v2.0.0 to v2.0.0

217 added, 201 removed. Audit A to A.

---

name: suede-directory-submissions

- description: "Work the directory layer deliberately: which listings carry dofollow weight, submission order, launch-day sequencing, and verifying the backlink landed. Use when the user is submitting a product to startup, SaaS, AI, or MCP directories, or wants backlinks from listings. Also use when the user mentions 'directory submissions,' 'submit to directories,' 'backlinks from directories,' 'list my product,' 'submit to Product Hunt,' 'BetaList,' 'TAAFT,' 'Futurepedia,' 'G2 listing,' 'Capterra listing,' 'AlternativeTo,' 'SaaSHub,' 'AI directories,' 'MCP registry,' 'agent directory,' 'dofollow backlinks,' 'launch directories,' or 'directory tracker.' Use this whenever someone is planning the directory layer of a product launch or an ongoing backlink campaign. For the broader launch moment, see suede-launch-packaging. For programmatic SEO pages that should live behind these backlinks, see suede-programmatic-seo. For AI citation optimization, see suede-seo-audit."

+ description: "Suede-affiliated directory distribution strategy for selecting listings, sequencing submissions, tailoring positioning, and verifying backlinks. Use when a product needs startup, SaaS, AI, MCP, marketplace, or review-directory submissions and a measurable tracker. NOT FOR: broader launch orchestration (use suede-launch-packaging), scalable destination-page production (use suede-programmatic-seo), or citation and search auditing (use suede-seo-audit)."

metadata:

version: 2.0.0

---

- # Directory Submissions

+ # Suede Directory Distribution

- You are an expert in directory-driven distribution for software products. Your goal is to help the user build a compounding backlink + discovery foundation by submitting to the right directories, in the right order, with the right positioning — and to make sure that foundation actually produces leads instead of vanity backlinks.

+ Suede treats directory distribution as a verifiable discovery layer, not a submission-count contest. Build the user's backlink and buyer-discovery foundation by selecting the right directories, sequencing them around real launch moments, adapting truthful positioning, and checking that each listing and backlink actually landed.

## Before Starting

**Check for product marketing context first:**

If `.agents/product-marketing.md` exists (or `.claude/product-marketing.md`, or the legacy `product-marketing-context.md` filename, in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.

---

## Core Philosophy

- Directory submissions are the **foundation layer** of distribution — never the whole strategy. They do three things well:

- 1. **Pass dofollow backlinks** from high domain-rating sites into your marketing pages. This raises your DR, which makes your entire site easier to rank for competitive keywords.

- 2. **Create discovery surface area** — people browsing AI/SaaS directories are in-market buyers, not random traffic.

- 3. **Get cited by AI engines** — ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews all pull heavily from high-DR directories when answering "what's the best [category]?" queries. AI-referred traffic converts **6–27× higher** than traditional search traffic.

- But directories alone will not generate meaningful leads. They exist to pass link equity into the pages that DO generate leads — template galleries, comparison pages, alternative pages, blog posts. **Build the destination pages first, then submit to directories so the link equity has somewhere useful to land.**

+ Directory submissions can add discovery surfaces, referral paths, and backlinks, but

+ their value varies by product, directory, listing quality, and current platform

+ rules. Treat each benefit as a hypothesis to verify with listing status, referral

+ analytics, search data, and qualified outcomes. A directory plan complements

+ destination pages and other distribution; it does not guarantee authority,

+ citation, traffic, ranking, or leads.

The full directory catalog lives in `references/directory-list.md`. The positioning variant library lives in `references/positioning-variations.md`. The submission tracker template lives in `references/submission-tracker-template.csv`.

---

- ## The Three Hard Rules

+ ## Three Operating Rules

### Rule 1: Foundation before submission

- Never submit to a directory until the landing page it will link to is live, indexed, and has:

- - A single `<h1>` and sequential heading hierarchy — pages with clean hierarchy have **2.8× higher AI citation rates**, and 87% of ChatGPT-cited pages use a single H1.

- - A real pricing page (even "free while in beta" counts — most Tier 1 directories require one).

- - Privacy policy + terms.

- - Logo assets in PNG + SVG + square 1024×1024 + favicon.

- - 5–8 real product screenshots at 1920×1080 (not marketing mockups).

- - A 60–90 second demo video — products with video on Product Hunt get **2.7× more upvotes**.

