Whether or not a company should get involved with online building product directories depends on several factors, including their budget, online objectives, brand awareness, domain authority, number of existing high-quality backlinks, and number of websites currently referring traffic. For big brands, directories can provide PR opportunities rather than just a backlink. For small brands, directories may help increase early-stage online visibility. Companies should not expect significant traffic from directories, whose purpose is to provide specifiers a single source of product information.

1. The Role of Online Building Product Directories
priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9

2. priteshpatel.me
I often get asked by marketers….
@priteshpatel9

3. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
“Should we have a
company profile in this
product directory?”

4. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Answer: “It depends….”

5. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
……on your objectives

6. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
……on your budg£t

7. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Are you a BIGbrand?

8. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Or are you a small brand?

9. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
BIG?

10. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Then most of your traffic should be coming via here anyway

11. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
…and most Specifiers know of you already.

12. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Small?

13. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Then your question shouldn’t start with
“Should we?”

14. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Your question should start with “Can we?”

15. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Because you’re probably not getting a lot of
traffic to your website anyway.

16. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Also depends on how many
websites are referring traffic to
your site…

17. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Check….Using Google Analytics

18. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Look
at
this
figure
here
over
12
months

19. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
….if the number is less than 50, then
think about getting involved with
building product directories

20. priteshpatel.me
Whether or not you should get involved
with product directories….
@priteshpatel9

21. priteshpatel.me
Whether or not you should get involved
with product directories….
@priteshpatel9
…also depends on some SEO metrics

22. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Do you have a low domain authority and
not really visible in Google?

23. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9

24. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Hang on a minute MR PATEL!!

25. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
“WTF is domain authority?”

26. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Domain authority is a measure
of the power of a domain name
and is one of many search
engine ranking factors.

27. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Linking from a site with a high
domain authority can help improve
your own domain authority

28. Check yours ….Using Open Site Explorer
priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9

29. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Check yours ….Using Open Site Explorer

30. “What’s a good domain authority to have
within the construction sector?”
priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9

31. 40+
Strong
priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9

32. 40+
20-­‐39
Strong
priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Room for improvement

33. 40+
20-­‐39
5-­‐19
Strong
Room for improvement
Need to improve big time!
priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9

34. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Covering
my
ass:
Those
ra)ngs
are
my
opinion
only
and
based
on
experience
analysing
gazillion
sites
across
the
construc)on
sector

35. To increase your sites DA, you’ll need to
earn some good quality links
priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9

36. ….a starting point is to get links from
construction product directories
priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9

37. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
So….

38. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
…just how authoritative are the most
popular UK construction & building
products directories?

39. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
0
10
20
30
40
50
60

40. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
0
10
20
30
40
50
60

41. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Get on it!

42. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
…they’re all worthy of getting involved in

43. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
20-­‐39
If your website domain
authority is in this range….

44. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
...then having a profile, with a link, in a
directory can help increase your DA
over time.

45. Also depends on how many good links you
already have pointing to your website.
priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9

46. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Check….Using Open Site Explorer

47. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Check….Using Open Site Explorer
Daaaaamn! I need to get my ass into gear

48. NOTE: Domain Authority doesn’t change
over night.
priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9

49. NOTE: Domain Authority doesn’t change
over night.
priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
It takes months, if not years depending
how serious you are about marketing
and building a brand

50. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
BUT….

51. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
...let’s not forget the purpose of an
online products directory.

52. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
It’s not necessarily there to refer
traffic to your site…

53. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
…or to help you with increasing
your own domain authority.

54. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
It’s there to make it easier for
Specifiers to find lots of products…

55. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
It’s there to make it easier for
Specifiers to find lots of products…
…all in one, convenient, relevant place.

56. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
…..and remember….

57. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
…..and remember….
your product is only a tiny piece of
a massive jigsaw puzzle the
Specifier is trying to solve.

58. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9

59. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Imagine having to use Google to
source all those products for one
project….

60. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Imagine having to use Google to
source all those products for one
project….
For many Architects…

61. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Imagine having to use Google to
source all those products for one
project….
For many Architects…
…research time = unbilled hours.

62. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
<rant>
Plus…lazy ass marketers don’t
optimise their websites making it
even harder for Specifiers to find shit!
</rant>

63. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Think about it…..

64. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Think about it…..
…if every Specifier clicks through
to your site then either your
profile sucks or the directory
isn’t doing its job

65. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
…an online products directory
merely helps you get discovered.

66. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
…an online products directory
merely helps you get discovered.
…a discovery that you may never
know about.

67. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
…OK, let’s just summarise

68. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
“Should we have a
company profile in this
product directory?”

69. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
It depends on…

70. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Budg£t

71. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Overall online objectives
Budg£t

72. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Brand awareness
Overall online objectives
Budg£t

73. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Brand awareness
Domain authority
Overall online objectives
Budg£t

74. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Brand awareness
Number of good links
Domain authority
Overall online objectives
Budg£t

75. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Brand awareness
Number of good links
Domain authority
Number of referring sites
Overall online objectives
Budg£t

76. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Finally some tips….

77. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
If you’re a BIG brand…

78. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
If you’re a BIG brand…
…don’t just think about the link.

79. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
If you’re a BIG brand…
…don’t just think about the link.
…think about additional PR opportunities
and brand building

80. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
If you’re a BIG brand…
…don’t just think about the link.
…think about additional PR opportunities
and brand building
small

81. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9

82. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9

83. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
If you’re a small brand….
…then online product directories can be a
good platform to start building your online
visibility.

84. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Don’t expect lots of referral visits…

85. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Don’t expect lots of referral visits…

86. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Don’t expect lots of referral visits…
…the job of a product directory is to offer
the Specifier everything in one place

87. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Don’t forget…

88. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Don’t forget…
…about multi-channel funnels for working
out the role of online directories

89. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Don’t forget…
…about multi-channel funnels for working
out the role of online directories

90. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Don’t forget…
1st visit to your website:
Online product directory
…about multi-channel funnels for working
out the role of online directories

91. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Don’t forget…
1st visit to your website:
Online product directory
4st visit to your website & enquiry submitted:
Online product directory
…about multi-channel funnels for working
out the role of online directories

92. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Don’t forget…
1st visit to your website:
Online product directory
4st visit to your website & enquiry submitted:
Online product directory
Time: 24 days
…about multi-channel funnels for working
out the role of online directories

93. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Once you’ve got your profiles set up…

94. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Once you’ve got your profiles set up…
…shout about it!

95. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Once you’ve got your profiles set up…
…shout about it!
…link to it from your website!

96. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Once you’ve got your profiles set up…
…shout about it!
…link to it from your website!
…raise the visibility of your profile page
just like you would for your own
Twitter page.

97. priteshpatel.me
@priteshpatel9
Thank you for your time
Any questions: @priteshpatel9