Have you heard about the “Smart Marketer’s Landing Page Conversion Course” or read about how to take advantage of the latest changes to the most popular social networking sites? Would you like to read an article about “30 Free Directory Submission Sites With High PR”? They’re all included in this week’s post in my #FridayFinds series.
Acquiring Backlinks with Directory Sites:
Backlinks are a vital part of generating organic search traffic to your site. One relatively easy way to acquire backlinks (that can help with your SEO) is to submit your website to directory sites. In her article on BloggingTips.com, Nancy Badillo shares 30 Free Directory Submission Sites With High PR. All of these directory sites have page ranks between 3 and 8.
Keep in mind that the best backlinks come from sites that relate to your niche. Hopefully, you’ll be able to find some directories in Nancy’s article that will be a good fit for you. As Nancy mentions, it can take as much as 6 months for your links to start showing up.
Tip: In my experience, sites that start out free sometimes switch to premium services. So, I try to act quickly when I come upon opportunities like this.
Time to Update Our Social Media Profiles
I’ll be the first one to say that my social media profiles need an update. I haven’t updated most of them in over a year and I’m definitely not taking advantage of the recent updates that most of the major social networking sites have implemented.
To catch up on the latest updates by the major social networking sites, check out Eric Siu’s article 5 Tips to Bring New Life to Your Social Profiles on SocialMediaExaminer.com.
The highlights include:
- Google Plus: (new profile design with more visual content)
- LinkedIn: (add “rich” media including videos & presentations)
- Twitter: (new profile headers)
- Pinterest: (opt-in to access the latest features)
- Twitter Vine Videos: (to freshen up your Twitter feed)
Free Landing Page Conversion Course
Recently, I landed on part one of the Smart Marketer’s Landing Page Conversion Course and I was immediately impressed that this offering is free. (You can find a link to sign up for the entire course early on in the article.) This 11-part course is offered by landing page expert Oli Gardner (UnBounce.com) along with 10 conversion rate experts (including CopyBlogger and HubSpot). Each of the eleven parts is designed to be completed in 30-minutes or less.
While I haven’t personally taken this course, it does look intriguing and I intend to at least check out the parts that I know I need to brush up on:
The eleven parts include:
- Landing Page 101
- The 5 Core Landing Page Elements
- Call-to-Action Design & Placement
- Lead Capture Forms
- Landing Page Copywriting
- Landing Page Design Principles
- The Psychology of Conversion
- Post-Conversion Marketing
- Landing Page Optimization & Testing
- How to Convince Your Boss/Client
- Landing Page Examples
Over to You:
Have you updated your social media profiles to take advantage of the latest updates? Are you taking advantage of free directories to help build backlinks? Does the free landing page conversion course interest you? As always, feel free to share your thoughts and ideas with us.
About Sherryl PerryWelcome! If you're looking for help building an Internet presence that fits your needs and works for you, you're in the right place. I blog common sense articles about WordPress, social media and SEO. My goal is to help small business owners and entrepreneurs understand their core business. Together, we can develop and implement business strategies that make sense to you.
Hi,
Thanks for the article Sherryl. I have never used Twitter Vine Videos. I wish to try . in every post I need a video of related? or I have to maintain a time table to put twitter vine video. The eleven part of landing page course seems to be worth.
I need to ask one question more sherryl :), I need to work with a new keyword which is not yet been ranked, in which landing page I should consider while building backlink? Home page or related inner page? Regards,Agriya Olivier
Hi Agriya,
Good luck with your Vine videos. I’ve seen some really clever ones lately. As for your keyword, if it makes sense to have it on your home page (relative content-wise) why not have it there with a link to more content on an inner page as well?
One thing about landing pages is that they don’t have to be part of your navigation. You can create specific landing pages for PPC ads, Facebook contests etc. That way, you can tweak the content to match.