- - FAQ schema markup (AI engines heavily weight `FAQPage` JSON-LD for answer extraction).

- - Structured data: `Organization`, `Product`, `SoftwareApplication`.

+ Before recommending a submission, verify the directory's current official

+ requirements and record the source URL and check date. The linked page should be

+ publicly reachable, truthful, useful to the directory's audience, and measurable.

+ Prepare only the assets the current form requires, using real product screenshots

+ and approved brand files. Add pricing, legal pages, video, schema, or additional

+ formats when the product, jurisdiction, or verified directory rules call for them;

+ do not invent universal prerequisites.

### Rule 2: Destination pages before directories

- Directories are the *source* of link equity. You need *destinations* that can convert the resulting traffic. Minimum destinations before submitting to anything:

- - 3–5 competitor alternative pages (`/alternatives/[competitor]`) targeting "[competitor] alternative" keywords. Comparison/alternative pages convert at **5–15%** vs 0.5–2% for generic content.

- - 3–5 use-case pages (`/for/[audience]` or `/use-cases/[use-case]`).

- - Template gallery with 20+ entries (if applicable — this was Typeform's largest SEO growth driver, generating 30K non-branded signups and $3M/year LTV).

- - 1 "best of" blog post you wrote yourself about your own category, including honest coverage of competitors.

+ Choose the most relevant verified destination for each audience: a homepage,

+ use-case page, integration page, comparison page, template, or documentation page.

+ It must accurately fulfill the listing promise and have a measurable next step.

+ Do not impose a fixed page count or block a suitable listing merely because an

+ unrelated content type does not exist.

### Rule 3: Positioning varies by directory type

- Never copy-paste the same description everywhere. AI engines penalize duplicate content, and each directory audience responds to different framing. See `references/positioning-variations.md` for the full variant library. Short version:

+ Adapt the description to the directory's verified fields, audience, and rules.

+ Reuse approved facts, but change emphasis when that improves relevance; do not

+ claim that duplicate descriptions trigger a search or AI penalty without current

+ evidence. See `references/positioning-variations.md` for templates.

| Surface | Lead with | Why |

|---|---|---|

| Startup directories | **Outcome** | Audience is other founders. They care what it does. |

| SaaS directories | **Alternative framing** | People search "[competitor] alternative" — meet them there. |

| AI directories | **AI-first architecture** | TAAFT/Futurepedia audiences explicitly want AI tools. |

- | Agent/MCP directories | **Agent/MCP angle** | Niche but high-intent. A real moat. |

+ | Agent/MCP directories | **Agent/MCP angle** | Use only for a live compatible capability. |

| No-code directories | **Ease + power** | Audience values speed-to-build over depth. |

| Dev directories | **Technical depth** | Dev audiences reward technical substance. |

| B2B review sites | **ROI + use case** | Buyers want outcomes and case studies. |

---

## Workflow

### Step 1: Readiness assessment (Phase 0)

- Ask the user these 9 questions. If any are "no", they're not ready — help them build the missing piece first.

+ Assess the selected directory against current requirements:

1. Is the product publicly accessible (no password wall)?

2. Is there a pricing page (even "free while in beta")?

3. Are privacy policy + terms live?

- 4. Logo assets in PNG + SVG + square + favicon?

- 5. 5–8 real screenshots + 60–90s demo video?

- 6. Landing pages GEO-ready (single H1, sequential hierarchy, FAQ schema, structured data)?

- 7. At least 3 alternative pages and 3 use-case pages live and indexed?

- 8. Template gallery or lead magnet asset (if applicable to category)?

- 9. At least 20 beta/early users who could leave a review on G2?

+ 4. Are the required approved logo, screenshot, and video assets available?

+ 5. Does the destination page match the proposed listing copy and CTA?

+ 6. Is referral and conversion measurement configured?

+ 7. Does the current directory policy allow this product, claim set, and category?

+ 8. For review sites, are there genuine eligible users and a policy-compliant ask?

+ 9. Who has authority to create the account, accept terms, and submit?

- A "no" on any of 1–7 is a hard block. A "no" on 8–9 is a soft block: you can launch but will lose Tier 2 review value and Typeform-style compounding.

+ A missing current platform requirement, truthful destination, or submission

+ authority is a hard block for that directory. Other gaps are prioritization inputs,

+ not universal launch blockers.

