1. Determine the Page Strength
And I’m not just talking about Google PageRank. It’s been known for awhile that the simplified PageRank (which is most commonly seen in the Google Toolbar) is not actually your real PageRank; that is a much more complex number kept by Google. Although don’t delete your toolbar just yet, PageRank can be a good first impression. If a directory, especially a paid one, has a PR below 2, chances are it’s not worth the link.
Another common form of page ranking is the Alexa Ranking System. Like Google PageRank, it’s more of a safety net than a valuable resource, but generally directories which fall below the 100,000 mark on the Alexa scale are going to be worthy of a link.
I prefer to use the LinkScape tool over at seomoz to determine Page Strength. It provides more detailed data than both Google PageRank and the Alexa Ranking. They offer a number of free tools, but if you’re serious about pursuing SEO, you should definitely sign up for a PRO account.
Here are some things to keep in mind when evaluating Page Strength:
Don’t Just Check the Page Strength of the Home Page
Is your link going to be placed on the homepage of the directory? Chances are no.
Check the Page Strength to the Page Your Linking To
Before submitting a link, find the page on the directory where your link will appear. Look to see how the links are organized (a lot of them do it by PR, some sort on a first-come-first-serve basis; others have a bidding system, etc.). If you’re link is going to end up on a low ranking page of a directory, you probably shouldn’t submit. It’s true the overall strength of the domain will help build your link strength, but the page your link appears on is more important than anything else.
2. How Many Links Are On the Page
How many other links are on the page you’re link hidden wiki will be on?
Too many links on a page can negatively affect their value. If you’re link is going to be added to a page with 100 other links, unless that page has an incredibly high Page Strength, you’re not going to be seeing much benefit.
Stick to directories and categories with a low number of links per page and high Page Strength. Many times you can list your site in a sub-category, or a similar category that contains less links and decent page strength.
3. Is the Directory Indexed?
Is the directory you’re submitting to index by Google, Yahoo, and Bing? If it’s not, it’s pretty much worthless. The only way those links are going to count is if Google, Yahoo, or Bing, says they do.
Here is a nifty trick to see if a site is indexed. Use this string in any search engine: site: www.yourwebsite.com the results will be which pages the search engine has indexed.