Thanks for taking the time to add to the conversation.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Friday Finds: Google Hummingbird, Social Media Strategies, Facebook Contests
I am surprised of your first find – the directory submissions. It used to be a good tactic a while ago but i don’t think it’s worth the while any more as search engines don’t give much weight now to them. Relevancy is a y factor either way. I will check the post anyway – in case i am wrong LOL
From the comments before me, i gather i am not the only one who needs social media profile update. My G profile is fine, my twitter profile i ignore on purpose as i know how much time ti will take me to even come up with a concept, let alone bring it to life (duh?!) but LinkedIn? hm, with these cool features they introduced recently (including adding videos and projects to your profile) – this i MUST do, and soon. Thanks for the reminder, Sherryl! Great post, as always 🙂
Diana recently posted..How to Know Your Potential Freelance Client from Their Job Post
Diana,
I really respect the source that the directory submission list came from. Personally, I get a decent amount of traffic from the the “DoFollow Blog Directory & Compendium” site. (It’s a PR 3 site for do-follow blogs.) I’ve had an extremely busy week. So, I haven’t had a chance to submit my site to any of those directories yet but it’s definitely on my to-do list. And yes, updating my social media profiles is on the same list.
Thanks for dropping by and weighing in on this.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..4 eCommerce Marketing Channels You Should Use – Part 2
thanks for clarifying this, Sherryl! I too had an extremely busy week (you can say from the speed i reply to comments, i guess LOL) but then – i am definitely gonna check all the directories in detail PLUS the one you mentioned in your last comment. if not for SEO, they apparently still work for referral traffic if chosen well. Thanks for the tips 😉
Diana recently posted..How the Client Sees Your Freelance Application
A landing page is important when you are running a web presence for a targeted customer.
For general website SEO article submission and social media is good
Jaikee Jaiswal recently posted..All about Android Launchers and Which one is the best?
Jaikee,
Landing pages are vital especially when you’re targeting a specific customer. I used to market a business solution that targeted two different clients (professional and amateur photographers). I used 2 different images on our home page as entries into two separate paths. Each path was to a customized landing page that addressed the specific needs of that potential client. (I also used the terminology that each target would be familiar with). That approach can be very effective if you’re targeting different clients within your niche.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Can One Website Meet the Needs of Multiple Niche Target Markets?
Super Sherryl!
Have now changed my picture on Twitter and submitted my blog to some directory sites!! Great suggestions.
Catarina recently posted..Can Hermès handbags and diamonds give you a start?
Your Twitter page looks good Catarina. You’re ahead of me on the directory sites. Hopefully tonight I’ll get a few done.
BTW – In my next #FridayFinds, I plan on sharing a post on how to create a new Facebook cover photo. I think you’ll like it.
Great Sherryl.
Did post the same photograph as on Twitter on Facebook. Shows clearly how international I am:-)
Catarina recently posted..Can Hermès handbags and diamonds give you a start?
Your new photograph does communicate the idea of being international quite well Catarina.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..4 eCommerce Marketing Channels You Should Use – Part 2
Sherryl- What I noticed about many of the submission directories is that they require Reciprocal Link URL. From what I have read over the years that getting a backward link helps with SEO but reciprocal links do not. The Free Landing Page Conversion Course sounds interesting and I plan to check that out. I like the direction you area going with your Friday Finds.
Arleen recently posted..How To Successfully Market A Cause
Arleen,
Honestly, having to reciprocate links with directory sites has not been my experience. I would be very reluctant to provide a backlink to a directory site unless I was confident that the only sites they linked to were trustworthy and within my niche. It would be to risky to associate myself with them in Google’s “eyes”.
Have I mentioned the “DoFollow Blog Directory & Compendium” site to you before? (I’ve mentioned it before but I should probably add it to my post.) It’s a PR 3 site and I get traffic from it.
I think you’ll find that course interesting. Thanks for the feedback on my #FridayFinds. So far, this one was the easiest to write.
Hi Sherryl,
This category of Friday Finds becomes better and better. Keep going. You are doing great and we need this information.
Directory sites
I know the principle. I think it helps very much on a long term. I’ll check the article and save the list.
The course
What is really impressive is the Landing Pages Conversion course. It seems a good course and the references are great. If it is free, I will download it and keep it for my future needs. I will definitely need this at some point in the future.
Thanks for the post. I very much appreciate your efforts. The results of your research is very helpful for beginners like me.
Have a wonderful day
Silviu recently posted..How to Make a Powerpoint Presentation
Thanks for the positive feedback Silviu. This was one of the easier #FridayFinds that I’ve written. I think I may be getting the hang of it!
Doing things like submitting my sites to directories always seems to take a back seat to other priorities but this list seems to good to be true. I’ve submitted sites to directories before but it’s not often when I’ve come upon free directories with page ranks of 5 or 6 and above.
I somehow stumbled upon that free course and new it was a candidate for this series.
You have a wonderful day too and thanks so much for taking the time to drop by and comment!
