Adding your website or blog to search engines and website directories is critical to building audience for your website. After creating compelling site titles, descriptions, keywords and link strategies, you need to list your site to one or more search engines and website directories.

Using website directories is a great method for building links back to your site. There are two ways you can list your site to website directories. One is by adding manually for free or paid, and the other is by allowing links submitter to add your site to thousands of search engines and website directories for a fee.

Adding your site to various website directories can provide you with a lot more exposure on the internet.  It also helps your search engine optimization (SEO). The more links the better, and using website directories is one of the most cost effective method of online marketing.

Here are the 25+ of the best site listings and website directories you need to know about:
  1. A1 Web Directory – You can your website for free or you can pay for a lifetime fee, if you wish your review to be completed within two working days.
  2. Amray – You have a choice of a free basic listing or a premium listing with an annual fee applied.
  3. Best of the Web (BOTW) -  This site offers a paid directory at $150 or $200 to include the local listing.
  4. Bing – Bing is a great search engine, growing in popularity every day. You can add your site free.
  5. Blogged.com – is an interesting mix of a directory and a Google News type site that is fed by the blogs listed with Blogged. And it’s free to list your blog.
  6. Business.com – This site is a paid directory which has multiple categories allowing you to optimize your listing.
  7. Directory V7N – This site is also a paid directory with a low lifetime fee applied. It’s considered to be one of the best value-paid directories to use.
  8. DMOZ Directory Project – This is a directory that offers free site listing.
  9. EatonWeb Blog Directory – This is a powerful site listing. The fee, currently $34.99, pays for a review of your blog. Read more at http://www.searchenginejournal.com/20-essential-blog-directories-to-submit-your-blog-to/5998/#c5QAUYj97DIumz4j.99
  10. ExactSeek – Free listings are available, provided that you add the correct tags and meta description.
  11. Freewd – A simple-to-use directory that is free, and allows for keywords and meta descriptions. Featured links and deep links can be added for a small cost.
  12. Google – Adding your site to Google is a must.  It is also a free service.
  13. Jayde – Adding your site to Google is a must.  It is also a free service.
  14. Linkbook – This directory features a great category structure that makes it easy to categorize your website perfectly. Free and paid listings are available.
  15. Linkdir – A free service.  Choose your category and add your link.
  16. Link Directory – A paid directory with various link types available.  Ideal for all budgets.
  17. Sighber Café – Free and paid listings available.  Just select your category or suggest one if you find that the appropriate one is not already available.
  18. Mastermoz – You have two choices of the type of listing on this site. Either use the free basic listing or pay a small fee for a professional membership each year.
  19. On Toplist – This is a free, manually-edited directory that reads the RSS feed of your blog. You can also use the site’s social features, article directory, and other great tools to build your blog. Read more at http://www.searchenginejournal.com/20-essential-blog-directories-to-submit-your-blog-to/5998/#c5QAUYj97DIumz4j.99
  20. Pegasus Directory – Another great human-edited web directory that is free to use and SEO-friendly.
  21. Prolink Directory – Optional memberships are available, including a free listing. You also have the choice of adding deep links for an additional cost.
  22. Quick Directory – To add your site, visit the appropriate category and click add page in the menu. It is possible to add your site to three separate categories.
  23. Spillbean Blog Directory – A well-designed directory with categories such as “health,” “society,” “Internet,” and “personal.” To add your site, visit the appropriate category and click add URL in the menu. 
  24. Sutra Web Directory – You can submit a site for a fee.
  25. URLmoz – You can add your website URL as well as articles, with various lifetime memberships available.
  26. Wikidweb – If you have a family-friendly site, you can request that your site is added to the Wiki directory.
  27. Yahoo – Unfortunately, this is no longer free, but it is still a powerful directory to consider if you don’t mind paying the annual fee.
  28. Yandex – Yandex is the primary and most popular of all Russian-language search engines with significant market dominance in Russia. You can add your site free of charge.