With a few threads now covering the downside of the penalties, perhaps a thread about the positive changes people are making, and wish to share Most probably for good reason discuss some ideas to be implimented but could discuss open or public changes. With that i put forward one of the propsed changes i am making and perhaps get a feel for this change. Currently i see in most / all directories the following pattern Feature Listing Regular Listing Etc However i plan to list as Feature Listing Premium Listing It is rebading the same thing under a different name with no change in its application, but the method in my madness is 2 fold 1. with an increasing awareness of accepting quality submissions to ( my thinking ) if you have made it into the directory then it deserved a better title. 2. second to this looking from a business owners point of view would you rather see you business listed as regular or as premium, i know what i would rather. Your thoughts on the idea, and perhaps any positive changes hapening in your neck of the woods that you can share.
Very interesting rebranding there, in fact I have done something similar here: http://www.directorypro.biz/submit.php Check it out!
Is the Premium Listing the renaming of Regular? as Premium sounds higher than Featured to me. I would prefer to just create another listing option and call it Premium or something unique. With all the talk of moving forward and each being unique i think its ultimately better to create whole new things rather than renaming. Similar to the recent renaming of you know what to - Paid Reviews. The best outcome will be not seeing 100 people renaming their top listing to what you may for example. Only a thought but i think a good unique name and maybe adding something still missing from all other directory listings will be an ideal approach.
Ok see both points VCT nice directory and i see you have placed premium up the top, so maybe another name for regular ? as with Pipes thoughts My intentions were > premium feature plus ( bid dir mk 2 option ) > premium feature > premium which would cover more in line with VCT's thoughts, but yes open to all ideas
Well I work for a few directory owners on a regular basis and one thing I have noticed through this is that the majority of them are cutting down on the number of sitewide links that they sell. Personally I think this is a good thing because (whilst I do use it myself to advertise) it does make us look like a big web ring of interlinked directories. As to my own project, I will not be changing anything on Directory Share as a result of this penalty. My partner and I have a clear direction on where we are taking the site and we have not finished implementing all of the features which the site will ultimately have. When that work is finished we do not feel that the site would be worthy of a penalty, if Google does or does not decide to remove it that is entirely their choice, but we know where we are going. We never got much traffic from Google in the first place, in fact search.live.com has provided us with more traffic last month that Google had in the previous six.
hi All I don't think rebranding of listing titles will do anyone any good, for any lenght of time, I think the primary problem Google has with any directories is the possibility of the directory exerting what they would feel to be "undue influence" over their SERPs. Hence, directories are probably under Google and other SE scrutiny right now, where Google goes, the others soon take a look at, My feeling is that ultimately, directories must attract traffic due to their own inherent attractiveness , or promotion, not as a source of links for webmasters , who do have a valid need to improve their SERPs performance. I'll be blogging more on this topic cause its crucial for me cheers
I don't think there is anything to worry about, if you build a quality resource then it will flourish. I was able to earn money from quite a few directories with barely any gooogle traffic and besides that it still has not been proven that there was any specific penalties leveled against directories. Like every 'young' industry it needs to mature and move forward. I predict the quick buck folks will begin to drop like flies by the new year, once they realize there is no easy money to be made.
Look forward to reading your blogs if you can post a link. Re the re naming this is not due to any google penalties, but is more in line with your following statements in that a directory will need to stand on its own feet, so the naming was more in line with the business owner and the public joe blow who read the directory to give an added lift or feel to the index.
Good point. If you can find a copy, I can recommend 'Crossing the Chasm' by Geoff Moore as it will give any serious directory owners a good insight into a business model in transition.
What's in a name, that which we call a rose would not smell as sweet? Changing the names of your offerings will not add any value other than perhaps a bit of marketing. You are still selling a link in the guise of a paid review. If this is the main change you are making in response to the actions G has taken the past few months, I think you have completely missed the point.
I can completley see your side, and view and i suppose should clarify, my directory is not open yet it is completley new so i wont need to change a name but start with one Re the marketing you are exactly to the point, in that i sell and to sell a concept or in this case a listing into the directory i see no reason not to use a better suited name for my needs, but can say these changes and or thouhts are not in relation to google. If i were selling you a position would you rather me sell you a standard listing or a premium one ? In relation to the listing dis regarding the name I will also be introducing a Business & Corporate level listing to the mix which will further complicate things and i will spend some time this weekend looking how best to impliment these levels.
I agree with you. Things have a better chance of returning to normal once the interlinking is reduced.
I took a whole different approach to quality on Lobo Links. Instead of adding a few free listings to each empty category like most do. I made the empty categories be noindex. Categories with links get index which should pass more juice to people who have listings. http://www.lobolinks.com/Internet/Directories/ (gets juice) http://www.lobolinks.com/Internet/Directories/Technology/ (no juice) It is an interesting experiment Thoughts?
Haha, yeah I guess I worded that wrong. It is really about adding more quality to people who have paid for listings. Thanks.
Since you used the word 'juice' three times I don't think you are being honest but don't worry I won't tell Gooogle.
LOL! I guess my point is to give more benefit to people who have paid for listings vs adding sites for free to fill up categories.
I dont really want to point out contradictions but im reading mentions of "not about google" and at the same time "changes regarding penalties" in so many words. First i think before you make any changes or introduce a whole new idea, you must first make your mind up why your doing it.
The major problem I see with this is that for the most part people only investigate the category they are submitting to. If someone were chasing juice and they saw the category they want is noindex, would they not assume that the entire directory is noindex? And your post clearly points out that you are selling link juice which was a foolhardy thing to do. C'mon folks this thread was supposed to be about "moving towards a positive future" - I've not seen any evidence that you have learned from the past. Whatever you call something is irrelevant, you are still doing business in a way that Google has made it clear they will not support.