directories |
| Where you don’t pay anything to get listed. You are granted a listing if the editor of the directory finds your site suitable. | These directories have high authority and in order to meet their expenses of maintaining their staff and other expenses, they charge a fee for listing. |
The first category is obviously not paid links. The very objective of second category is not to charge for links, but a listing fee which is part of their revenue model. Can’t these links be considered safe then? Would you consider your $1000 annual membership in a local industry association (where you get a link) unsafe? Would you consider the link you get from sponsoring a mega event where you expect to get a huge exposure by paying $50000 a spammy tactic in that case?
The fact is, as long as you follow the directory guidelines and general SEO principles, directories are a good source of backlinks. But, consider these facts to be on a safer side -
- Make sure directories are indexed – If a directory itself is indexed and cached by search engines, it’s defintely safer to get listed there than getting listed in directories that are not indexed. All the directories in our list pass this test every 15- 20 days. If a directory is found not indexed or cached, we immediately drop it from our list. Check out our updated list of directories with number of pages indexed in each.
- Spread your submissions – Our customers have the option to spread submissions across 5 weeks or across a year so that your link building process is more natural and progressive. As a proactive measure, we have slowed down our submission process by 10 days already. Moreover, different directories have different approval policies and the approvals won’t happen on a single day.
- Vary anchor text – Using our service, you can provide up to 20 titles (which will be used as anchor texts) and descriptions. Make use of this to ensure your link profile is built with multiple anchor texts. It’s also recommended to build some links with natural phrases that would include your official site name and not only target the big money keywords.
- Diverse link profile – Directory submission is just one part of entire SEO process and link building tactics. Diversify your links using tools like guest blogging, niche directory submission, social bookmarking, networking etc.
- Link to Inner pages - All your links should not be pointing to the homepage. Build links to relevant inner pages of your site as well.
- Avoid Automated Submissions - Stay away from automated submission tools, software and link networks.
Apart from the above, make sure your site follows all these on-page factors.
To summarize, directory submission is still relevant and to make it more search engine friendly, we have made the following changes in our system.
- Our directory selection process has become more stringent. Apart from a whole set of parameters we have been following, we have added this – check if the directory is indexed and cached by search engines. If a directory is good in the eyes of search engines, the links from it should help in some way. See our updated directory list here.
- Our submission process is slowed down – we have put internal restrictions to the number of directories a site is submitted in a day to ensure the same site is not submitted to many directories within a short period of time.
While we’re trying to adapt our services continually to help you get better results, from your end, you might have to make changes in the way you go about your link building by incorporating some of the suggestions above like: varying your anchor text, diversifying your link profile with other link sources, etc. so that you get the full benefit of our services.
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12 Step Guide to Having an Authoritative Brand Presence Online
Posted on April 25, 2012
Filed Under Content, General, Guest Blogging, Link Building, Networking, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Social Networking | 2 Comments
How often have you visited a site directly without having to go through Google? If you have, then those sites have successfully managed to create an authoritative brand online, such that you didn’t feel the need to search for them but instead to go directly to their site.
Having an authority site that people respect will mean you’re doing things that will invariably also help with your SEO efforts. Search engines like Google and Bing go beyond just looking at links and also look at certain credibility factors, like how and where you’re mentioned online. Being mentioned on prominent sites online will only happen when you’ve established a certain amount of authority. So building an authoritative brand online is important if you want to be successful online.
Foundations: Building Your Brand
To start with, you need to get the fundamentals of your brand firmly established. These are some of the most important things to do to build a strong foundation for your brand.
Demonstrate Expertise
In order for people to trust you, you need to prove yourself as an expert. Teach people things they didn’t know before; and make sure it’s not just rehashed content. Share things you’ve learned from personal experience.
Establish Trust
Some say success on the internet is all about trust. Trust means people know who you are, they trust you to deliver on what you say you will and they trust your character. They need to believe that you’re looking out for their best interests.
Have a Consistent Message
You can’t build a brand if you’re always flipflopping on your message. This is one of the main reasons why McDonalds’ brand today is so poor: They started as a family restaurant, then “loved to see you smile,” then at one point even tried to brand themselves as healthy by offering salads. In reality, McDonalds’ brand is unhealthy fast food, in part because they didn’t manage their brand consistently.
Solve Problems
Helping others solve problems is a surefire way to build your brand. If people are having trouble finding deals on hardware, point them to a resource. If people are having trouble using a new marketing tactic, do a special post. Figure out what people’s problems are and help solve them.
