Directory submission

What you get

A permanent page about your product on another site, which can rank in search for your name and category. Visitors who browse or search the directory for a tool like yours. On some directories, a followed link to your site; on many, a nofollow link that brings visitors but passes little ranking value.

Choosing directories

Relevance beats count. A directory for AI tools suits an AI product; a list of hundreds of general directories mostly brings pages nobody visits. Check that listings are indexed, that the directory has real visitors, and what kind of link it gives, before spending time on it.

Avoid paid services that submit you to hundreds of low-quality directories at once. Those links do not help and can look manipulative.

Timing

Many directories review submissions by hand, which can take days or weeks. Submit two or three weeks before a launch so the listings are live when launch traffic arrives.

What to prepare

A one-line pitch, a short and a long description, a square logo, a few screenshots and your pricing. Write them once and reuse them, adapting the description to each directory's audience. Tag the link you submit with UTM parameters so you can see which directories send visitors who sign up.

Example

An AI writing tool submits to five AI tool directories three weeks before launch; four approve it in time, and one becomes a steady source of sign-ups.

Questions people ask

Are directory submissions still worth it?

Relevant, reviewed directories are: they bring visitors and a page that ranks. Mass submissions to low-quality directories are not.

How many directories should I submit to?

As many relevant, reviewed directories as you can keep up to date, rather than a fixed number. A few good ones beat dozens of low-quality ones.