In 2010, I published an enthusiastic review of a software tool called Deep Linker Pro, which automated the process of submitting your website to web directories. At the time, directory submissions were a legitimate (if tedious) way to build backlinks and improve your search engine rankings. The tool is long gone, but the story contains some important lessons about SEO tools, link building, and how quickly the landscape changes.
What Deep Linker Pro Did
Deep Linker Pro was a desktop application that took your website information and automatically submitted it to hundreds of web directories. You would enter your site details, press a button, and let the software run overnight. By morning, it had submitted your site to 600 or more directories, each of which would link back to your site.
In 2010, this was genuinely useful. Google's algorithm at the time gave significant weight to the number of backlinks pointing to a page. Directory links were low-quality by today's standards, but they moved the needle. The tool saved hours of manual work and cost a fraction of what I had been paying for outsourced link submissions.
Why This Approach No Longer Works
Google has fundamentally changed how it evaluates backlinks. The algorithm updates that started with Penguin in 2012 and continued through subsequent core updates have made mass directory submissions not just ineffective but potentially harmful to your rankings. Google now looks for quality, relevance, and natural link patterns. A site with 600 directory links and no other backlinks looks exactly like what it is: someone who used an automated tool to game the system.
Most of those web directories have themselves disappeared. The ones that remain are either extremely selective (and therefore legitimate) or abandoned spam sites that will do your SEO more harm than good.
What Actually Works for Link Building in 2026
If you are building an online business today and want to improve your search rankings, here is what actually works.
Create genuinely useful content. This is the foundation of everything. Content that answers real questions, provides unique insights, or offers comprehensive guides naturally attracts links from other sites. No tool can substitute for this.
Build relationships in your niche. Guest posting on relevant blogs, being a guest on podcasts, participating in community discussions, and collaborating with other creators all generate natural, high-quality backlinks. These are the kinds of links Google rewards.
Earn links through original research. If you can publish data, surveys, case studies, or original analysis in your niche, other sites will link to you as a source. This is one of the most reliable link-building strategies available.
Focus on topical authority. Rather than chasing links, focus on creating comprehensive coverage of your niche topic. When your site becomes a recognized authority on a subject, links follow naturally.
The Broader Lesson
Tools like Deep Linker Pro were products of their time. They solved a real problem with the technology and tactics that were available. But the SEO landscape changes constantly, and any strategy built entirely around a software shortcut has a limited shelf life.
The strategies that have worked for the entire 17 years I have been doing this are the boring ones: create good content, build real relationships, provide genuine value. Those fundamentals have survived every algorithm update Google has ever released, and I expect they will survive whatever comes next.
If you are evaluating any SEO tool or service in 2026, ask yourself one question: does this help me create something genuinely valuable, or does it try to game the system? The former is a good investment. The latter is a risk with a ticking clock.
Very interesting product. I have Traffic Mania Directory Bot for this purpose and it’s fairly automated, but I’m not 100 percent happy with the results I got on the few runs I did with it. This option is looking pretty shiny to me.
I think you know this — The important thing is that you understand the competition around your keywords. None of these tools are a magic traffic bullet.
Why did you fill the reciprocal link? the software helps to set the reciprocal links page or I have to do it manual with the 600+ directories?
Many directories do not require a reciprocal link. When they do, the software puts a link in for you. The software comes with a file that contains reciprocal nofollow links back to all the directories. This will satisfy most of them (it is an automated check in most cases).
Very timely review, I’m very interested. Mark since you’ve started a wish list of features – I’d like a speed control. I emailed Josh and he pointed out that the directories will approve your submission on their time scale so it is staged.The links do not just appear at once!
But!
I would still like a limit on daily submits. Traffic Bug has 3 settings – what you might call slow medium and fast.
I agree with Josh that it is probably not very important — but if people are asking for it, then it probably makes sense to add that feature. I’ll be sure to give that input to Josh. I am personally not very concerned about speed, but I do understand the input.
Excuse my naive question here on link building.. But wouldn’t Google look poorly on websites that get massive quantities of back-links in a very short space in time? I.e. the links do not look natural
It’s a great question — my experience is that these links are so slow to be approved and indexed (and all at different rates) that they don’t notice at all. I do always recommend that you have multiple sources for your links, however. A broad linking portfolio is always better that a collection of links that come all from one place.
Oh and another question – how would this software go for brand new sites? Would that be a strike against the new site by Google because it does not appear natural? Or is back-linking automatically and in a fast fashion an okay process for a new site?
I cannot speak for Google (no one can). But I can tell you that I have used this very software on new sites with no ill effects during testing. Also, I have ordered hundreds of directlry backlinks for new sites in the past with no problem. I never worry about it because the links take a while to get approved, and then they take longer to get indexed, and all that happens at a different rate at each site.
Link directories are a perfectly legitimate way to help people find your site. If you were doing these manually, you could easily do one every 6 minutes — about 10 per hour. If you did that for a week ten hours a day, that would be about the same as what you are doing here. I cannot imagine that anyone would see anything wrong with working hard to get your site out there manually. You’re doing the same things with this software.
