Web directories used to be a primary way to acquire inbound links for SEO purposes. However, over time their value has diminished as directories began charging fees, using redirects instead of HTML links, and faced issues with corruption. Now there are better alternatives for acquiring inbound links such as blogging, reciprocal linking, and article directories which provide responsive and relevant links without fees. While directories may still provide some SEO value, they should no longer be a top choice for one-way inbound links due to more effective linking methods available.