Why Directories Restrict Duplicate Titles?

Directory submission is a powerful way to build quality back links. To maintain the quality of links high, some directories restrict submissions of one url per unique title.

When you submit a site to a directory, you need the url, a title and a short description of the website. A useful title is important, as the linking text decides the quality of the link for search engine ranking purposes.

The Power of the Title in a Listing

For example: you have a site www.vitaminc.com. Say, the linking text, or the title for that is ‘Benefits of Vitamin C’. Automatically the readers and the search engine bots treat your web page’s content is about the Benefits of Vitamin C. This also means that your web page will improve ranking for the term related to “Benefits of Vitamin C.”

This power of title or anchor text compels webmasters to choose keyword rich titles so that they drive more traffic. This can result in many sites having same link texts in the directory listings.

Problems with Duplicate Titles

Having duplicate titles can surely confuse human readers to choose which one is a relevant site. It is tricky for search engines bots if a majority of the outgoing links from a page has the same anchor text. This can generate suspicion of link manipulation and thus reducing the overall link value.

Turning down the visitors is not a good choice for the directory owners. To maintain the quality of listings, most of the directories restrict the use of titles in some way.

Directory Restrictions – Unique Titles per Category

Some directories do not allow using a title more than once in a category to keep the listings unique. For example, you have one more site www.vitaminc-benefits.com.

You want to use ‘Benefits of Vitamin C’ as the anchor text. That is already in use for another site and as a result, directory will show an error saying, “Title is not unique in respective category” preventing you from submitting.

However, there is an easy solution. You can submit the new site with an alternate anchor text; say something like ‘Important Benefits of Vitamin C‘. That makes both you and the directory owner happy.

Having hundred good quality links pointing to your site can improve your site’s visibility in the web. Please choose titles carefully so that the links are valued high.