Again — I cannot speak for G…just my opinion.
Hi Mark, just finished listening to the interview and Josh covered off the answer to my first question on back-links in short space in time. However, am still interested in a response to my Q on brand new sites – thanks in advance!
Hope my previous reply covered that.
Mark, would you say these links using this software are good for new niche sites(10 pages or less)? or is the approval and indexing to slow to be effective? Also, if I saw the fine print correctly you can’t submit subdomains using this tool, what tool would you recommend for SD pages?
Thanks..
I do use this tool on new small minisites. I think it is perfect actually because the approval/indexing process is slow. I use this + article marketing + 1 way links + a couple of other things on every new site.
I am not a subdomain guy, but I think the problem is not the software. I think the problem is that some (maybe most) directories do not accept subdomains. But the deep link sites that Josh supports in the software sure might. I would do some research and ping Josh as well. He might have a better answer.
Mark,
Are there categories that would be relevant to Christian sites within DL Pro or this primarily for the Internet marketing crowd?
Sure — Josh tries to support all the directory categories out there (he even has a guessing algorithm when there is not an exact match. And,, I find these tools can be more effective in non-IM niches since site owners are not automatically SEO gurus.
To your question, there is a Religion category in DLPro.
Thank you very much for heads up, Mark. It´s a great tool. I have purchased through your link.
Thanks for your purchase, Vlad. Much appreciated.
Mark,
Good stuff, as always, from Josh and you.
But I am missing something…
I’m not sure I grasp the use of deep links vs. top-level.
I assume you’d use one vs. the other?
I assume there’s only one submission per site?
Thanks in advance.
Most deep link directories allow multiple submissions per site.
Let’s say masonworld.com is targeting “internet marketing” — so I submit http://www.masonworld.com to all the link directory sited sites using that keyword. However, let’s also say I have internal pages on “article marketing” and “deep linking” — I would submit those pages too (to the directories that accept deep links).
Hi,
I have just purchased this software, was looking forward to getting it up and running today. Yes issue time 🙂 I have followed setup added info on new url. I click “ok” but my url is not going across to the “Submission Url” drop down box. I have updated, edited, re done it a number of times but all to no avail.
Can anyone help with this issue please or perhaps have an idea why the url is not moving across please?
Thank you,
Happy Easter to all.
I have not seen that issue on my copy — did you submit a ticket at askjoshspaulding.com? Josh is usually super fast to respond to tickets.
Hi Mwadmin,
Yes I did and received replies and help over Easter!! How good is that for support!
I must firstly say sorry for not getting back with an update, but as soon as I had it working spent time with family who where scowling at me for working over Easter.
Ok what happened, in case anyone else does the same mistake: first issue, to many keywords ended up using approx 8 keyword phrases.
Second – The About Me box – I wrote a two word line, then hit enter and wrote a little paragraph. The software did not enjoy me making it do two seperate lines so to speak. When typing in the About Me box, keep typing. Do not hit enter to have seperate lines.
Small issue or mistake I know, however big enough the software said “I don’t think so girlie, not happy you doing that!” 😉
Regards
Julie
So, whatever happened to the fact that Google discounts links from Web directories? It has been a fact for sometime. Is Josh taking advantage of noob marketers who are ignorant of new SEO developments?
Thanks for your comment Althaf;
To directly answer your question: No. Josh believes Web Directory links have SEO value and so do I. Tests on my sites over the last 2 years support that conclusion.
It always get’s my attention when people use the word “fact” and “Google” in the same sentence. The only fact that I know is that only Google actually knows what they are doing. So, if you believe that it is a fact that Google discounts links from Web directories, I would love to see the data that supports that.
Link directories must not be completely hated by Google. DMOZ enjoys PR8 and many of the directories in Josh’s list are PR4 and higher.
Will this software alone allow you to rank #1 for “make money online” tomorrow. No, of course not. No one is claiming that.
However, it will allow you to get a lot of backlinks with a low amount of effort at low cost. To me, that is the real selling point. Deep Linker Pro is very cost effective.
My belief is that link directory submissions are an important part of a natural, balanced link portfolio that should also include things like SB site links, RSS syndication, article marketing backlinks, natural links and so on.
Thanks again for your comment,
Mark
Purchased with 8hrs to spare! I’ll forward receipt tomorrow. 🙂
Thanks Dennis — just file a ticket and I shoot the bonus right over.
I can’t find it, what would it say?
Hi Mark ,
I just purchased DLPro 5minutes ago, hope I can get some effect on my website.
Is it really helpfull ?
Hard to measure direct impact of those links — but I really believe that it does help. I once got a nearly empty site to PR2 using only directory links.
Are this tool same like Directory Submitter? if yes, then what makes difference?
Why you should not make a video “how working really Deep Link Pro” to understand easily the performance to working that software? I am little in doubt? because I am using some other directory submitting software and having some problems to using that like slow working, missing directories etc.
Is deep link pro- operated off of my computer or your server? Do I download it onto my computer. How many deep link sites come with deep link grow?
DLP runs on Windows computers only (32 and 64 bit).
Mark