A link directory is one of the oldest ways of organizing information on the internet. Link directories use a subject 'tree' in order to create a hierarchical arrangement of different categories, subcategories, and websites. Quality backlinks are generated when you have your website listed in one of the premium links directories, the top five of which are listed below along with their Google Page Rank and their Alexa Traffic Rating. A Google Page Rank of 10 is ideal, and the best Alexa ranking is a 1. The better these numbers are, the more traffic reaches the link directory, and the more likely it is that the searcher will find your site.

Top Five Link Directories:

1. Yahoo Directory - Yahoo.com - (Google Pr of 8, Alexa ranking of 2)

2. Dmoz.com (Google PR of 8, Alexa ranking of 870)

3. Business.com (Google PR of 7, Alexa of 1,693)

4. Bestoftheweb.com (Google PR of 6, Alexa rank of 7036)

5. WhatUSeek.com (Google PR of , Alexa rank of 28,418)

If you have been using the internet since the early nineties, you probably started searching by using the most well-known link directory of the time - yahoo.com. For quality backlinks, this was the premium links directory of the day, and still is one of the best. But other link directories like Google's Dmoz also offer excellent link directory choices. For the yahoo directory, you'll have to pay an annual fee if you want your site listed with them. But experts recommend that you still pay the fee, since it will provide such a significant boost to your rankings. The Dmoz premium links directory is free, but is also very stringent on the websites it accepts. There is a great deal of competition, so Dmoz is able to be picky. Make sure you read the submission guidelines before you attempt to get listed in a link directory.

So why should you list your site on a link directory? A link directory is preferred by some people because it lets the user have more control over their internet search. Link directory sites like Dmoz or Yahoo allow the user to navigate through a series of options, narrowing down the choices until the desired information is found. For example, you might click on Arts, then Movies, then Reference, and you'll get options on glossaries, dictionaries and review sites all related to movies. A link directory is very helpful if you aren't sure exactly what keywords to use, or if you find that the keywords you've tried aren't working.

But for website owners, a link directory offers other benefits. High quality backlinks help to increase your ranking in the search directories. Backlinks are considered quality when they lead the searcher from the link to related, relevant, and quality information on your website. Since backlinks in a link directory are so well categorized, they will be related to your website content, particularly if you use keywords from your site in the actual backlink text. This is great news for two reasons. First, you'll get really well-targeted traffic coming to your site. And second, such quality backlinks will definitely help boost your search engine rankings.