Linkio - Advanced Link Building & SEO Platform

Rank	Website	DA	DR	Traffic	Categories	Action
1	zillow.com www.zillow.com	86	91	37.4M Very Very High	Real Estate	Visit
2	realtor.com www.realtor.com	90	90	22.4M Very Very High	Real Estate	Visit
3	trulia.com www.trulia.com	85	87	10.6M Very Very High	Real Estate	Visit
4	mailchimp.com mailchimp.com	90	93	6.3M Very Very High	Marketing	Visit
5	drudgereport.com www.drudgereport.com	73	77	4.9M Very Very High	News	Visit
6	theknot.com www.theknot.com	85	90	4.9M Very Very High	Wedding	Visit
7	lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com	92	90	3.9M Very Very High	Travel	Visit
8	loopnet.com www.loopnet.com	66	84	2.6M Very Very High	Real Estate	Visit
9	local.com www.local.com	60	81	2.3M Very Very High	Business	Visit
10	healthdirect.gov.au www.healthdirect.gov.au	64	82	2.3M Very Very High	Health	Visit
11	viator.com www.viator.com	80	85	2.2M Very Very High	Travel	Visit
12	movoto.com www.movoto.com	70	76	2.1M Very Very High	Real Estate	Visit
13	homes.com www.homes.com	67	77	2.0M Very Very High	Real Estate	Visit
14	nolo.com www.nolo.com	72	85	1.8M Very Very High	Legal	Visit
15	hotpads.com hotpads.com	71	73	1.7M Very Very High	Real Estate	Visit
16	har.com www.har.com	65	81	1.5M Very Very High	Real Estate	Visit
17	hubspot.com www.hubspot.com	92	92	1.3M Very Very High	Marketing	Visit
18	active.com www.active.com	77	89	1.3M Very Very High	Sports	Visit
19	g2.com www.g2.com	65	88	1.2M Very Very High	Marketing	Visit
20	clutch.co clutch.co	62	86	866K Very Very High	Marketing	Visit
21	landwatch.com www.landwatch.com	52	65	809K Very Very High	Real Estate	Visit
22	avvo.com www.avvo.com	69	90	800K Very Very High	Legal	Visit
23	eventective.com www.eventective.com	51	71	793K Very Very High	Wedding	Visit
24	gatwickairport.com www.gatwickairport.com	67	78	787K Very Very High	Shopping	Visit
25	justia.com www.justia.com	90	88	756K Very Very High	Legal	Visit
26	rentals.com www.rentals.com	51	61	718K Very Very High	Real Estate	Visit
27	newspapers.com www.newspapers.com	72	80	679K Very Very High	News	Visit
28	hg.org www.hg.org	65	79	479K Very Very High	Legal	Visit
29	awwwards.com www.awwwards.com	73	87	423K Very Very High	Marketing	Visit
30	wmich.edu wmich.edu	76	80	417K Very Very High	Careers	Visit
31	realtytrac.com www.realtytrac.com	66	75	397K Very Very High	Real Estate	Visit
32	freeclinics.com www.freeclinics.com	44	53	330K Very Very High		Visit
33	drexel.edu drexel.edu	81	83	325K Very Very High	Real Estate	Visit
34	precisionnutrition.com www.precisionnutrition.com	66	78	298K Very Very High	Fitness	Visit
35	ala.org www.ala.org	84	86	261K Very Very High	Education	Visit
36	kompass.com us.kompass.com	66	76	243K Very Very High	Business	Visit
37	homesandland.com www.homesandland.com	56	72	215K Very Very High	Real Estate	Visit
38	cylex.us.com www.cylex.us.com	52	70	214K Very Very High	Business	Visit
39	mallofamerica.com www.mallofamerica.com	67	73	213K Very Very High	Shopping	Visit
40	roadtrippers.com roadtrippers.com	73	79	207K Very Very High	Travel	Visit
41	martindale.com www.martindale.com	66	85	205K Very Very High	Legal	Visit
42	upcity.com upcity.com	50	82	192K Very Very High	Marketing	Visit
43	engineering.com www.engineering.com	76	77	191K Very Very High	Technology	Visit
44	elementaryschools.org elementaryschools.org	40	53	185K Very Very High	Education	Visit
45	deltadentalins.com www.deltadentalins.com	59	77	177K Very Very High		Visit
46	freedentalcare.us www.freedentalcare.us	40	44	165K Very Very High	Dental	Visit
47	sportsengine.com www.sportsengine.com	59	74	155K Very Very High	Sports	Visit
48	shopandship.com www.shopandship.com	44	60	140K Very Very High	Shopping	Visit
49	fotosearch.com www.fotosearch.com	69	74	125K Very Very High	Photography	Visit
50	dmagazine.com directory.dmagazine.com	75	81	111K Very Very High	Real Estate	Visit

The Evolution of Directory Link Building

In the "good 'ol days" of SEO, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and Google didn't care about things like high-quality content, time on page, or any of those other 'pesky' metrics, directory link building was a gold mine.