Let Yourself Show Through
People love it when real personality shines through. Don’t be afraid to say what you’re really thinking and to say what’s real and authentic. There’s a ring of truth that people can hear when you’re showing your real personality. That ring of truth helps build trust and establishes connection.
Help Others Succeed
Go out of your way to help not just your customers, but other business people. When you help other people succeed, they’ll return the favor at some point in the future.
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Easy 8 Step Process for Landing Quality Guest Post Opportunities
Posted on April 16, 2012
Filed Under Content, Guest Blogging, Guest Post, Link Building, Off-Page Optimization, SEO Resources, Search Engine Optimization | 1 Comment
Guest blogging is today one of the most powerful ways to get backlinks, to build a rock solid reputation and to get pre-sold traffic to your website. Many of the old marketing tactics like article marketing have simply died out. Today, if you want to get traffic and links, you really need to create real valuable content and get it distributed.
How do you use guest blogging effectively? Just follow eight steps.
Step #1: Discover the Right Blogs 
The first thing you should do is look for and discover blogs that you may want to guest write for.
Use Google’s “blog” search (on the left) to look for blogs specifically. Look for blogs in your market, as well as peripheral markets. If you have a blog on fishing for example, you might also look for wildlife blogs that have an interest in fishing.
Step #2: Rank the Blogs by Value
Will getting a guest post up on this blog help you? There are a few ways to determine this.
First, plug the blog into Compete and Google Ad Planner. How much traffic do these services think the blog has? Often time’s for smaller blogs, these tools won’t have any data. Use tools like Open Site Explorer and Alexa to try and get a sense for the reputability of the site and how much traffic it gets.
Take a look at how many comments the blog has on a typical post. Do they have an active audience? Try to only spend time on blogs that are actually read.
Step #3: Figure out Your Proposition
What exactly can you offer this blog owner? How can you benefit their audience?
Try and write a concise yet hard hitting value proposition. Convey how committed you are to providing great content. Then finish with a few guest post ideas for them to consider.
Write from a “what I can do for you” perspective rather than a “why I’d like to guest post for you” perspective.
Step #4: Add a Personal Touch
Mass sent messages almost never work. Instead, you want to send a message that really gives them the sense that you took the time to read their site, get to know their audience and offer something valuable.
Browse some of their latest articles. Read the site and get to know the site’s personality.
Then when you write your email, make sure you say something that shows that you’ve really taken the time to understand them.
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Case Study: Children’s E-Commerce Websites Get Top Rankings for 20 Keywords after Directory Submissions
Posted on April 9, 2012
Filed Under Directories, Directory Submission, Link Building, Niche Directory Submission, Off-Page Optimization, Search Engine Optimization, Social Bookmarking | 1 Comment
“Having used your service in the past, we as a company have found the solution, and the service that Maximizer provides to second to none. We are convinced that the links that have been built have managed to secure top rankings for our sister site and we are fully prepared to support Maximizer and the team behind their link building service.
In fact come April once the sale of New Baby Gift Boxes is completed we will be engaging Maximizer to start work on a new business model. I have no doubts whatsoever that this solution has played an underlying part in securing top 1, 2, 3 positions for my previous businesses.
I would also be more than happy to be used as a point of reference should ever Maximizer need me to talk to any new prospective clients.”
- Ashley Ayling
URL
The above mentioned sites are websites selling children’s gift products online. They have a huge range of top-class gifts and toys for children and specialize in a wide range of gift hampers, each lovingly packaged and presented in a variety of different ways.
Requirement & Challenges
There are thousands of children’s e-commerce websites in the market, so how do we get www.childrensgiftideas.com and www.newbabygiftboxes.co.uk to have top rankings for multiple competitive keywords? That was our main challenge. The main aim of the campaign was to improve search engine rankings for some targeted keywords which would consequently increase the traffic to the sites.
Action Taken
Ms.Ayling was extremely passionate about these 2 sites and wanted to optimize them in the best possible way. She was also very smart about building links for her site and followed 3 best practices while building links. Here are her best practices which if followed will help get any site to the top:
1. Target Multiple Keywords: She targeted different keyword variations for her submissions. As we have mentioned in other case studies, many people make the mistake of targeting only one or two keywords and reduce their chances of being found for other relevant keyword searches. Try to cover all keywords while building links as you have the chance of ranking for many more keyword, thereby increasing traffic to your site ten folds.
