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Friday, June 19, 2009

Bloggiesta Mini Challenge: Blog Directories

Party time!  Natasha at Mawbooks -- a book blogger extraordinaire -- is hosting a "Bloggiesta" party this weekend, starting Friday, June 19 at 8am!  



The Bloggiesta is a 48 hour event from Friday, June 19 to Sunday, June 21, focusing on blog content, improving/cleaning up your blog and working on social networking profiles.  You can read the official Bloggiesta rules here.  I'm excited to be hosting a mini challenge as part of the party.  Complete the task below to be eligible for some publisher-sponsored give-aways when the party is over.  I don't know what they are, but since they're being organized by Natasha, I'm sure they'll be good!

The topic of this mini challenge is blog directories.  Listing your blog in a directory generally takes little work on your part, but can be a great tool to bring additional readers to your site.  

The challenge is to add your blog to at least one new to you blog directory.  Once you've completed the challenge, remember to come back here and leave a comment letting us know about it.  Your comment is your entry into the contest.  The deadline is June 21.  (For official entry rules, visit the Bloggiesta starting page).

For a compilation of the different blog directories that exist, check out this discussion on Book Blogs.

Specifically for book bloggers, you might consider:
You can also read this 2007 article from Search Engine Journal discussing 20 Essential Blog Directories to Submit Your Blog to.  The directories detailed in that article are:
  1. Best of the Web Log Search
  2. Bloggeries
  3. EatonWeb Blog Directory
  4. BlogHub
  5. Blogged.com
  6. Blog Search Engine
  7. Blog Catalog*
  8. Globe of Blogs
  9. The Ultimate Directory of British Blogs
  10. Blog Universe
  11. Bigger Blogs
  12. Bloggernity (not sure this exists anymore)
  13. Bloggapedia
  14. Spillbean
  15. Blogging Fusion
  16. Blogflux
  17. Bloglisting
  18. Blogio 
  19. Blog Explosion
  20. Super Blog Directory
BlogCatalog is one that Natasha highly recommends that bloggers join.  I signed up for it, but haven't done much with it.  I'm adding a browse around their site to my list of to-do's for the Bloggiesta weekend to see what I'm missing!

As you can see, blog directories abound.  A few others not yet mentioned:
It is easy to get overwhelmed by these lists.  The key is to choose wisely.  Some blog directories require you to include a link or button on your sidebar back to the catalog site.  This is fine, but be wary of cluttering up your sidebar with too many buttons.  Pick the directories you think will be most likely to bring new readers to your blog.  

For my part, I just signed up for BBAW and am going to be looking through the others as time allows this weekend.  I signed up with a number of these when I started my blog, but didn't keep track of which ones, so I need to revisit a few.  

Don't forget to leave your comment letting us know which new-to-you directory you've signed up for to be entered in the give away!

43 comments:

Jennsbookshelf said...

Hi-
Just a quick note. Looks like Here Be Reviews is no longer accepting new submissions (blogs) until July (at the earliest).

Natasha @ Maw Books said...

Thanks Lynn for putting together a fantastic post! I'm excited to party!

Infant Bibliophile said...

Jennsbookshelf: thanks for letting us know! I'll make a note in the post.

Liyana said...

Thanks! I'll be sure to try and join all of them!

Britt said...

I did Blog Catalog, but it still says my blog is pending... Not sure why. Maybe it's normal.

I did like 3 of the verification options, so I'm pretty sure I'm verified. :D

imbookingit said...

Thank you Infant Bibliophile!

DONE:
Submitted a request to the BBAW directory.

Verified I have a request pending for Fyrefly's Book Blogs Search Engine.

Joined Blog Catalog.

Joined Blog Search Engine.

Looked into several others on the Essential Blog Directories list. Several are fee based, at least one requires a 6 month history (I just hit 2 months).

REALIZED
If my I meet my primary Bloggiesta goal, and migrate my blog to self hosted soon, I get to do all of this again! Sigh.

3m said...

I thought I was in the BBAW but I guess not so I requested submission there and the DMOZ directory recommended by Website Grader.

Amber said...

I'm already signed up with a few of the book related blogs so I read the article and signed up for Bloglistings.net. I've seen the reciprical link on a few other blogs but didn't really know where it led. :)

Ella Press said...

I'm already on Book Blogs, and there I met a woman who added me to her directory.
xo, Ella

Gavin said...

I'm am already on Book Blogs and have signed up on BlogCatalog and am looking into several other directories. Not interested in the fee based ones. Thanks for a great list!

Fyrefly said...

Thanks for including the Book Blog Search Engine in this post! (Even though it's not a directory as such...) I'd love it if everyone could stop by and make sure their address is included... makes it more useful for everyone!

Blog Traffic said...

The backlinks from blog directories should be combined with the backlinks from the articles submitted to article directories (on topics closely related to your blog's most important keywords).

A properly developed backlink program will deliver far more targeted traffic to your blog due to its impact on the search engines than due to the actual directory links themselves.

I maintain a list of The Top 101 Blog Directories & RSS Submission Sites on my blog at:

Blog Directories

Since I update this list weekly there are now 464 entries listed with NO DEAD LINKS.

Try to submit to 3-5 directories PER DAY. This discipline will pay big dividends over the long run.

If you find sufficient value in this list, please link to it in your blogroll.

Thanks.

