You should treat your directory link the same as any other link, and the same three principal factors are used to evaluate the link importance and benefit when the Search engines find it.

1) the page that the link is on
2) the text in the link, and finally
3) the page to which the link directs.

These three are not something that you’ll be changing. After all, you have already built your site around keywords you’ve researched and optimized the pages using Analyze It!.

The link text is the single most important part of your directory submission and where the SE’s will attach the most importance. Completing the title field is where you should take time and effort to include your main keyword or two. Let’s use madrid-guide-spain.com as an example:

We’ll say that the site’s main keywords are: madrid spain, madrid, guide.

Examples of good submitted title texts:

• Madrid Spain a capital guide
• Your Madrid guide
• Spain’s vibrant Madrid guide
• See Madrid Spain guided by a native

Each one of these sample titles gives additional benefit when the SE’s read the link as they reinforce the keywords that they find on your site. On the other hand, the following examples of titles are both “sales” and “spammy,” whilst not having the same keyword benefits:

• Madrid’s greatest and best guide ever
• Discover Madrid with the best!
• All about Madrid with our handy guide for visitors to the city
• Madrid is brilliant

In these titles, the keywords are separated by additional text, include sales language and/or are too long. This dilutes the importance of each keyword. Remember, a directory is not for sales. It’s more of an indexing system so sales language is not desired. Directory owners don’t want their site populated with phrases such as “best,” “greatest,” “number one,” etc. as they rely on long tail searches and obscure word combinations to generate organic traffic from the SE’s.

Your description should reflect the title and be similar to your site’s content. Do not include a list of keywords and do not repeat keywords. For each keyword or keyword phrase, use a separate sentence. Again, do not include promotional language. For example:

“Madrid is Spain’s capital city and a popular business and leisure destination. This free online guide offers detailed information on the city’s major attractions as well as practical advice for those visiting it for the first time.”

From the point of view of a directory owners, the longer the description the better as this gives more content to be found with in their pursuit of SE traffic.

Recap:

Do:

• Include your main keyword in the title.
• Keep the title to less than 75 characters, 50 or less is better.
• Write an honest description of at least 200 characters.

Do Not:

• Include promotional language.
• Submit a list of keywords as the description.
• Break up keyword phrases.