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What makes a quality directory?

Discussion in 'Directories' started by dvduval, Aug 23, 2006.

  1. #1
    I was participating in this thread over at sitepoint
    http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=414642
    and I thought it would be interesting to see what you think about what makes a quality directory.

    Here are a few of the points I made:
    1. What is the pagerank?
    2. Are they using a basic template, or do they offer a unique design?
    3. How much are featured listings? And what is the benefit of a featured listing?
    4. Do they offer free listings?
    5. Try searching their directory for known spam terms like viagra and see if they are listing low quality sites.
    6. Does the directory make good use of categories and subcategories? Or do they put hundreds of listings in one category spread across several pages? I have found that getting a link of a deep page of a category is often worthless.

    What are your thoughts?
     
    dvduval, Aug 23, 2006 IP
  2. kajsng

    kajsng Peon

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    #2
    One point you've forgotten is traffic - how much traffic does the site get, how often do people actually click on the links to go to sites. Try contacting webmasters who have listings on the directory and seeing if they actually get people coming from their listing in the directory.
     
    kajsng, Aug 23, 2006 IP
  3. banless

    banless Peon

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    #3
    I think you hit most of them on the button. The only thing I would is add is how long the directory plans to be online, in other words how long did they register the domain for, some are only in for a quick buck so once the directory hits a certain point they just turn around and sell it.
     
    banless, Aug 23, 2006 IP
  4. silencer

    silencer Notable Member

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    #4
    I think in terms of 5., its best to look at the ratio of good listings versus bad.

    I think that both the traffic and longevity suggestions were good and I would throw in in-bound linking as well, to see how well the directory is marketed. Maybe even just searching on the directory's name in the search engines versus checking the actual linking could also reveal information.

    One last point that many people would probably skip over is activity. How many sites does the directory have listed, and more importantly is it growing and are the dead/inappropriate/bad sites being removed?
     
    silencer, Aug 23, 2006 IP
  5. Alonso

    Alonso Guest

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    #5
    Consideration #1 is by far the most important
     
    Alonso, Aug 23, 2006 IP
  6. silencer

    silencer Notable Member

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    #6
    I disagree. Consideration #1 is certainly not the most important, and definitely not "by far". If anything it should be way down the list of what makes the directory quality.
     
    silencer, Aug 23, 2006 IP
  7. praveen

    praveen Notable Member

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    #7
    I will agree with Dan on this.

    #1 is by no means reflects the true "value" of a directory.

    if they have a massive number of links then this happens on a regular basis.

    #2 is also a important factor as this can give you an idea if the directory is here to stay or not.
     
    praveen, Aug 23, 2006 IP
  8. dkessaris

    dkessaris Peon

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    #8
    1. What is the pagerank?
    Don't really agree on that, pagerank is easily bought and in no way it determines the quality of a site.

    2. Are they using a basic template, or do they offer a unique design?
    A good indication but I have seen quality directories and heavily promoted directories using a basic template, however I have to agree that most of them they eventually switch to a unique custom made template.

    3. How much are featured listings? And what is the benefit of a featured listing?
    I don't see why price plays a role in determining the quality of a directory. It might influence the decision f whether I buy a review or not but not my opinion about the directory.

    4. Do they offer free listings?
    Again, there are quality directories that offer free submissions and quality directories that don't. I can't seem to corelate that with the quality of a directory.

    5. Try searching their directory for known spam terms like viagra and see if they are listing low quality sites.
    I agree on that.

    6. Does the directory make good use of categories and subcategories? Or do they put hundreds of listings in one category spread across several pages? I have found that getting a link of a deep page of a category is often worthless.
    Agreed again

    The only thing in my opinion that can make a quality directory is quality sites and probably some unique features. I always give Gimpsy as an example about uniqueness, a great idea that resulted in a great directory.
     
    dkessaris, Aug 23, 2006 IP
  9. 50plus

    50plus Guest

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    #9
    What makes a quality directory?

    A directory that actually sends visitors to the sites listed in it.
    Anything else is rather irrelevant.
     
    50plus, Aug 23, 2006 IP
    daboss likes this.
  10. Cheap SEO Services

    Cheap SEO Services <------DoFollow Backlinks

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    #10
    Cheap SEO Services, Aug 24, 2006 IP
  11. Rezo

    Rezo Well-Known Member

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    #11
    1. What is the pagerank?
    The pagerank is just the homepage, so no use for you!

    2. Are they using a basic template, or do they offer a unique design?
    Livable without but if I had to choose to submit to the exactly 2 same directories but one has a unique design I would choose the uniqueness.

    3. How much are featured listings? And what is the benefit of a featured listing?
    NOT always price = quality. It's dependable.

    4. Do they offer free listings?
    That does not matter as long as it isn't spam or the submissions aren't quality ones.

    5. Try searching their directory for known spam terms like viagra and see if they are listing low quality sites.
    Very True

    6. Does the directory make good use of categories and subcategories? Or do they put hundreds of listings in one category spread across several pages?

    Well, a paid directory won't get that much submissions. And yes submitting to a deep sub category ( page 3, 4, 5 !) is worthless in my opinion THOUGH search engines count them as backlinks anyway.
     