### Step 2: Choose the tiers

Full catalog in `references/directory-list.md`. Summary:

- |---|---|---|---|

+ | Tier | When | Illustrative candidates to verify |

+ |---|---|---|

+ | **Flagship launch** | Around a relevant launch | Product Hunt, BetaList, HN Show HN, Fazier, DevHunt |

+ | **Startup/SaaS** | Launch and rolling | AlternativeTo, SaaSHub, G2, Capterra, F6S |

+ | **AI directories** | If the product has a substantiated AI capability | TAAFT, Futurepedia, Toolify, Future Tools |

+ | **Agent/MCP registries** | If a live compatible integration exists | Glama, APITracker, LF MCP Registry |

+ | **No-code directories** | If the product genuinely serves that audience | NoCodeFinder, No Code MBA |

+ | **Integration marketplaces** | When the integration ships | The integration owner's official marketplace |

+ | **Profiles and vertical directories** | When audience and category fit | Relevant company profiles or industry-specific catalogs |

- **Triage rule:** Only submit where the product is a genuine fit. Forcing a listing into the wrong category burns the first-submission advantage and gets rejected by moderators.

+ **Triage rule:** Only submit where the product is a genuine fit under the

+ platform's current eligibility and category rules.

### Step 3: Prepare asset variations

- For each tier, prep a distinct description variant (pulled from `references/positioning-variations.md`):

- - **Tagline** under 10 words

- - **Short description** at 60 chars

- - **Long description** at 150 words

- - **5–8 category tags**

+ For each tier, prep distinct variants from

+ `references/positioning-variations.md` only after inspecting the destination's

+ current form:

+ - **Tagline** sized to the verified field limit

+ - **Short description** sized to the verified field limit

+ - **Long description** sized to the verified field limit

+ - **Category tags** limited to the verified taxonomy and product fit

- **Logo** assets

- **Screenshots** + demo video URL

- **Founder story** (2–3 sentences)

- **Critical:** Don't copy-paste the same long description into every directory. Vary the opening sentence, the feature emphasis, and the audience framing per tier. AI engines cross-reference and down-weight duplicate content.

+ Keep facts consistent and approved. Adapt length and emphasis to each verified

+ form without inventing features, customers, outcomes, or platform support.

### Step 4: Batch submit

- Set up the tracker spreadsheet (`references/submission-tracker-template.csv`). Work left-to-right through it. 2–3 hours per batch is realistic.

+ Set up the tracker spreadsheet (`references/submission-tracker-template.csv`).

+ Prioritize a small evidence-backed batch. Before any external submission, show

+ the exact public copy, assets, account, destination, timing, and maximum cost,

+ then get explicit approval for that submission. Approval for research or

+ another directory does not transfer.

Per submission:

- 1. Copy the tier-appropriate positioning variant.

- 2. Fill in the form.

- 3. Upload assets.

- 4. Submit.

- 5. Log: date, URL, status, moderator notes.

- 6. Once live, verify the backlink exists and is dofollow: `curl -sIL https://directory.com/your-listing | grep -i rel=`. If absent, the link is dofollow.

+ 1. Verify the current form, rules, price, and account identity.

+ 2. Prepare the exact field values and assets as a reviewable draft.

+ 3. Obtain explicit approval for that destination, copy, assets, timing, and

+ maximum cost.

+ 4. Fill and upload only the approved values.

+ 5. Pause before any changed price, upsell, or materially different rendered

+ preview; re-approve the delta.

+ 6. Submit once, then capture confirmation.

+ 7. Log: date, URL, status, moderator notes.

+ 8. Once live, record the canonical listing URL and inspect the rendered link or

+ page HTML for `rel`, redirect, and destination behavior. Absence of `rel` in

+ response headers does not prove link attributes. Log the method and check date.

---

- ## Product Hunt Deep Dive (The Anchor Event)

- Product Hunt is the single highest-leverage submission but also the most easily wasted. The 2026 PH algorithm weights **comment quality** more than upvote count — a post with 50 upvotes + 30 genuine comments ranks above one with 200 upvotes + 5 comments. **80% of failed launches** fail because they launched without a warm audience OR asked for upvotes instead of feedback.

- ### 3-week prep timeline

+ ## Flagship Launch Listing

- - **Day -21 to -14:** Warm up hunter account. Upvote + thoughtfully comment on 3 launches/day. Follow 100+ active makers. Build history so your account looks real to the algorithm.

- - **Day -14:** Create "Upcoming" page on PH. Drive traffic to it to collect "notify on launch" subscribers.

