Link building is a challenge, no doubt.

Although, the best laid plans don't necessarily come from submitting your links to every directory under the sun, but rather you'd best be served to follow the old adage, "quality not quantity".

Here me out for a sec.

I'm not saying to give up on link directory submissions altogether. Link directories still hold significant page rank value with search engines and should always be a part of your online marketing strategies. It's just that constantly bombarding directory after directory with the same, run-of-the-mill anchor texts can begin to cheapen the experience in Google's eyes.

When I first began the link building process, I was confused and impatient, leading me to submit to free directories that didn't really serve any purpose in the end.

There's a way to determine which free link directories are noteworthy.

Let's get one thing out of the way first. Surely you can build quality links with human edited directories by forking over a couple of dollars to obtain a Featured Listing. But since I'm trying to give you the best possible profit margin, the method for obtaining free links is done through a few minutes of research, the right anchor text and some patience.

Now, when it comes to researching the best directories, you must focus all of your attention towards human edited directories. Not only do they appear as a premium site for the search engine, the somewhat minimal list of links accepted proves that quality links are taken into account. The one thing to keep on the lookout for is how significant the page rank is. Over the years, there have been some pretty helpful lists penned to weed out the useless directories.

Once you have the list of quality sites, your next venture is to make the link submission count the first time. When you're given the option of anchor text, it's important to utilize your most popular keywords while attaching the geo-targeted city, state or country from which you're marketing. This helps Google discern your website much faster, while giving you a rankings boost over your competitors in due time.

And finally, there's the factor that doesn't require the internet at all: patience. Yes, the one thing that is not in your control is the time between your submission and the directories rate of approval. The one thing you must always remember is to be positive and know that within a few weeks or so, you'll receive that reassuring confirmation email.

Seeing as how there's obviously a bit more technical factors with link building, it's always important to keep these three factors fresh in memory because in the end, you need to have a quality strategy in place.

Just keep the old adage in the back of your mind and your links will start to give your business the visibility it craves.