Submitting your writings to a free article directory can help boost the popularity of your website. Like other SEO techniques, it may not work instantly. However, it is an effective yet affordable way to build backlinks. Besides writing good articles, you should also choose the best directory. There are plenty of free article directories all over the internet where you can have your writings published, but not all of them are reliable and trustworthy. Below are some tips on how to choose a good free article directory:
1. Choose one with more authority and wider audience
Some sites are indeed better than the other. If you want to get your business noticed by many people, choose one that has more authority and wider audience. Authority is very significant in backlink building. While all article directories allow you to attach your bio and some links to your site, the ones with bigger authority will point more valuable backlinks to your site.
2. The higher the ranking, the better
As mentioned previously, authority is essential. The authority of an article directory can be measured by its search engine ranking. You should go for the one with a high ranking. In most cases, the higher the ranking, the bigger the authority.
3. Look for a free directory that has a comprehensive list of websites
Some directories only publish articles or blogs. But there are also comprehensive article directories which also feature a list of article announcements, list of publishers, as well as niche-focused blogs.
4. Have access to the site where you submit your writings
Having access to your preferred directory means that you will be able to know whether it is active, whether it has frequent visitors, whether it has busy traffic, whether it has a high search engine ranking, and so forth. That way, you will be able to judge the credibility of the directory you have chosen.
5. How long does it take to publish the article?
While some directories will instantly publish your article, some other can take up to 2 weeks for the article approval. Finding out how long it takes for article publication is important, especially if you write about trending and fresh topic.
6. Examine the effectiveness of the directory
Following your article publication, check the article’s statistic which includes page views, SERP results, click through rate, and the number of syndicated articles. If after a while the statistic does not improve, you might consider changing to other article directory.