Best of success,

Robert A. Kearse

Jacqueline C said...

I've listed both of my blogs with BlogCatalog!

baileysandbooks said...

Thanks for this wonderful list of sites to register at.

I have submitted blog to: BBAW, Blog Catalog, Fyrefly Blogged and updated my page on Book Blogs Ning.

Jacqueline C said...

Oh yeah, my email is jax1204@gmail(dot)com

Drea said...

I was already on quite a few directories, but I did add myself to the book Catalog

C. B. James said...

This is so great. Thanks for doing all this for us. I've added myself to BlogCatalogue and will be back tomorrow for more.

You all deserve a medal. This is very helpful.

Melanie said...

This is a great idea, and something I've been meaning to do for a while. I just sent my info in to the YA Blogosphere.

Kristen said...

Hey there! I just became a part of the YA Book Blog Directory. I sent an email to the host of The YA Blogosphere, but haven't heard back yet.

Wendy said...

I signed up on BlogCatalog...now I just need to go back and play there :)

Alyssa said...

I'm already on several of those, so I chose BlogCatalog. Thanks for the recommendation!

Julie J. said...

I signed up on BBAW and the BlogCatalog. Thanks!

faithfulgirl4[at]gmail[dot]com
http://molcotw.blogspot.com

Sheila said...

I am on book blogs already and I added fyrefly.

Thanks so much!

http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/

Trin said...

I just signed up for BBAW and I have just recently signed up with about 5 or 6 of the others you mentioned. Thanks for the suggestions.

Liyana said...

I'm already part of the
Book Blog Directory
Ya Blogosphere
YA Book Blog Directory
Goddess Fish Promotions
Book Blogs Ning

Joined the
Book Blogger Appreciation Week
Children's Book Reviews Wiki
Kidlitopsphere Central
Fyrefly's Book Blogs Search Engine
Blog Catalog
Globe of Blogs
Zimbio
BlogBurst
Blog Dumps
Grokodile

Marie Burton said...

Already a member of: Book Blogs Ning & Here Be Book Reviews.

BBAW (Book Blogger Appreciation Week) ==Signed up a million times with no response

Already a member of
Bloghub
BlogCatalog
Blogarama
Blogpatrol

Just joined the :
Fyrefly's Book Blogs Search Engine

melissa said...

I signed myself up for the young adult book blog directory. And I'm about to go do Blog Catalog. Thanks!

MotherReader said...

Signed up for BBAW and finished my profile for Book Blogs Ning (I guessed I had started a sign-up, but not finished). I checked a few other listings to see if I was listed.

Sherrie said...

Hi Lynn,
This is a really great idea. I didn't know there were that many blog directories! Thanks for all the info! Mine post about this is posted at my place, Just Books. Have a great day!!

Sherrie
http://sherriesbooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/bloggiesta-mini-challenge-blog.html

sallyhanan said...

I joined Blog-Search, Blog Catalog, and BlogRate Directory.
Thanks! :)

Joanne said...

Great challenge! I recently moved to self hosting from blogger and had forgotten about changing various listings. So this was great for me to get done!

I'm already listed at these ones:
- Book Blogs Ning
- Here Be Book Reviews
- BBAW
- The YA Book Blog Directory
- Fyrefly's Book Blogs Search

And I signed up for these two:
- Blogged.com
- Blog Catalog

Thanks for the challenge :)

avisannschild said...

I'm also already signed up for a bunch of these, including:

- Blogged (which I just updated)
- Book Blogs Ning
- BBAW
- Fyrefly's Book Blogs Search
- Here Be Book Reviews

I just signed up for this one:
- Blog Catalog

Another one I discovered recently is the Book Blog Guild, but I was kinda hoping to change my layout before I submitted my blog to that site.

Great mini-challenge!

Kristi said...

Great challenge! I'm already on Book Blogs Ning and Fyrefly's Book Blogs Search. But I submitted my blog to BBAW and BlogCatalog.

Laura W said...

Signed up for BBAW and YA Blog Directory . . . thanks for hosting a great mini-challenge and giving us some new ideas!

Nicola O. said...

This was a great article! I've submitted to several of the ones listed now, although I killed a couple of them when I realized they were for-pay only (I'm cheap!)

gaby317 said...

This was very helpful! I had signed up for a few of these directories (Book Blog Directory, Book Blogs Ning) but hadn't known that there were so many others.

I've just signed up for BBAW, Fyrefly's Book Blogs Search Engine, Globe of Blogs right now.

I still have to improve my blog a bit before signing up for the paid directories.

Thanks again!

Cindy said...

I am already on/listed:
book blog ning
here be reviews
BBAW
blogarama
fyreflybooks
blogged

And I just joined blog catalong

Debbie's World of Books said...

Great challenge. I'm on Book Blog ning, BBAW and the YA book directory.

Haiku Amy said...

I am already a part of Book Blogs Ning, and I submitted my blog for BBAW. Thanks for the mini-challenge.

heidenkind said...

I was already a member of Book Blogs Ning, and I added myself to blogcatalog and BBAW.

Nicole said...

I added my blog to Book Blips and Teen blips, and the DMOZ.

Infant Bibliophile said...

I'm glad you all are finding it useful. Natasha did most of the legwork, really! If I had more time, I would have gone through and asterisked the paid services. Sorry for making you all wade through them to figure out which ones are free.

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