You Submitted 30 Directories—Which Ones Are Indexed by Google? (Free Check Methods Included)

You think that submitting is all that matters? Wrong. Submitting is only the first step. The real key is whether the links you submitted have been indexed by Google. Not indexed = wasted submission.

📅 September 25, 2026 · ⏱️ Approx. 5‑minute read · 📂 SEO · Tools · Practical

I’ve seen too many people make the same mistake.

They spend a week submitting 30 directories and then forget about them. Three months later I ask them, “How many got indexed?” They look clueless: “Huh? Do I still have to check indexing?”

Submission ≠ Indexing.

Submitting to a directory just puts your link on that page. Whether Google decides to crawl that page and count your link toward rankings is a different matter.

Some directories get indexed within 24 hours after submission. Others take two weeks. Some never get indexed.

If you don’t know which ones are indexed and which aren’t, you can’t optimize your submission strategy.

This article teaches you four free ways to check, from simple to advanced.

Method 1: Direct Google Search (Simplest)

The most primitive yet straightforward method.

Steps:

1. Open Google
   
2. Search: site:directorydomain.com "your brand name"
   
3. See if there are results

Examples:

site:crunchbase.com "MyProductName"
site:g2.com "MyProductName"
site:saashub.com "MyProductName"

If you get results—congratulations, your listing is indexed.

If you get none—there are two possibilities:

• Google hasn’t crawled the page yet (check again in a few days)
  
• Google decided not to index the page (maybe the directory’s quality is too low)

When to check? First check 7 days after submission, second at 14 days, third at 30 days. If it’s still not indexed after 30 days, you can basically give up.

Pros: Zero cost, no tools needed, results in 30 seconds.

Cons: One‑by‑one checks; if you submitted 30 directories, you have to search 30 times.

💡 Tip: Enclose your brand name in English quotation marks to avoid fuzzy matches. For example, search site:crunchbase.com "FlowNib" instead of site:crunchbase.com FlowNib.

Method 2: Google Search Console (Most Authoritative)

Google Search Console (GSC) is data that Google itself provides. It shows backlinks to your site from external pages.

Steps:

1. Log in to Google Search Console
   
2. In the left menu click Links
   
3. Under External Links, click More
   
4. You’ll see all backlinks that Google knows about pointing to your site

What you’ll see:

• Which sites link to you
  
• Number of links per source site
  
• Target pages of the links

Limitation: GSC’s backlink data isn’t real‑time. It usually lags 1–2 weeks. So a directory you submit today may only appear in GSC after two weeks.

Pros: Google’s own data, most authoritative. Free.

Cons: Lag, not real‑time. GSC may not show every backlink—it only shows those it deems “worth reporting.”

💡 Recommendation: Check the External Links in GSC every two weeks and record any new backlinks in your tracking sheet.

Method 3: Ahrefs Free Tools (Most Comprehensive)

Ahrefs offers free Webmaster Tools that let you see backlink data without a paid subscription.

Steps:

1. Register at Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (free)
   
2. Verify site ownership
   
3. Go to Site Explorer → Backlinks
   
4. You’ll see all known backlinks, including source, DR, and link type

GSC vs. Ahrefs Differences:

Use both. Because they have different data sources, you may find backlinks in Ahrefs that GSC doesn’t show, and vice‑versa.

Pros: Free, comprehensive data, shows DR and link type.

Cons: Requires site‑ownership verification (same process as GSC).

Method 4: Build a Tracking Sheet (Most Systematic)

The first three methods are “post‑hoc checks.” The best practice is to set up a tracking system from day one.

My tracking sheet template (Google Sheets):

Indexing status symbols:

• ✅ Indexed – confirmed via Google search or GSC
  
• ⏳ In review – submitted but no result yet, waiting
  
• ❌ Not indexed – still not indexed after 30 days
  
• 🔄 Resubmit – not indexed, changed description and resubmitted

Check cadence:

Why review monthly? Some directories delete your listing. I once saw a DR 40 directory index my listing and then remove it two months later. Without a review, you’d never know.

Pros: Systematic, traceable, optimizable.

Cons: Requires manual upkeep (but 15 minutes a week is enough).

What Is a Normal Indexing Rate?

I tracked my own and five friends’ directory submissions and derived a reference range:

If your indexing rate is lower, possible reasons:

1. Duplicate description across directories – Google sees a lot of identical text and flags it as spam.
   
2. Too high submission frequency – Submitting many in one day triggers anti‑spam signals.
   
3. Directory has been de‑valued by Google – It was fine when you submitted, now it isn’t.
   
4. Your site is very new – Google trusts new sites less, so indexing is slower.

Corresponding solutions:

1. Write a unique description for each directory (change at least 30% of the wording).
   
2. Submit no more than 8‑10 directories per day.
   
3. Before submitting, use site: to check the directory’s recent indexing status.
   
4. Be patient and boost your site’s credibility through other means (content, social media).

A Real‑World Tracking Example

I helped a friend track his 25 directory submissions. Here’s the data after 30 days:

Submission summary:

• Total submissions: 25
  
• DR 50+: 8
  
• DR 30‑49: 10
  
• DR 20‑29: 7
  

Indexing after 30 days:

• Indexed: 18 (72%)
  
• Not indexed: 5 (20%)
  
• In review: 2 (8%)
  

Indexing rate by DR:

Conclusion matches my earlier analysis: Direct 50+ directories are almost 100% indexed, while DR < 30 see a sharp drop.

He took the following actions for the 5 unindexed directories:

• 3 were resubmitted with new descriptions (2 indexed after one week)
  
• 2 were abandoned (DR too low, not worth the effort)

Final indexing rate: ²⁰⁄₂₅ = 80%.

Tool Summary

Final Thoughts

Directory submission isn’t “submit and forget.”

Submit → Check indexing → Resubmit unindexed → Track results

Only this loop constitutes a complete directory submission strategy.

If you only do the first step, you may waste 30‑50% of your time—because the unindexed directories are effectively never submitted.

Spend 15 minutes building a tracking sheet. Spend 15 minutes each week checking it.

That 15‑minute investment can double the ROI of your directory submissions.

BackLinkSubmit Team — We automatically track the indexing status of every directory for you. No manual checks after submission; the dashboard shows everything at a glance. Learn more →