My Online Tools

Directory Submitter Review

June 17th, 2006

Directory Submitter is a program that makes the task of posting your website information to directories easier.

The header graphic on the sales page proclaims, “Submit your website to HUNDREDS of link directories faster than a SPEEDING bullet.”

Don’t interpret this statement to mean that after you press one button, Directory Submitter will submit your website information to ALL 400+ directories instantaneously. If you watch the demo video, you will see that it doesn’t do this.

To appreciate what Directory Submitter does, you need to compare it with what you have to do if you didn’t have it. Without a tool like Directory Submitter, you’ll have to search for the directories it lists on your own. You’ll then have to go to each directory and find the form to add your website information. Then you have to type in the individual pieces of information about your website that it asks for. And after that, you click the submit button. It doesn’t take much imagination to realize how long it will take you to repeat these steps for all 400+ directories.

In the process described above, Directory Submitter eliminates the step were you must manually fill in the forms. Before you start going to each directory listed, you set up “profiles” that contain your website information. Directory Submitter takes the information from these profiles and automatically fills in the forms for you. You still have to select the proper category and click the submit button. However, not having to fill in each form will save you hours of work.

With Directory Submitter, you can create as many profiles for the different websites you own as you need and it will keep a record of which directories you have submitted each website to. You can also export a history of the submissions you have made.

What I Like About Directory Submitter

Fills in the Form Fields for Me

I didn’t have to type in my website information on every directory submission form. Directory Submitter filled in the empty boxes of the form for me automatically. I just set up profiles, which contains my website information and Directory Submitter uses this information to fill in the blanks.

Rotates Variations of My Website Title and Descriptions

Directory Submitter allowed me to save variations of my website title and description to an individual profile. The program posts a different variation of my title and description to each directory. My website can have various keywords associated with it from the link text pointing to it from the directories that have posted my link. This could mean more targeted traffic going to my site.

Allows Me to Create an Unlimited Number of Profiles

Directory Submitter can save as many profiles for as many different websites that I would like to have submitted to the directories listed.

Organizes and Keeps Track of Directories I Have Submitted To

For each of my websites, Directory Submitter tells me which directories I have already submitted them to.

List of Directories Available Are Updated Frequently

I was surprised at how many new directories were quickly added to the list. That means more opportunities for back links and traffic to my websites.

A Few Annoyances I Experienced Using Directory Submitter*

Problems with Directories Not Being Saved As “Sent”

I felt like asking for a refund after I noticed Directory Submitter wasn’t saving some directories I had submitted to as “[sent].” I found this out after I opened the program again and didn’t see the directories I know I had submitted to as being marked sent, but were still marked as “[not sent].” I thought a submitter isn’t any good if it fails to keep your work organized and couldn’t keep track of what you did previously. Luckily, there is and update you can download from Microsoft, which fixed this problem and I am happy to report I did not have to ask for a refund.

You May Need To Scroll Horizontally To Find the “Add URL” Link

Some directories will have their “add URL” link located on the right hand side of their web page. You’ll miss it if your screen resolution isn’t correct. What works for my monitor is a screen resolution of 1152 x 864. You’ll have to experiment with different display setting to see what’s perfect for you.

Pages Need To Be Completely Loaded Before a Form Can Be Filled In

Directory Submitter can’t pre-fill the submission form if the web page it’s on hasn’t completely loaded. There were only a couple of directories were I experience this problem. I tried reloading the page and tried to stop them, but the forms still couldn’t be automatically filled. I think this is a problem with the directory itself, and not Directory Submitter.

What You Should Know About the Directories Listed in Directory Submitter

Not All Directories Listed Are Free

Many of the directories listed are free, but some do charge a small fee for placement. Out of 436 directories, I only submitted my test site to 202 free directories. The remaining 234 directories I didn’t submit to either charged a fee or were directories my site didn’t fit under. I don’t have a count of the number of those directories that charge. It might be pointless to figure this out because a directory may no longer be there after the next update. For my next round of using Directory Submitter, I’ll remember to mark those sites that charge a fee. Regardless, I am happy with being able to submit to 202 directories for free.

Some Directories Claim It Will Take Several Weeks to Months Before Your Site Is Approved or Rejected

Maybe they mention this so you’ll pay them a fee to get your site reviewed and approved under their express service, which they say they will do within 24 to 48 hours. It seems that some directories do get many submissions and a person approves or rejects each one. But who really knows what goes on behind the scenes other than the people or “person” running the directory. I can imagine it being a very monotonous job seeing all those submissions everyday and figuring out what to do with them. It would be easy to put them aside until I felt like looking at them again if I ran the directory.

Not All Directories Listed Are One Way Links

Some of the directories want a reciprocal link before they will consider adding a link to your site. Fortunately, for you and I, not all directories require this.

Some Directories Are Down

A couple of sites were “unavailable.”

Some Directories Don’t Accept Submissions All the Time

One of the reasons that a directory gave me for not accepting submissions right now was because they needed to catch-up with all the previous submissions they still haven’t approved yet.