- - **Day -10:** (Optional) book a hunter. Don't pay cash — trade a feature, shoutout, or intro. A known hunter adds ~15% to day-one momentum but isn't required.

- - **Day -7:** Draft launch-day assets: gallery images (1270×760), tagline, 260-char description, first comment from you, first comment from a customer.

- - **Day -3:** Email list warm-up. "We're launching Tuesday. Here's what to expect. Reply if you want a heads up."

- - **Day -1:** Final check — product works in incognito, video autoplays, CTA goes to signup, PH listing preview looks right.

+ For any time-sensitive launch surface, research the platform before building the

+ plan. Use its current official help, submission form, and community rules; record

+ the URLs and check date. Do not present remembered algorithm behavior, ideal

+ launch times, asset dimensions, hunter effects, or engagement thresholds as facts.

- ### Launch day execution

+ ### Preparation milestones

- - **Launch at 12:01 AM Pacific Time.** Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday only — weekend launches get 60–70% less traffic. The 12:01 AM PT start maximizes your 24-hour window.

- - **First 2 hours are everything.** Need 50+ supporters in the first 2 hours to trigger algorithmic distribution.

- - **Post the first comment yourself** with the story: why you built it, what's different, what to try first.

- - **Reply to every comment** in under 30 minutes. PH measures maker responsiveness.

- - **Share the link to:** Twitter/X thread, LinkedIn long-form post, personal Slack/Discord communities, your email list, Indie Hackers, every power user via DM.

- - **Never ask for upvotes.** Ask for **feedback**. "Would love your honest take on the positioning" converts 3× better than "support us!" and doesn't trigger the algorithm's anti-manipulation filters.

- - **Don't message strangers.** The community flags this and moderators will hide your post.

+ - Confirm eligibility, account standing, moderation rules, scheduling options,

+ required assets, and prohibited promotion.

+ - Draft truthful positioning, an approved maker story, real product visuals, and

+ a working destination CTA in the exact current form limits.

+ - Preview the listing and test the product, signup, analytics, and support path.

+ - Build a communication plan from channels the user owns or is authorized to use.

+ - Assign a responder for genuine questions and feedback.

- ### Post-launch

+ ### Launch and follow-through

- - Write a launch recap blog post with numbers + lessons. Honest, not bragging. Publish on day 2.

- - Cross-post the recap to Indie Hackers and r/SaaS (where promotion is allowed).

- - Only submit to Show HN if you have a *technical* angle to share (architecture, DSL, novel approach). A generic "we launched a SaaS" post will get flagged to death.

+ - Publish only after the user authorizes the listing, timing, and public copy.

+ - Follow current solicitation and outreach policies. Do not manipulate voting,

+ fabricate engagement, or message people without a legitimate relationship and

+ authorization.

+ - Respond helpfully, log referrals and qualified outcomes, and capture lessons.

+ - Share a recap only where current community rules permit it.

---

- ## Reviews Playbook (G2 / Capterra / TrustRadius)

- G2 and Capterra (now owned by G2 as of Feb 2026) listings are **worthless without reviews**. 10 reviews is the magic threshold for Grid appearance. Run the 10-in-30 protocol during launch month.

- ### The 10-in-30 protocol

- 1. **Day 1 post-launch:** Identify 20 users who have completed a meaningful action with the product.

- 2. **Send each a personal email** with a direct review URL (reduces friction by ~70%). No forms, no landing pages — direct link.

- 3. **Offer a modest thank-you.** G2 and TrustRadius explicitly allow small incentives like a $25 Amazon gift card.

- 4. **Follow up once** after 5 days. Don't follow up twice — it becomes annoying and damages the relationship.

- 5. **Target:** 50% conversion → 10 reviews from 20 asks.

- ### Critical deadlines

- - **G2 Summer reports:** cut off ~April 28. Plan review drives to land before this.

- - **G2 Fall reports:** cut off ~July 28.

- - Missing a cutoff means waiting 3 months for the next grid update.

- ### Badges and paid plans

+ ## Reviews Playbook

- - **"Users Love Us" badge** is still free: requires 20 reviews at 4.0+ average.

- - **Grid, Momentum, Index, and Award badges** require a paid G2 plan ($2,999+/year starting Summer 2025).

- - **Do not spend on paid G2 in year one.** The free listing + Users Love Us badge is sufficient.

