Praxis Communications, Inc.

GETTING THE MOST VALUE FROM ON-LINE DIRECTORIES
Challenge:
Seems like every month, some entrepreneur or trade media giant develops the Internet's “next big buyer's resource” for B2B marketers. These can range from very keyword-specific sites, such as flowmeterdirectory.com, to broad-based aggregating sites like ThomasNet.com or GlobalSpec.com. Any of these could add significant value to your paid search traffic, but knowing which of these directories make sense – and how much to invest in them – are often difficult questions to answer. Some, like GlobalSpec, provide programs that, even at their minimum offering, can be very expensive. And, frequently, in spite of their claims about how much traffic they’re generating, cost justification going forward can be a challenge. Marketers want leads (translate: real contact information to follow up on); however, usually the best that can be expected is anonymous clickthrough traffic, with no real way to quantify their value.

Solution:
On-line directories are important. Don't make the mistake of thinking that natural search optimization and keyword buys are enough. But directories are only part of the whole branding/lead generation picture, so consider how they fit with your other print and on-line objectives. Participating in paid directories will help your optimization too, because it contributes to something called “link popularity.” The more outside links coming in to your site the better, including those you pay for. You can start small and make deals with some of the lesser known directories, and even test some of them using a free trial period. For everything, regularly check cost-per-click stats, and dump anything that underperforms.

Getting it done:
  1. Research, research, research. This is the hardest part. Start with natural searches for the products you sell, using a big list of likely key terms. See what comes up on Google. You'll usually find a few specialized directories ranking pretty high in your field, along with the big guns. Contact them for cost and position information. Some may offer a free trial period to test performance.
  2. Choose one or two that look like no-brainers, and that you can manage with your budget, then follow their directions to get started. Some will expect you to do a lot of the prep work, others will do it for you.
  3. Monitor traffic frequently. Create a unique landing page from each directory on your site, if this makes sense, so you can see from the stat reports where the traffic originated. If possible, track the user experience on your site from these clickthroughs, to find out how long they stayed, what their interests were, etc.
  4. Adjust, dump, or increase your participation going forward as trials or contracts expire.
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