I've got an older directory with about 30,000 pages indexed in Google; PR4 with inner pages mostly at pr3. It's pulling probably 150-200 uniques per day, all straight SE traffic on unique terms (traffic is coming from stuff like 'short formal hairstyles' or ' illinois police patrolman's association' - not like there's two hits on the same term ). The only thing I'm using it for is to run Co-op. I figure with that many uniques though, maybe I should be monetizing it somehow. I've never attempted to monetize a general directory like this - what's my easiest and most profitable route?
featured listings, or the moneybrokers program are both good and easy to use...but i thing that the best way you can monetize your directory, considering that you have many listings, is to make yourself affiliate for some seo usefull products and promote them.
One thing to also consider is the resale value of your directory. Keep good records of your adsense, paypal and other areas of profit. I know of some directories (phpLD) that have sold for x,xxx and one for xx,xxx
Why don't you get it optimized. You have 30, 000 pages indexed and just 200 visitors a day and PR4. See if you able to increase your traffic by 100 times than the value of dir will be much more. Keep this directory with yourself as it have very old domain and 30,000 pages in index. This is very worthy thing you have. Just invest few more bucks in getting it optimize and increase PR and traffic and than do following- Sale featured listings Sale banner space Use adsense or Yahoo Mkt Can use donations - if you want Re-Categorize the listiing of sites in such a way so that the new listing become usefull to webmasters. And than you can sale the listings Use affiliate Finally, I would suggest do not sale the site. In long time not only you reach the sailing price limit but also cross it. Also, if you really want to sale it than increase the traffic and than sale. B.T.W Good Luck
because if a site sells a product because of your lead you get paid! There is lots of literature around this in the forums, please read about it.
Try Text Link Ads I sold a link through them on my site and am planning on selling a couple more soon check them out and btw that is a referral link
In the future you may want to put referral links on your sig ... its against the terms of use in this forum to post referral links on posts!
Spyret, you give a good piece of advice. Just I wonder how a directory can earn from moneybrokers program?