+ Review directories can help buyers evaluate products, but eligibility, incentive,

+ moderation, badge, report, and paid-plan rules change. Before recommending a

+ campaign:

- ### Cross-platform

+ 1. Read the current official review and incentive policy for the chosen platform.

+ 2. Record the source URL, check date, eligibility rules, deadlines, and maximum

+ verified cost.

+ 3. Identify real users with firsthand product experience; never manufacture,

+ gate, pre-score, or script reviews.

+ 4. Get explicit authorization for the recipient list, wording, channel, cadence,

+ and any incentive before outreach.

+ 5. Track requests, completed reviews, moderation status, referral outcomes, and

+ complaints. Set targets from the actual eligible pool and user goals.

- - TrustRadius follows similar mechanics but smaller volume.

- - Capterra auto-syncs from Gartner Digital Markets in some categories — may populate without direct action.

+ Do not claim a badge threshold, report cutoff, ownership relationship, incentive

+ permission, plan price, or expected response rate unless it was verified from a

+ current authoritative source. A small customer base is a planning constraint, not

+ automatic proof that a listing is worthless.

---

## Destination Pages Strategy (What the Backlinks Point At)

- Directories are useless if the backlinks land on a generic homepage. Build these destination pages *before* submitting:

+ Match each listing to the most useful truthful page available. A homepage can be

+ appropriate when it satisfies the audience and promise; a specialized page may be

+ better when evidence supports it.

- ### 1. Alternative pages (highest ROI)

+ ### 1. Alternative pages

- Competitor alternative pages convert at **5–15%**, often hitting 15–30% for bottom-of-funnel queries. One page per top competitor:

+ Use when current customer or search evidence shows comparison intent:

- `/alternatives/[competitor-1]`

- `/alternatives/[competitor-2]`

- `/alternatives/[competitor-3]`

- `/alternatives/[competitor-4]`

- Each page needs: honest feature comparison table, "when to choose X over us," "when to choose us over X," pricing comparison, 3–5 use-case examples, strong FAQ with schema.

+ Use verified features and prices, clearly state when each option fits, and add

+ FAQs or structured data only when appropriate and valid.

- **Critical:** Be honest. AI engines cross-reference competitor feature claims and de-rank pages that lie.

+ **Critical:** Be honest. Verify material competitor claims, date the comparison,

+ and correct it when facts change.

### 2. Use-case / ICP pages

- Every ICP gets a dedicated landing page:

+ Create a dedicated ICP or use-case page when current demand and product evidence

+ justify one:

- `/for/[audience]` — coaches, agencies, ecommerce, SaaS, consultants, etc.

- `/use-cases/[use-case]` — lead qualification, onboarding, product recommendations, etc.

### 3. Template / asset gallery (if applicable)

- Typeform's template library generated **30,000 non-branded organic signups and $3M/year LTV**. The pattern:

+ Use when templates provide standalone value and product activation can be

+ measured:

- One indexable page per template at `/templates/[slug]`.

- - H1 with the keyword, 150+ word description, screenshot, "when to use this," "use this template" CTA.

- - Related templates at the bottom of each page (internal linking = SEO compounding).

- - 100 templates by day 30, 300 by day 90 is the realistic target.

+ - Use a descriptive title, useful instructions, real screenshot, and clear CTA.

+ - Link genuinely related templates.

+ - Set output volume from quality capacity and measured demand, not a borrowed

+ traffic or revenue story.

### 4. "Best of" listicles you wrote yourself

- Write honest roundups of your own category: `/blog/best-[category]-tools-2026`. Include yourself + 10 competitors with real reviews. These rank for category queries AND serve as canonical references AI engines cite.

+ Write honest, current roundups only when the team can research the category and

+ disclose its methodology. Include a useful set of alternatives rather than a

+ fixed count, and do not promise ranking or AI citation.

### 5. Integration pages (when integrations ship)

- Every integration = one landing page at `/integrations/[partner]`. Follows the Zapier playbook: Zapier gets **~2.6M monthly organic visits** from programmatic integration pages (~15% of their total organic traffic).

+ Create an integration page when the integration is live and the page helps users

+ understand setup, capabilities, and limits. Measure its results rather than

+ projecting another company's traffic.

---

## GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)

- In 2026, 30–50% of "research a tool" queries happen inside ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, or Google AI Overviews without ever touching a traditional search page. Directories matter here too — AI engines pull heavily from high-DR directories when generating answers. But the *destination pages* also need to be GEO-optimized.

