Directory Submission Sites: Which Ones Still Help SEO
Directory submission sites still help a new product, but only a handful of them, and mostly for visitors rather than rankings. A directory is worth submitting to when real people in your niche browse it, it reviews what it lists, and your page there can be found. Mass submission to hundreds of general directories doesn’t help, and Google’s spam policies name “low-quality directory or bookmark site links” as link spam.
Why do makers still submit to directories?
You’ve launched, search traffic is zero, and every list you find says “submit to these 100 startup directories.” It feels like free work you should be doing. Some of it is.
The problem is the cost hidden in the long version of that list. A day of filling in forms, a pile of listings on sites nobody visits, a few “featured” upsells, and a link profile that looks like a bought package. The listings that send people are usually the first ten you’d have found anyway.
What makes a directory submission site worth it?
Check these before you submit:
| Check | Good sign | Bad sign |
|---|---|---|
| Who visits | People in your niche browse or search it | Only makers submitting their own products |
| What gets listed | Someone reviews submissions, or listings compete on something | Anything submitted is published |
| Your page | Its own page with a description, indexed by Google | One line on a list of thousands |
| Link type | Clearly labeled: followed, nofollow or sponsored | Promises of “high DA backlinks” |
| Freshness | New listings and updates every week | Last activity years ago |
| Paid options | Paying buys visibility, and paid links are marked | Paying buys “dofollow” or a ranking |
A quick test: search Google for site: plus the directory’s domain and your category. If its category pages don’t show up, your listing won’t either.
Which kinds of directories fit a startup or SaaS?
- SaaS and software directories. Comparison and review sites where people look for a tool in a category. Good for being found later, by someone searching for an alternative.
- Startup directories and launch boards. Places where new products are browsed by early adopters and other makers. Good for launch week visitors and feedback.
- Niche directories. Lists for one audience: developer tools, design resources, no-code, AI tools. Smaller, but the visitors fit.
- Local or industry listings. Only if your product serves a region or a trade.
General web directories that list any website in any category are the ones to skip. They were built for links, and that’s how search engines read them.
For launch platforms specifically, product launch platforms compared by how they work explains the formats, and startup launch platforms with dofollow links shows how to check what kind of link a listing gives you.
How many directories should you submit to?
Fewer than you think. For most new products, 10 to 20 relevant directories cover the ones that send people. Past that, each new listing adds work and little traffic, because the long tail of directories is mostly visited by other makers submitting their own products.
Write your listing copy once and reuse it, so every listing says the same thing: a name, a one-line tagline, a short description, a logo and a few screenshots. How to write a tagline for your product helps with the hardest line. Keep a simple sheet with each directory, the date, the listing URL and the link type, so you can check later which ones sent visitors.
Should you pay for a directory listing?
Sometimes. Pay for visibility in front of the right people, never for a link that’s sold as passing ranking credit, because Google’s spam policies treat bought followed links as link spam. A paid link should carry rel=“sponsored” or rel=“nofollow”; rel sponsored vs nofollow vs dofollow explains why. We wrote a separate guide on whether a paid directory listing is worth it.
Where does LaunchGP fit?
We run LaunchGP, so here is how it works, plainly. It’s a launch directory run as a motorsport season: one Grand Prix every week, 32 cars per round.
- 20 free seats per round for products with the LaunchGP badge on their site. Once the badge is verified, the car’s link is dofollow during its race week.
- 6 front slots, P1 to P6, from $59 down to $9, no badge needed. They’re marked rel=“sponsored” during their week.
- The podium of every Grand Prix keeps a dofollow link for good.
- After the race, every finisher joins LaunchGP Endurance, a permanent race where the top 10 of each class get a dofollow link while they hold the spot.
Votes alone set the order, and money never buys points. It’s one listing among your 10 to 20, not a replacement for them.
What’s the next step?
Make your list of 10 to 20 relevant directories with the checks above, write your listing once, and add LaunchGP to it.
A seat is free with the badge, and a front slot starts at $9.
Get your seat in the next Grand Prix
FAQ
Are directory submissions still good for SEO?
A few relevant ones are, mostly through visitors and being found in your category. Mass submissions to general directories aren’t, and Google treats low-quality directory links as spam.
What is directory submission in SEO?
Listing your website on directory sites, usually with a link back, to get visitors and links. It was a common link-building tactic years ago; today only the directories people actually use are worth it.
Are free startup directories worth it?
Relevant free directories are worth it. Free still costs you time, so pick directories with real visitors in your niche and skip the rest.
How do I know if a directory link is dofollow?
Open your listing, right-click the link and choose Inspect. If its rel attribute includes nofollow, sponsored or ugc, it doesn’t pass ranking credit. No rel means a followed link.
Can directory links hurt my site?
A pattern of links from low-quality directories can be treated as link spam. A few links from real, relevant directories won’t hurt.