You Have To Spend Time Choosing a Category on Each Directory

Most of the directories require that you browse to the category page you think your website should belong under and from there click the “suggest a site” or “add your URL” link to go to the submission form. In some directories, you select your category from a drop-down menu on the submission form page. Either way, finding the category you should place your site under will take up most of your time. This is something you can’t avoid. In my opinion, it would be very difficult or impossible to program any submitter to pick a category for you automatically and accurately. Directory Submitter doesn’t do this, but submitters that try, get the categories wrong.

You Usually Have To Enter a Captcha Before Submitting

Something that will slow you down is having to enter a captcha before you can submit your information.

Some Directories Require You to Click a Confirmation Link They Send to You by Email

Before some directories will consider your website, you’ll have to click a confirmation link they send to you by email. Fortunately, only a few directories required this step. You’ll have to be watchful of this requirement on the form page and in your mailbox. So if you really want to get into some of theses directories, be sure to provide a real email address.

The PR Mentioned Next To the Directory Name Isn’t Necessary the Same PR on the Page You End Up Being Listed On

I believe the PR you see assign to a directory listed in Directory Submitter, is only for the directory’s home page. You may not necessarily be listed on a page with the same PR. In fact, you may be on a page with no PR or Google has not indexed (yet).

My Tips for Users

Don’t Skip A Directory That Appears To Have A PR of 0

I see a few listed directories that have a PR of 0 assigned to them. But, when I visit the directory (open in a new window), I see that some have a PR of 5! Obviously, you should submit to that site or you’ll lose a good back link opportunity.

Limit Your Keyword Character Count at 200

Many of the directories use a script called PHP Link Directory, and the character count for keywords that you may submit is usually limited to 200 characters. So, if you don’t want to always see a warning message each time you submit your link information, make sure in your profile your keywords don’t go over this (I also noticed that there is a 250 character count limit for the website description, but some directories allow more).

Submit a Top Level Domain

A few directories require you to submit your top-level domain (mydomain.com), rather that a subdomain (mysubdomain.mydomain.com). However, I did submit a sub domain and most of the directories will accept them. If you want to be able to submit to as many directories as possible, you’ll have to use a top-level domain.

Submit an Email Address Based on a Top Level Domain

Only a few directories rejected my email address as being invalid. I used an email address that is based on my sub domain (admin@mysubdomain.mydomain.com). The strange looking format of this email address does actually work. But some directory scripts that checks for valid email address doesn’t account for this style of address. To avoid the warning messages while submitting your site, be sure to use a “normal” looking email address based on a top-level domain (admin@mydomain.com) and you’ll be able to get listed in as many directories as possible.

Use Search to Find the Category Your Site Belongs Under

Before you can submit your link, the directory requires you to browse to the relevant category you think your website belongs under. Then you can click the “suggest a site” or “add a URL” link that takes you to the submission page. To make this step a little easier, you can enter a keyword related to the topic of your site in the search box to see other listed results and see what categories or subcategories related sites have been posted under.

Some Interesting Observations

A Common Script created many of the Directories

The two scripts given credit most often at the footer of these directories are PHP Link Directory and Free PHP Directory.

Some Directories Have a Narrow Topic Focus

Most of the directories include broad categories or topics and you can easily find a fit for your website. There a only a handful of directories that have a narrow razor sharp topic focus that you probably won’t be able to submit to.

Many More Directories Are Out There

The last time I used Directory Submitter, it had 436 directories listed. I know there has to be more directories on the web, but for now, this seems to be enough to work with and they do have PR.

My Experience with Directory Submitter Support

I mentioned elsewhere I had a problem with saving information telling me I had already submitted to a directory but Directory Submitter didn’t appear to save it (it wasn’t Directory Submitter’s fault, it was my operating system that needed to be updated). I emailed support and I got a reply with a solution to the problem immediately.

My Final Thoughts about Directory Submitter

If you read and understood the things I’ve said elsewhere about the directories listed in Directory Submitter, you should know that I’m not blaming the software. It’s the directories themselves. Actually, the problems with the directories are not that big of a deal. I just wanted to point out a few tiny things you might want to be aware of so you can plan your use of Directory Submitter more efficiently than it already is.

So far, after submitting my NEW site to all the directories I possibly could using Directory Submitter, I’ve already seen Google, MSN and Yahoo in my web logs. I have not used any other method (such as blog and ping) to get the attention of the search engines. When I do a search on Google for my URL, I found it on three different directories so far (as of 6/17/2006). Google had already indexed and cache the directories pages that my URL is listed on between June 12 and 13, only one to two days after I finished submitting to all the directories.

Do I need to ask for a refund?

No!

Would I buy another product from the makers of Directory Submitter again if it were something I could use?

Yes!

If you wish to learn more about Directory Submitter, preview a video demo and read a few interesting articles about linking, then click here.

I hope my review was helpful to you. Thanks for reading it!

Leroy Chan
http://www.MyOnlineTools.biz

* My opinion applies to version 1.3 used during June 10 and 11, 2006.

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