    Rezo, Aug 24, 2006 IP
  12. CReed

    CReed Prominent Member

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    #12
    The outdated graphical display of a browser add-on should be one of the least important factors in determining quality.

    I would place some emphasis on organic links, ones that can't be manipulated by the owner of the directory - I'm still one who would rather have my .com mixed in a long list of .gov sites than on a medium/high PR page with fewer listings. While the "green pixel value" of the link may not be worth any more than a similar link on an average web page, I feel it goes quite a long way in helping to establish credibility.

    I'd rather have a site listed within a PR4 directory that was linked to from .gov and .edu (non-personal pages) sites than a directory with PR6/7 earned from paid links.

    I would also suggest looking at the quality of titles and descriptions - this can tell you alot about the direction or focus; is this just a spam dump or is the owner trying to build a quality resource.

    Being SEO friendly doesn't mean accepting anything and everything - a SEO friendly directory is one that looks after the quality of it's index by adhering to basic guidelines or standards - in the long run it makes the listings more valuable.

    I also look for authority sites - is the index completely built from submissions? Are any quality/authority sites listed? I like having my sites listed amongst some of the best sites on the subject, not just those designed to make some webmaster a buck off of the misfortune of others.
     
    CReed, Aug 24, 2006 IP
  13. an0n

    an0n Prominent Member

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    #13
    Ok, i honestly belive the single most important thing that makes or breaks a directory is *the owner himself*
     
    an0n, Aug 24, 2006 IP
  14. dkessaris

    dkessaris Peon

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    #14
    I have to agree, I especially don't trust directories owned by green people :D j/k
     
    dkessaris, Aug 24, 2006 IP
  15. silencer

    silencer Notable Member

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    #15
    Interesting point of view, except that generally the traffic a directory sends is less than a relevant link exchange - and generally the more sites listed in a directory the less likely you are going to be found and visited. The best way to obtain traffic is often a well-placed featured listing in a popular category that hasn't been submitted to yet. Lots of views and potential clicks of the listing is then possible.

    e.g. I'm listed in DMOZ, arguably the most well known of all the directories, which also has the highest PR, and one might argue fits all the criteria of what makes a quality directory (though there are obviously very differing opinions to this hence the DMOZ sub-forum) - However it sends me no traffic (yes none), less than a brand new PR0 directory that might send me some traffic.

    So does that mean DMOZ is less of a directory than the brand new PR0?
     
    silencer, Aug 24, 2006 IP
  16. Obelia

    Obelia Notable Member

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    #16
    Not very important, apart from for establishing credibility.

    This does matter from a branding perspective, and good branding is essential for a directory to become very well known.

    This matters in terms of value for money, and the longevity of a directory. If the price isn't right then the directory may not survive.

    Some good-quality sites will never entertain paying for listings, so offering some free may make for a better directory. But free listings or paid is not really a deciding factor in terms of quality.

    Yes. Probably the most important point.

    Absolutely. Good category design is essential for usability.

    I would add:
    7. How long is the pending queue? Although a short queue doesn't indicate quality, a really long one is a sign of a directory that has let spam submissions get on top of it.
     
    Obelia, Aug 24, 2006 IP
  17. YMC

    YMC Well-Known Member

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    #17
    This is a good point. However, I have seen sites that haven't accepted those types of sites, but would still consider them spammy based on the titles and descriptions of sites in some of the more competitive categories.

    Also, if the site lists alphabetically, I look at the titles more closely.
     
    YMC, Aug 24, 2006 IP
  18. nicecoder

    nicecoder Peon

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    #18
    I believe the main reason why people submit to directory is to get more traffic. So the quality directory is the directory which can deliver so many visitor to the website.

    For simple example. We pay about $200 monthly to hotscripts.com since 3 or 4 years ago, and still doing so. Why? Because they deliver a good amount of targeted traffic to our website.

    If only there're any other directories that can achieve this goal, than we may spend some money on them too.

    One more thing, hotscripts limit their sponsored listing slot. And many of their categories are sold out and have waiting list. Let me tell you that we're too afraid to not to renew our sponsored listing, because once we're switched to normal listing, we should wait until the other sponsored listing is dropped.
     
    nicecoder, Aug 24, 2006 IP
  19. silencer

    silencer Notable Member

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    #19
    Hate to burst the bubble but this belief is not held by as many people as you think. At least, not in the sense you have phrased it. Even the best directories send very little direct traffic. The main reason that most people submit is for SEO Benefit (which in turns leads to more traffic). They aim for keywords/keyphrases and then attempt to boost their ranking in the search engines by gaining links to their site with these keywords in them. Once they have boosted their rankings they see an increase in traffic from people searhing on those keyterms in the search engines. So yes, it is traffic, but not directly from the directory.

    Hotscripts is one of very few exceptions to the rule. I can concur that they do send a stream of direct traffic (it is small but is still very good). You are also correct that it is targeted. People that visit from hotscripts are generally interested in your product/service and want to download/buy it from your site.
     
    silencer, Aug 24, 2006 IP
  20. money_train

    money_train Peon

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    #20
    if its only about SEO why pay for featured listing in a free diectory.
    if both of these links are on the same page, i belive the SEO effect will not be very different??
    So why do people buy listings in free submission directories??
    my guess is traffic!!!!
     
    money_train, Aug 25, 2006 IP