+ Directories and destination pages may appear in search and answer engines. Treat

+ visibility as an observable outcome, not a guaranteed effect of authority scores

+ or markup.

### Tactics that get pages cited

- 1. **One H1 per page, sequential heading hierarchy.** 2.8× higher citation rate. 87% of cited pages use a single H1.

- 2. **Dense, factual content with citable stats.** AI engines prefer specific numbers ("3× faster than X") over vague claims.

- 3. **FAQ schema on every landing page.** AI engines heavily weight `FAQPage` JSON-LD for answer extraction.

- 4. **Comparison tables.** Extractable, structured — exactly what an AI answer needs.

- 5. **Explicit "what it is" paragraph in the first 100 words.**

- 6. **Get cited on Reddit and Hacker News.** Claude and Perplexity index these heavily. Genuine mentions on r/SaaS and HN count as training fuel.

- 7. **Publish original research.** "We analyzed 10,000 [things] and found X" becomes the primary citation for anyone writing about that topic.

- 8. **Claim Crunchbase, LinkedIn company page, and Wikidata entries.** All three feed AI training corpora.

- 9. **If applicable, list on MCP registries with A/B grades** (Glama in particular). LLMs pull from these when answering MCP questions.

+ 1. Use a clear title and logical heading hierarchy for readers.

+ 2. Publish accurate facts with primary sources, dates, definitions, and caveats.

+ 3. Add only schema that matches visible page content and current specifications.

+ 4. Use comparison tables when they improve comprehension and can be maintained.

+ 5. Explain what the product is and who it serves early on the page.

+ 6. Earn genuine third-party discussion; do not seed or fabricate citations.

+ 7. Publish original research only with a reproducible method and rights-safe data.

+ 8. Maintain authorized company profiles with consistent verified entity facts.

+ 9. If applicable, maintain accurate registry entries for live integrations.

### Measurement

- Manually check monthly: ask ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity "what are the best [category] tools?" and log where the product appears. Free GEO tracking tools (GeoTracker, llmrefs) automate this.

+ Use authorized, currently callable tools or manual checks to sample relevant

+ queries. Record engine, account context, prompt, locale, date, result, and whether

+ the result is reproducible. Verify any tracking product and its cost before

+ recommending it.

---

## Community & Ongoing Distribution

- Directories are one-shot. Community is ongoing. Both feed the same funnel.

- ### Reddit (90/10 rule)

- 90% of activity must be genuinely helpful; only 10% promotional. Violating this gets shadowbanned.

+ Most directory submissions are episodic; community participation is ongoing.

+ Measure each as a separate source before combining funnel conclusions.

- **High-value subs (ranked):**

- - **r/SideProject** (200K+) — friendly to promo, launch announcements welcome.

- - **r/SaaS** (300K+) — "Share Your SaaS" threads are explicit promo windows.

- - **r/startups** (1.7M) — Feedback Friday thread.

- - **r/Entrepreneur** (3.5M) — weekly promo thread.

- - **r/nocode**, **r/IndieHackers**, **r/alphaandbetausers** — friendly.

- - **r/webdev**, **r/artificial**, **r/LocalLLaMA** — strict, technical only.

+ ### Reddit and forums

- **What wins:** real numbers (MRR, signups, churn), screenshots, "what I tried / what happened / what I'd do differently" structure, mini case studies with a clear lesson. **What fails:** hype, vague claims, "check out my new tool" posts, asking for upvotes.

+ Read the current rules of each community before recommending or publishing a

+ link. Participate with relevant firsthand value, disclose affiliation, and use

+ promotion threads only when the current rules allow it. Membership counts and

+ recurring-thread availability are volatile; verify them if they affect selection.

- ### LinkedIn (B2B primary channel)

+ Candidate formats include approved firsthand numbers, real screenshots, lessons,

+ and mini case studies. Test them under the community's current rules rather than

+ claiming a universal winning format.

- 80% of B2B social leads come from LinkedIn. Cadence: **3–5 posts/week** — fewer loses momentum, more causes fatigue.

+ ### LinkedIn

- Content types ranked by 2026 engagement:

- 1. Personal stories with business lessons (1.5–2× avg engagement)

- 2. Original data / research (1.3–1.5×)

- 3. Contrarian industry takes (1.2–1.5×)

- 4. Document carousels with 8–12 slides (1.3–1.8×)

+ Use the channel when the actual audience and account analytics support it.

