Over the last couple of years, the use of the web has grown considerably. In 2016, the web has proven useful to billions of people across the globe. Being so vast and comprising countless topics, some decided it was time to organize all the information on the web and they did so by using web directories. A business web directory allows webmasters to list and categorize relevant business activities, rather than a standard web directory. Each listing includes the name of the company, address, telephone, fax website and email contact. Consumers search these directories by category, making it easy for them to find you. Most companies also use these listings to find out particular firms in the respective areas.

Web directories act as a network platform for different kinds of business activities listed on them. They are like chains and an internet user can easily reach out to the manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers. There are many web directories that are trustworthy for business listings. Some have the capacity to attract a large number of audiences. Listing your website with quality web directories is crucially important, as huge audiences can see these listings. Major search engines such as Google and Yahoo are also likely to locate your site and list it to their directories for free. Featured below are top 5 web directories in 2016 that your site should be listed on.

1.Best of the Web (BOTW)

Best of the Web is one of the oldest and the best web directories there is. Founded by Brandon Plewe in 1994, BOTW is a pinpoint classified directory that takes pride in the listing of top quality websites. They have strict submission guidelines and websites that don’t meet their criteria are rejected. Provided that you have a website with high quality, unique content then you should be fine.

Best of all, they offer very competitive prices and have good editorial integrity. As a result, getting a link from them is valuable. The directory offers website listings for both commercial as well as non-commercial purposes. BOTW lists every site that meets their criteria in its most relevant locality for as low as $299 per year. If your website is rejected for whatever reason, you are entitled to make a second submission.

2.DMOZ

Dmoz is the web’s largest, most comprehensive human-edited directory with more than 4 million listed websites. If you are looking for a web directory that can help you rank well in Google, Dmoz is your best option. This is because Google uses the site descriptions from Dmoz in its search results. The directory is built and maintained by a global community of unpaid editors. These editors are responsible for a single or more categories of the directory.

Being listed will help your search engine rankings. The downside is that it can take a very long time to have your site listed as each website must be reviewed manually by the editors before it is listed. There is no guaranteed that you will get a yes or no response regarding whether you have met their criteria. The low number of editors and the huge backlog are the main reasons why websites seem to wait for ages to get listed.

3.Jasmine Directory

Founded in 2009, Jasmine Directory is human-edited web directory renowned for using a high editorial discretion just like Dmoz. While it is not as big as other directories on this list, it features a huge number of quality resources. The directory seems to be attracting a lot of traffic. The Alexa ranking currently stands at 33,000. There are lots of fascinating stuff on the Jasmine’s blog including marketing tips and a list of quality web directories.

Jasmine Directory is one of the few websites that offers a low-cost but effective way of website marketing. As for the standard listing, Jasmine’s charges a fee of $39 and $79 for an express submission. Standard listings comprise a 100 word unique review of the website, while an express review includes a 300 word review and up to 5 deep links. All links on this directory are 100% SEO friendly and are W3, CSS, and HTML compliant.

4.Aviva Directory

Founded in 2005, Aviva Directory has grown to become one of the web’s most powerful and popular directories. As a result it is considered one of the most important web directories. Jeff who owns the directory regularly writes high quality articles that attract loads of links. This adds to the value of this directory and it is among the many things that make it stand out from other directories.

They are well priced and you can get your site listed for $49 a year or a one-time payment of $149. The directory allows up to 500 characters in a site description and they permit the submission of inside pages. The directory’s 14 upper-level categories are organized in two columns of 7, each containing two words joined by a symbol. Links to featured articles are displayed nicely between the main menu and the header.

5.Directory Journal

Since it was launched in 2007, Directory Journal has been growing steadily. The directory features millions of websites from USA, Canada, Russia, Germany, China, United Kingdom, Japan and Australia. For any website to get listed it must adhere to its strict guidelines. Their design and interface are updated regularly and their structure is pretty easy to navigate. With charges of as low as $59 per year or a one-time payment of $159, you can have your website visibility and attract a huge number of audiences.

Direct Journal provides more services than a typical web directory does, making it a one-stop platform. The directory provides blogs with articles and content submitted by analytical and professional authors. In addition, they also offer how-to guides as well as instructions for various services and products. The blogs permit website users to comment on any information offered, encouraging interaction and new ideas.

There you have it, top 5 web directories your site should be listed on to get search engine authority in 2016. All of these directories are Google compliant. Web directories offer the perfect place for you to market your products and services. Therefore, be sure to choose a quality web directory otherwise you will waste your time and your hard earned money.