---
title: 'The First Thing I’d Do to Get Traffic to a New Site'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=iXUel633tAk'
video_id: 'iXUel633tAk'
date: 2026-07-28
duration_sec: 75
---

# The First Thing I’d Do to Get Traffic to a New Site

> Source: [The First Thing I’d Do to Get Traffic to a New Site](https://youtube.com/watch?v=iXUel633tAk)

## Summary

The video recommends listing a new website in directories as the first step to drive traffic. It explains how directories provide qualified referral traffic and signal legitimacy to search engines and AI assistants. The speaker suggests starting with obvious directories like Google Business Profile, Yelp, and Apple Maps, then focusing on niche-specific directories, and finally using competitor backlink analysis to find overlooked directories.

### Key Points

- **Why directories matter** [00:01] — Directories do two things: they help users find businesses (providing qualified referral traffic) and signal to Google and AI assistants that your brand exists and is legitimate. Yelp alone appears in tens of thousands of Google AI overviews.
- **Foundation directories** [00:32] — Start with Google Business Profile, Yelp, and Apple Maps as the basic listings.
- **Niche-specific directories** [00:38] — The most effective directories are those that dominate your niche, such as TripAdvisor for travel, Houzz for home design, and Avvo for law.
- **Reverse-engineer competitors** [00:58] — To find additional directories, use a tool like Ahrefs Site Explorer, open Link Intersect, add competitors, and run a report. Identify directories where competitors are listed but you are not, then submit your site there.

### Conclusion

Listing your site in both foundational and niche-specific directories, followed by reverse-engineering competitor backlinks, is a free and effective strategy to increase referral traffic and search engine visibility.

## Transcript

scratch, the very first thing I'd do is list my site in directories. Not just any directories, they have to be the right ones. Directories do two things. find businesses they want to engage with. So, you can get qualified referral
traffic for free. And second, they signal to Google and AI assistants that your brand exists and is legitimate. In fact, Yelp alone is mentioned in tens of thousands of Google AI overviews. Start with the obvious ones. Google Business
Profile, Yelp, Apple Maps. These are just the foundation. The directories that really matter though are the ones that dominate your niche, like Trip Adviser for travel, House for Home Design, and Avo for Law. But these alone
won't be enough because there are other directories that many people sleep on that can drive both referral traffic and increase Google visibility. And the best way to find them is to reverse engineer the common directories your competitors
are listed on where you're not. To find them, drop your site into HF site explorer, open link intersect, add a few competitors, and run the report. Then directories where many of them are linking to your competitors but not you.
linking to your competitors but not you. Now go submit your site