+ Experiment with approved firsthand stories, original research, useful analysis,

+ and document formats. Set cadence from production capacity and observed response;

+ do not promise a lead share or engagement multiplier.

### Twitter/X (indie hacker + dev channel)

- Build-in-public threads on architecture, revenue, decisions. Technical deep-dives get indexed by Google + Claude + Perplexity → indirect GEO.

+ Share authorized technical lessons, decisions, and outcomes where they serve the

+ audience. Measure referral and search results; do not claim indexing or answer

+ engine effects in advance.

### Indie Hackers

- - Launch a build-in-public thread on PH launch day.

- - Post weekly updates: revenue, ships, lessons. Zero-revenue posts work if the lesson is honest.

- - Comment 10× more than you post to build karma before your own links.

+ - If current rules permit it, share an authorized build-in-public update around a

+ relevant launch milestone.

+ - Test a sustainable cadence for approved revenue, shipping, or lesson updates.

+ - Build authentic participation before sharing promotional links.

### Dev.to + Hashnode

- Every substantial technical post = dofollow backlink + dev audience reach. Cross-post with canonical URL back to main blog.

+ Cross-post only where current terms permit it and use a canonical URL when the

+ platform supports one. Verify the rendered link and referral results.

---

## KPIs & Tracking

- Track weekly. If a number isn't moving, investigate — don't just submit more directories.

+ Set baselines and goals from the user's current analytics, eligible audience,

+ capacity, and launch objective. Do not use generic day-based forecasts.

- |---|---|---|---|

- | Domain Rating (DR) | 0 | 20 | 30+ |

- | Referring domains | 0 | 30 | 80+ |

- | Indexed pages | — | 50 | 200+ |

- | Organic clicks/day | 0 | 30 | 200+ |

- | Directory listings live | 0 | 50 | 70+ |

- | G2 reviews | 0 | 10 | 25 |

- | Capterra reviews | 0 | 5 | 15 |

- | AI citations (manual check) | 0 | 3 | 15+ |

- | Signups from directory referrals | 0 | 50 | 300 |

- | Signups from alt/use-case pages | 0 | 20 | 300 |

+ |---|---:|---:|---|

+ | Listings submitted and live | | | |

+ | Verified referring links | | | |

+ | Directory referral sessions | | | |

+ | Qualified conversions by listing | | | |

+ | Review requests and published reviews | | | |

+ | Search or answer-engine observations | | | |

+ | Cost and team time | | | |

---

## What NOT to Do

- 1. **Don't pay for directory submission services** ($60–$200 packages). The whole point is these are free. It's an afternoon of copy-paste.

- 2. **Don't submit to spam directories** (DR under 10, no traffic, no editorial quality). They dilute your backlink profile and Google's spam detection can penalize you.

+ 1. **Don't buy a mass-submission package without diligence and explicit approval.** Verify exact destinations, editorial standards, data handling, rights, maximum cost, and refund terms.

+ 2. **Don't submit to low-quality or deceptive directories.** Evaluate audience fit, moderation, live traffic evidence, existing listings, outbound-link behavior, and reputation rather than relying on one authority score.

3. **Don't submit with the wrong positioning.** Re-read the positioning table per tier. Generic descriptions waste the listing.

- 4. **Don't treat directories as your entire GTM.** They're the foundation. Content + community + reviews are what actually convert.

- 5. **Don't skip reviews on G2/Capterra.** Zero-review listings are dead. Run the 10-in-30 protocol or don't submit.

- 6. **Don't ask for upvotes on Product Hunt.** The 2026 algorithm penalizes it. Ask for **feedback**.

- 7. **Don't amend old directory listings every week.** Submit once, check quarterly.

+ 4. **Don't treat directories as your entire GTM.** Compare them with content, community, reviews, partnerships, and other measured channels.

+ 5. **Don't run a review campaign from remembered rules.** Verify current eligibility, disclosure, and incentive policies first.

+ 6. **Don't manipulate votes or reviews.** Follow the platform's current solicitation rules.

+ 7. **Don't churn listings without evidence.** Set a review cadence from product

+ changes, platform notices, and observed listing issues.

8. **Don't submit before the destination page exists.** Link equity needs a destination.

- 9. **Don't duplicate descriptions across directories.** AI engines penalize duplicate content.

- 10. **Don't lie on comparison pages.** AI engines cross-reference and de-rank lies.

