Article Directory

Article directories are web platforms that allow users to publish articles on various topics, usually in exchange for one or two backlinks in the author bio or body text. Sites like EzineArticles, ArticleBase, GoArticles, and ArticleDashboard dominated this practice from 2005 to 2012. The principle was simple: write a 300-500 word article on a topic related to your site, insert a backlink, and publish it on dozens of platforms. Some users automated the process with content spinning to generate hundreds of article variations. Google explicitly targeted this practice with the Panda (2011) and Penguin (2012) updates, massively devaluing links from article directories. Today, most of these sites have closed or lost all authority. The rare survivors like EzineArticles have drastically strengthened their moderation. This technique is considered a relic of old SEO and has been replaced by guest blogging on quality sites.