2. Build Links Regularly: Ms. Ayling build links regularly over time. Unlike many of us who do link building one time and forget about it for years, she was diligent and made sure that her links were built consistently over a period of time.
3. Getting Links from Different Types of Websites: It is advisable to get links from different types of websites rather than getting all your links from similar websites. Ms. Ayling placed orders for all the different submission services we offer.
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Are You Tracking the ROI On Your SEO?
Posted on April 3, 2012
Filed Under Content, General, Link Building, On-page Optimization, Search Engine Optimization | 2 Comments
One often overlooked aspect of SEO is return on investment (ROI) on the time and other resources you spend in getting ranked. Essentially this all boils down to money. The more money you could make from a ranking, the more resources you can spend upfront.
Rankings for terms like “Online Dating” are worth millions a month. That’s why online dating sites are willing to hire entire teams of people, working on dozens of company computers, investing hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars on SEO. They know it’ll pay off if they get a good ranking.
By contrast, if you’re running a small solo entrepreneurial operation where a #1 ranking will net you $5,000 a month, you can’t spend nearly the same kind of resources. Instead, you need to gauge what kinds of resources are appropriate for you based on the return you can expect.
Beating Out Your Competitors 
Remember that when your competitors first started out, they had to pay the price in resources to get their rankings as well. It can be intimidating to look at a highly ranked competitor and think about trying to beat them.
Today, there aren’t very many SEO secrets left out there. By and large everything you need to know to get ranked is out there on the internet. It’s just a matter of putting in the effort, the time and the money to make it happen.
Beating your competitors is a matter of paying that price, and then some. They have a head start on you, so you need to catch up and then overtake them.
Be wary of smaller competitors as they’re often able to adapt more quickly. They also tend to stay on top of search engine trends better than large corporations.
Try to catch your competitors off guard. Don’t knock them off their top rankings until you’re ready for a brutal fight. Once you overtake your competitors, don’t let your guard down. You can bet that once they see that dip in traffic, they’ll come back fighting for backlinks.
It’s important to remember that most of your competitors are working with a similar ROI as you. If you’re working in the online dating field and you’re charging $39.95 a month, chances are your competitors are charging something similar.
If you notice that you have a drastically different business model than anyone ranked in the top 5-10 SERPs, seriously consider whether or not it makes sense to aim for those keywords. For example, if you’re promoting a fitness eBook for $40, you probably shouldn’t target keywords that gyms are targeting. Gyms that charge $50 a month for a year can outspend you by a factor of 10 and still get a positive ROI.
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Case Study: Directory Maximizer Helps a Guitar, a Healthcare & a Counselling Site Reach Top Rankings in Search Engines
Posted on March 26, 2012
Filed Under Directories, Directory Submission, Link Building, Off-Page Optimization, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engines, Social Bookmarking | 1 Comment
“Over the years I have used many SEO services, Directory Maximizer stands out from the crowd because they are constantly improving their service, adding new directories and features. I’ve used almost every service they provide – I’ve even hired them to research and submit my sites to custom lists of directories. One of the best services they now have is the niche directory service. Most of all, my sites went up a few rankings and I am receiving more organic traffic every day.”
– Skyler Christensen
URL
It’s a fairly new site having lot of quality content and insights. It provides detailed information on guitars like best practices, how to choose a guitar, guitar care, expert tips etc.
As the name suggests, this site is all about combating morning sickness and tips on health care during pregnancy.
This site revolves around consultation and proper guidance to teenagers and bridging the gap between a parent and a child. It’s more about bringing the best out of every teenager and leading them towards successful lives.
Requirement & Challenges
Although these 3 sites are very different in nature as well as their subject matter, they were similar in the fact that they did not have many back-links pointing to them and were not rankings for their keywords. There was very little off-page optimization done for these sites and because of less links with relevant anchor texts, these 3 sites were not ranking for any of the terms they were targeting. However, Mr. Christensen was very passionate for his sites and wanted to put in all his effort to improve their search engine rankings. It is always a pleasure working with customers who are passionate about their websites and we were also more than happy to help him in his journey.
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Case Study: Directory Maximizer Helps a Telecommunications & VOIP Website Rank Number 1 for it’s Keywords
Posted on March 23, 2012
Filed Under Directory Submission, Link Building, Off-Page Optimization, Search Engine Optimization | 4 Comments
“I was recommended to Directory Maximizer by an SEO colleague of mine, he said it was amongst the best. I gave it a try and he was true to his word, the website has been climbing the serps ever since. I was so impressed with my results that I bought all the directory entries. Today I have over 38 keywords on page 1 of Google, needless to say my business has grown four folds. One word RECOMMENDED!”
