If you remember the old days, you would also remember the use of phone books. At that time, a phone book was the only information resource from where any local business in the area could be contacted with. Well, those phone books are obsolete now after online directories took over their role. That’s one of the countless major benefits internet has provided.

And the good thing is that the users can use search engines to find contact information from the directories. It means that if you are running a business and you want it found online, you certainly need to use online directories. And another major benefit of using these directories is that you get your business site’s URL listed in these directories; and that brings a link building advantage for you.

Benefits of using online directories

Those link building opportunities are quite rare that allow you to build high quality links through an easy process are very rare. One of such ways is to use online directories which are also known as business directories or business listings. A few benefits of using these directories are as under.

• Online directories make it easy for you to put your business in the right category. It means that users will be able to find your business when they will search for the business that offers the type of service you are offering. These online directories also allow customers to leave reviews about the business.It means that if your business has done well to serve the customers, you will get a genuine reputation for that with the help of those directories.
• When you get your website listed in an online directory, it tends to get its SEO improved as a byproduct. High-ranking online directories are trustable sources of information for a wide domain of internet users.Since your website link is going to be added in the site, it will complement your link building efforts.
• A majority of online directories allow free submission of your business listing. Those online directories also include top websites such as Bing Places, Yelp and Foursqaure. Some online directories charge a listing fee. Even if you have to pay for a listing, it’s a worth making investment because you will get a high quality link back to your site.

Ways to find right directory for your business

It is worth mentioning here that there are different types of online directories out there. For instance, there are general directories, business listings, local listings and niche directories. In this scenario, choosing the right directory is not a process of submitting your business listing in every type and see what happens. You will need to strategize your efforts to find the best directory for your business.You can strategize your efforts through the ways mentioned below.

• If you want to reach the right audience, you are going to have to make sure that you are submitting your link to the relevant directory. Type of directory does matter in this regard. if you are a local travel business, you would not want your business listed in the directory that contains lists of international businesses. Doing so can surely hurt your SEO efforts.
• After confirming that you have a list of relevant directories, now you need to pick the sites with high domain authority. It is worth mentioning here that domain authority is not the most important ranking factor but it is also the truth that link building in the websites with higher domain authority can bring your site into the SERPs sooner. There are several online tools that you can use to check domain authority of any site.
• It is up to you to decide whether you want to go for a simple NAP+W listing or a listing that offers additional features such as photos, reviews and ratings. If you want your audience to learn more about your business, it is worth going for the extra features.