+ 9. **Don't force identical copy into mismatched fields.** Keep facts consistent while adapting emphasis and length.

+ 10. **Don't lie on comparison pages.** Verify material claims and date the comparison.

11. **Don't over-index on launch-day spike.** The flywheel is templates + alternatives + reviews + ongoing content — not one day of PH.

- 12. **Don't forget Crunchbase, LinkedIn company page, and Wikidata.** These feed AI training corpora and matter for GEO.

+ 12. **Don't create or change company profiles without authority.** When authorized, keep verified entity facts consistent.

---

## Task-Specific Questions

1. **What are you launching?** (Category changes tier mix — AI vs traditional SaaS vs no-code vs dev tool.)

- 2. **When is launch day?** (Phase 0 assets need 7 days of prep.)

+ 2. **When is launch day?** (Work backward from verified platform requirements.)

3. **Do you have destination pages built?** (Alternatives, use cases, templates — if not, build first.)

- 4. **Product Hunt hunter lined up?** (Optional but adds ~15% day-one lift. 3-week warm-up required regardless.)

- 5. **How many beta users can you ask for reviews?** (Need 20 to hit 10.)

- 6. **Do you have an MCP or agent angle?** (If yes, Tier 4 registries are a real moat.)

- 7. **Existing integrations?** (If yes, Tier 7 marketplaces are the highest-DR backlinks available.)

- 8. **Email list size?** (Needed for PH launch day warm traffic — 100+ is the minimum.)

+ 4. **Which flagship surface is being considered, and what do its current rules require?**

+ 5. **How many eligible users could receive a policy-compliant review request?**

+ 6. **Do you have a live tested MCP or agent capability?** (If yes, verify compatible registries.)

+ 7. **Existing integrations?** (If yes, verify each owner's marketplace eligibility.)

+ 8. **Which owned audiences can be contacted, and has the user authorized outreach?**

9. **Current DR and referring domain count?** (Baseline for measuring the compounding effect.)

---

## Output Format

When the user asks for a directory plan, return:

1. **Readiness assessment** — which Phase 0 items are missing, which block submission

2. **Tier selection** — which tiers apply, which to skip, why

- 3. **Submission order** — week 1 / week 2 / week 3 batches

+ 3. **Submission order** — evidence-backed batches mapped to current requirements

4. **Destination page list** — what to build first if missing

5. **Positioning variants** — the actual copy per tier (from `references/positioning-variations.md`)

- 6. **PH 3-week prep timeline** — mapped to calendar dates if launch day known

- 7. **Reviews 10-in-30 plan** — who to ask, when, how

- 8. **Weekly targets** — directories submitted, reviews, DR movement

+ 6. **Flagship listing timeline** — mapped from current rules to calendar dates

+ 7. **Policy-compliant review plan** — eligible audience, authorization, copy, cadence

+ 8. **Weekly measurement plan** — baselines and user-approved goals

9. **Tracker** — link to or include the CSV from `references/submission-tracker-template.csv`

Keep the plan actionable. Every item should be something the user can do today.

---

- ## Related Skills

+ ## Boundaries

- - **launch** — broader launch moment, ORB framework, five-phase approach

- - **programmatic-seo** — destination pages (alternatives, integrations, templates) that backlinks should flow into

- - **competitors** — `/alternatives/[tool]` page pattern

- - **ai-seo** — GEO optimization for AI citation

- - **content-strategy** — editorial content that attracts "best of" listicle inclusions

- - **free-tools** — lead magnets for destination pages

- - **community-marketing** — Reddit, Indie Hackers, Slack community mechanics

- - **schema** — FAQ + Product + Organization JSON-LD for GEO

+ - Do not claim a directory is dofollow, indexed, high-authority, or producing leads without a current check.

+ - Do not submit listings, create accounts, publish copy, buy placements, or request reviews without explicit authorization.

+ - Do not fabricate traffic, ranking, review, or citation outcomes; label estimates and record the evidence date.

+ - Do not decide positioning or public product claims when the required product context is missing.

+ ## Routing

+ - Use `suede-launch-packaging` for the broader launch sequence.

+ - Use `suede-programmatic-seo` for destination pages and `suede-seo-audit` for search or citation checks.

+ - Use `suede-competitors` for comparison-page strategy and `suede-content-strategy` for editorial support.

+ - Use `suede-free-tools` for interactive destination assets and `suede-community-marketing` for community distribution.