– Jalal Miah
URL
www.xinix.co.uk
Requirement & Challenges
Sites on Telecommunications and Business VoIP Providers are abundant in the web. It is not at all easy to rank in the top 10 results for keywords in this sector as it is an extremely competitive market.
Action Taken
Mr. Miah wanted to cover different link profiles while building links to his site, so he placed orders for all the different submission services we offer. This way, he ensured he does not get link only from one or two similar types of sites.
Another smart thing Mr. Miah did and which I would advise everyone to follow, is targeting multiple keywords. He smartly targeted different keyword variations for his submissions. Many people make the mistake of targeting only one or two keywords and reduce their chances of being found for other relevant keyword searches. Try to cover all keywords while building links as you have the chance of ranking for many more keyword, thereby increasing traffic to your site ten folds.
Here are the different link building processes we executed for XINIX:
• General Directory Submission – We submitted XINIX to quality search engine friendly directories which give out permanent one-way links and are constantly indexed by Google and other popular search engines.
• Niche Directory Links – We also submitted the site to hand-picked Niche Directories related to the site’s topic as it is a well-known fact that search engines give more value to links from relevant sites. Getting links from these niche directories definitely helped in improving it’s search engine rankings.
• High PR Paid Directory Links – We helped XINIX get links from high PR quality web directories. The links from these directories are highly valued by the search engines as these sites are extremely selective about who they link out to.
• Social Bookmarking Submissions – The social bookmarking links ensured that the site got instant visibility and exposure which helped a lot in increasing traffic to the site.
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Case Study: How Directory Maximizer Helped a Health Blog Get Top 10 Google Rankings
Posted on March 22, 2012
Filed Under General | Leave a Comment
“I found the services of Directory Maximizer to be first class! They were prompt and thorough in delivering what they had promised and provided great assistance and encouragement in helping me promote my website. I am a newbie at web promotions and Directory Maximizer has really helped my website to go from relative obscurity to one with a significant number of visitors and to reach high ranking levels in search engines. Directory Maximizer has greatly increased the number and diversity of keywords which gives my website high rankings and the list of keywords and ranking levels continue to increase. For website traffic growth, recognition, visitor attraction and good ranking, I will continue to use their services and strongly suggest that website owners, who wish a thorough promotion and a quick rise in ranking levels, avail themselves of their excellent offerings.”
– Gladstone Taylor
URL
www.keepingfitandhealthy.net
Requirement and Challenges
Before doing the directory submissions, KeepingFitandHealthy.net was not ranking even in the top 50 positions in any of the search engines for any of the targeted terms. There were very few backlinks pointing to KeepingFitandHealthy.net and due to all these reasons, the traffic to the site was minimal.
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What 450+ Clients Had To Say About Directory Maximizer
Posted on March 19, 2012
Filed Under Directory Submission, General, Link Building, On-page Optimization, Search Engine Optimization | Leave a Comment
We recently conducted a survey amongst our clients, where we wanted to evaluate their level of satisfaction with various aspects of our services as well as evaluate whether our services met the core objective of improving their website rankings or not.
The survey was filled by 454 respondents which included representatives of leading SEO agencies, individual webmasters and business owners. Although we included customers from every part of the globe, a large percentage of these respondents were from USA, UK, Canada and Australia.
However, before we share the results of the survey with you, we are delighted to announce Steve Chambers, from DeepBlue Digital Media in UK, as the Lucky Winner from amongst the people who filled the survey. He can choose to take either a $50 Amazon Gift Certificate or $75 in service credits! Congratulations Steve 
Coming back to the results, we are delighted to share some of the key insights we gained from this survey. Hope you would find them useful!
Question 1: Do you see value in directory submissions as a link building tactic in modern SEO?
Glad to see so many of our customers joining us in reaffirming the effectiveness of directory submissions for building links. Many outsiders have argued that the effect of directory links is not what it used to be on search engine rankings, but we have seen thousands of websites benefit from them repeatedly over the years!
Question 2: Have directory submissions actually helped you in improving your rankings?
To further cement the benefits of directory links, it is good to see that 65% of our customers have also seen remarkable improvements in ranking with the help of directory submission.
Question 3: Please rate the Quality of Directories offered by us.
Our directory list is updated every 15-30 days. It’s great to hear 87% are happy with the different kind of directories we have in our list.
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