Using Blog directories

What is a blog directory? 

A blog directory is a list of blogs on the Internet which are categorized for easy browsing. Some of the directories also rank different blogs based on different parameters such as traffic, followers and how often the content is updated. Usually blog details are submitted by bloggers. Some of the blog directories verify the submissions made to ensure that spam is not posted on the directory while there are other directories on submission publish the listing. Of course moderated blog directories are more popular that auto approve directories.

Submitting to Blog directories as SEO strategy

Submitting your blog to blog directories helps as far as SEO is concerned as not only do you get backlinks but you will get real visitors from good and reputable directories. The other advantages are

• With sole purpose of exposure and traffic.
• With good reputation and high traffic.
• If paid directory, well and good. Paid fee shouldn’t be refundable, irrespective of listing.
• The paid fee should be for the editorial review, not for the link.
• Max. no. of directories submission should be 5 to 7.
• The directory should have a past history of rejecting submissions.
• Checkout their editorial-policies – Are they obeying Google’s (SEs) guidelines?
• Checkout the sites they are listing – Are they high quality and authoritative?
• Check, whether the directory is penalized by Google. Search for site:domain name.com on the Google Search, and check how many pages are indexed/showing.
•  heck, whether the directory is offering Guaranteed Premium listing for higher fee? If yes, stay away from it.
• If the directory is promoting about  SEO benefit or value of back-links, instead of traffic, then avoid it.

SEO for ecommerce websites

SEO is logical and yet sometimes it is made into something very complex. The rules for SEO are the same in nearly all types of websites. For ecommerce websites SEO is very important as that is what drives prospective customers to the website.

SEO for Ecommerce websites

SEO for ecommerce website

One of the most important SEO tactic is the usability of the website. Ecommerce websites have to ensure that the website is easily usable where information can be found easily and browsing the website is easy. In this post the focus is on usability because a happy customer is the best advertisement for your website and if your website is usable high SEO ranking is guaranteed. Some of the points to keep in mind are.

• The main aim of your website is to sell products or services therefore make it easy for the website visitor to buy stuff
• The navigation should be based on category as far as possible. 
• Use high resolution product pictures and give the user the ability to view product images from different angles. 
• The product description should be self explanatory and should address the most common questions
• The URL of the product page should be friendly and easy to remember. Suppose a bubble bath soap's URL should be http://www.example.com/soap/bubble-bath-soap
• Always provide different options to pay
• All financial transactions should be done on a secure server and ideally the fact that it is a secure server that the customer is using should be visually communicated to the customer. 
• At times the shipping options are very confusing which should be avoided
• Checkout process should be simple and user information should be collected once only
• Give the opportunity to the visitor or shopper to easily compare products
• User reviews are very important and it is best that the reviews are provided by previous buyers
• The shopper should be easily able to contact you in case they face a problem. Providing live chat feature is a must for all ecommerce websites.