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Friday Finds: Backlinks, Social Media Profiles, Landing Page Conversions
I used to do some directory submissions years ago. I haven’t did any in several years now though. It’s probably wise to look for quality directories. A lot of the ones I submitted to years ago went to heck or don’t even exist anymore. I am a little more cautious about where a submit to these days.
I would be the second to admit I could use some social profile updating. It’s one of those things I just never get around to for some reason.
Ray recently posted..Want to start a newsletter, but don’t have a lot to spend?
Ray,
I never was successful getting any of my submissions to DMOZ approved. So, I used to rely on submitting my sites to other directories. I admit that I haven’t submitted any in well over a year. After reading Nancy Badillo’s article, it is definitely something that I need to get started on soon. The page ranks of some of those sites are impressive.
Thanks for admitting that your profiles need updating too. I’m probably okay with the text portion of my profiles but I’ve never been pleased with some of my images and I certainly haven’t take advantage of some of the recent changes (missed opportunities for sure).
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Friday Finds: Backlinks, Social Media Profiles, Landing Page Conversions
Thanks for the finds Sheryl. These are good posts, but I am surprised that Nancy is encouraging people to use directory submissions. Most of those got hit really by Google. I guess these may be higher quality ones, because I don’t see the old ones that people used to have on the list. Perhaps submitting your site to a small, niche directory is better than submitting to DMoz.
Kalen recently posted..How Do You Use Calls to Action in Guest Posts?
Kalen,
The directories that Nancy included all have fairly high page ranks and I’ve always found Website Magazine to be a very reliable source. So, I definitely intend to check them out. As long as a directory doesn’t appear spammy or totally unrelated to your niche, I don’t see any harm in having the backlink. Of course, if I learn differently, I’ll come back and update this article (with a link to the new source).
Thanks for dropping by and have a great weekend.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Friday Finds: Gmail Privacy, Facebook Likes and SEO
Wow Sherryl, These are some great tips this Friday. I will be letting Elizabeth know about these Blog Directories. Definitely something we should utilize. Also I so agree with you that social media platforms need to be updated and refreshed periodically. It is important to show people that you are engaged. 🙂
Susan Cooper recently posted..Easy Danishes: Recipe
I’m glad you liked them Susan! In addition to the directories that are in that article, there are probably quite a few directories that are related specifically to your niches.
Years ago, my husband and I had a specialized photography business and I found quite a few directories that were photography related. (I also submitted our site to women-owned business sites.) Those little niche directories often have fewer submissions. So, your chances of someone (who is using the directory) finding you increases.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..4 Tips to Creating Successful Google AdWord Pay Per Click PPC Ads
Hey Sherryl, I have not been using the directory sites like I should be. Thanks for sharing the post. I think I’ll head over there now and check it out. Have a great weekend!
Thanks for letting me know that you liked my find Tom. I need to submit my URL to those sites too. You have a great weekend too!
Sherryl Perry recently posted..4 eCommerce Marketing Channels You Should Use – Part 1
My profiles are mostly up to date, but your reminder reminds me that I do have some video I could add to my LinkedIn profile.
Jeri recently posted..Author Interview: Chad Thomas Johnston
Video! I’ve been wanting to create video for a while and I just have a mental block about it. If you think of it, let me know when you add video to your profile. I’d like to check it out.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Friday Finds: Gmail Privacy, Facebook Likes and SEO
Sherryl, I found the marketing course on landing page quite interesting – it makes a lot of sense! I skimmed through the first one.
Leora Wenger recently posted..Blog Post Inspiration: Book Review and Poll
Leora,
Thanks for letting me know that you found that course interesting. It looks really well done and there are a few of them that I definitely want to read/watch.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..4 eCommerce Marketing Channels You Should Use – Part 1
I confess that I haven’t updated anything in a while! I need to know more about Google+ I have several contacts who use that but at the time I started to sign up I just didn’t want to deal with one more site. I think that’s the main problem – overload. Your advice to pick and choose to make sure you are with sites that relate to your niche is a good one.
Judy,
I’m making a conscious effort to use Facebook less and Google+ more. My main reasons for that is: #1 – I was late to the game establishing my presence on FB (and the number of followers that I have pale in comparison to other bloggers in my niche),
#2 – serious bloggers (in my niche) are establishing themselves on Google+ which gives me the opportunity to reinforce my connections with them (by sharing, +1’ing and commenting/replying) and #3 – Google = SEO.