A lot of people think that they do not need to worry about being in a directory, because they have a blogroll. They see them as the same thing. If you are doing that with your Web presence, you are making a serious mistake that can cost you page rank and traffic. It’s important to look at the distinction between the two entities and why both — not just one — should be used by those who are looking to get ahead in the blog world.
The Importance of a Blogroll
A blogroll lets the world see what blogs a blogger reads. Some of these might be similar in nature to the blogger’s work, and others might be very different but yet important in that person’s life for various reasons. By clicking the links in the blogroll, a reader can go to the other blogs and see what they are about, often finding others that he or she would like to read. This can help expand the horizons of a blog reader, and it can also help this reader form an opinion about the original blogger, based on the kind of blogs that person reads and links to.
In addition, blogrolls can be advantageous because someone who puts another blog on his or her blogroll often gets a reciprocal link on the blogroll of the other individual. This helps that blogger build site traffic and credibility, and gives him or her a chance to build friendships and working relationships with others on the Internet, as well. Naturally, this is very significant for people who want their blog readership to grow larger — especially if they also run a business to which their blog may be connected.
However, your blogroll is not a directory, and those who think it is are losing out on increased traffic and notoriety. Even if you have a large blogroll and are on the blogrolls of many other people, being in directories is still very important.
The Need for Directories
Blogging directories are becoming increasingly significant, and their numbers — both the numbers of directories and the numbers of blogs in those directories — are growing. Blogging directories include sites such as Technorati, Blog Catalog, and Blogarama. If you belong to these directories and put their subscription buttons on your blog, people who read your blog and like it can add you to their favorites on these sites.
In addition, other people who belong to these sites and are looking for new blogs to read can find you more easily based on categories that you are listed under and other ways to search. This helps to build traffic to your site and make you more accessible to people who will want to read what you have to say. Not only can you acquire more readers, but you can more easily cultivate friendships in the blogging world. Isn’t that what you wanted to do in the first place?