For about $100, you could build 20,000 directory links while sitting in your pajamas and watching Family Guy reruns. Then, when you got up the next morning... Voila! Your website was #1.

Today, that same tactic will get your website sent to the naughty corner and leave it ranking worse than when you started.

Because of the dramatic decrease in the efficacy of directory link building, most SEOs have written it off entirely. However, if you peel back the curtain and look behind the scenes of the top ranked sites in Google... Almost ALL of them have a metric crapton of directory links.

So it's clear that directory link building as a strategy still works. But here's the thing... Even though the strategy still works, the tactics with which you execute it have changed dramatically.

A Quick Caveat: Directory Links Are Not a Silver Bullet

Directory link building works. But... This strategy alone isn't going to get your website to the top of the SERPs overnight (or ever for that matter).

• Without high quality content, this strategy will not make a difference.
• Without regular guest post link building, this strategy won't accomplish squat.
• Without effective on-page SEO and a good UX, well... You might as well just put on some tribal drums and try to boost your ranking by doing the "Search Engine Dance".

Think of directory links as the foundation of your house. Essential, but not the whole structure.

4 Dead Simple Ways to Find Quality Directories

1. Finding Niche Directories with Advanced Search Strings

Use Google's advanced search operators to identify niche-relevant directories:

"industry" inurl:directory

"industry" inurl:links

"industry" intitle:directory

intitle:industry inurl:directory

related:industry inurl:directory

Example: "seo agency" inurl:directory

2. Finding Local Directories for Brick & Mortar

For local businesses, use location-specific search parameters:

"city" inurl:directory

"city" inurl:businesses

"city" intitle:directory

"city industry" intitle:directory

"city directory" intitle:industry

Example: "denver directory" intitle:seo

3. Reverse Engineering Competitor Backlinks

A much simpler way is to reverse engineer your competitors' backlinks to figure out which directories they are using. Use tools like:

• Linkio for detailed anchor text analysis
• Ahrefs or Moz for comprehensive backlink profiles
• Focus on competitors with good domain authority
• Export and filter for directory links

4. Finding "Mini Directories" on Niche Sites

Search for "Best of" articles or resource pages that function as mini-directories:

• Search: "Best [Your Industry] Companies"
• Target pages ranking on 2nd-10th position
• Look for outdated listings you can replace
• Provide case studies to prove your worth

The No-Nonsense Way to Determine Directory Quality

✅ Follow vs. Nofollow & Google Indexed

Before anything else, ask: Does the directory offer dofollow links? Is it indexed by Google? If the answer to either is "No", move on immediately.

✅ Editorial Selection Policy

Quality directories are selective. They should have a vetting process, possibly charge a reasonable editorial fee, or require detailed submissions. If they accept everyone, they're not worth your time.

✅ Niche Relevance (Specificity)

Ensure the majority of links you build are from directories relevant to your niche. With Google's algorithm updates, relevancy is more important than ever.

✅ Part of a Trusted Domain

Target directories that are part of a trusted domain (like Forbes "Best of the Web" or business.com), not standalone directory sites.

✅ Useful, Unique, and Well-Organized

Test: Try to find a specific business on the directory. If it's difficult or returns spammy results, skip it. Good directories are easy to navigate and provide value.

✅ Links to Reputable Sites Only

Check the other sites the directory links to. If it's full of spam or low-quality sites, avoid it. Google looks at the neighborhood you're in.

How to Execute Your Directory Link Building Campaign

🎯 Goal #1: Branded or URL Anchors to Homepage

Anchor text matters. When building directory links, use ONLY:

• Branded anchors (e.g., "Linkio", "Linkio.com")
• URL anchors (e.g., "www.linkio.com", "https://www.linkio.com")

If a directory doesn't allow these anchor types, skip it.

🎯 Keep It Niche Relevant

At least 80% of your directory links should be from niche-specific directories. General directories like Yahoo! or DMOZ are just icing on the cake. Google values relevant directory backlinks far more than authoritative but irrelevant ones.

🎯 Remember: It's Not a Magic Bullet

Directory link building complements your existing SEO efforts—it doesn't replace them. Think of it as solidifying your brand and giving your website thematic relevance signals that prepare your link profile for future keyword-anchored links.

580+ Directory Sites and How To Do Directory Link Building

Directory Search Operators

The Complete Guide to Directory Link Building in 2024