If you want people to find you, you almost have to be listed in a directory of one kind or another. If that holds true for you as an individual, it’s doubly true for your business or website.

A web directory is intended to provide a valuable service to web searchers looking for a one stop list of all the services in a category in which they are searching. For businesses, a directory is a simple marketing tool to help you get visibility. But you need to consider directory listings with intelligence. When looking for a directory to sign up with, here are some smart rules of thumb:

• Ask yourself how much visibility the directory really has. Some companies may tell you that their site gets a lot of traffic, but you need to be sure that the directory itself is also drawing traffic. Some sites will get the majority of their own revenue from other advertising sources to which they drive traffic, while ignoring needs of their directory advertisers.
• What is going to be your ROI for a listing in that directory? Invest in an unknown directory with caution. If you can sign up for three months at a time, you will be able to determine the directory’s strength for your business