I would like to know other people’s opinions on what makes a quality directory. Please be specific by explaining the differences.
What was the point of this reply? I have already read the stickies, now what? I already know what makes a quality directory, I am just asking what other people see as a quality directory. I don't actually think anyone knows what a quality directory consists of and that is why there has been 41 views and no replies apart from 1 guy directing me to the invisible "quality directory sticky" Lets hope someone replies soon.
Somehow in the past few years people have started to believe a script is a directory. The directory is actually the database made accessible by the directory script. A quality directory is one with a well developed database of human reviewed, edited and categorized websites.
How about google.com? Surely they are the best directory on the web? they are algorithmically reviewed. Stoner3221 while I really like both of your directories in your sig, great signs of a top quality directory in the 1990's and early 2000's, we are now in 2011 and directories like those are no longer considered quality IMO. 1. While your directory may be a great resource for potential visitors, I can assure you that minimal people search it to find companies. 2. I have just checked out one of your categories on Google UK, "House and Garden Directory" nowhere to be found on Google's first few pages. 3. Maybe you assume your directories offer your potential link buyers to obtain a "high quality" link to manipulate Google and other search engines? but I can already see that Google does not rank your directories well. I see so many people criticising other people's directories in this part of the forum, yet I have still got to see someone with a so called quality directory.
I think what is important is that a "quality directory" offers the user useful information and interact with its visitors. An example of such a directory is here.
Well said Bruce! I think a few of us worked really hard adding listings to categories but in the past 3-4 years people just upload a script and call it a day.
Out of interest why did YOU ASSume that? Stoner took the time to answer your enquiry without referring to his directories so why do you feel the need to make those personal coments?
That is because you work real hard and see the same results as the people who just adding scripts. Do you honestly think I or anyone else is going to come to your directory and say "WOW THIS DIRECTORY IS GREAT"? if not then how can you call your directory quality? working real hard does not make it quality.
That's what I love about the internet, everybody is entitled to their opinion and hopefully it will be respected for what it's worth by others.
Following points are noticeable for make your directory as quality and popular directory. It should have all categories either it's niche directory or general directory. Every listing should be live in proper category. Loading time should be minimum for every pages of your directory.
If you or stoner can't handle constructive criticism then I suggest you spend your time somewhere a little more chilled. Calling me an ASS is unjustified, I am here for a discussion, so discuss or be quiet. This is a forum right?
The funny thing is that my opinion is valid while I have yet to hear from anyone who can justify there directory being "quality" It's easy to knock other people but it seems you can't defend your own directories.
Lisen to youtube.com/watch?v=1Pu1YWcIh04&feature=player_embedded#! Then read seomoz.org/blog/what-makes-a-good-web-directory-and-why-google-penalized-dozens-of-bad-ones And read again at seomoz.org/blog/seo-link-directory-best-practices Dont forget seomoz.org/blog/the-wisdom-folly-of-directory-link-building By now you may have come up with an answer Have a nice day.
Timur - While I am not an expert, let me try to answer your question. As you might know, it was in early days when the web exploded people started directories to categories and show case best websites of the web. Those days people visit directories to see websites. Those days are gone. Possible reasons - The web has exploded beyond imagination. Millions of websites are there in the world and it is beyond any one's task to review each website manually and categories them so that people can find best information. Today it is not at all possible. Search does this job pretty good through its automated algorithm. This was the reason Google scrapped its directory and said search is the best way to find information. So, coming back to your question - What is a quality directory? To address this question, we might want to dig a little bit on why is a directory being used today? In my opinion 99% of people use it for link building. Is it a great link building technique? Can we rank only by submitting to 1000 directories. Certainly not. It can be a part of a link building process and can help to rank a specific site if the site is well linked through other methods. Few percentage of the crowd still believes that traffic is one reason why they submit to a directory. So IMO, it is SEO benefit + traffic. Now coming back to your question - What is a quality directory? Here is my view. SEO benefit - The directory must have a good page rank. It's category pages has to have a good page rank. So when a person submits to a directory at site.com/category1 it has to pass on the link juice. For which the category page has to have a page rank. Traffic authority - The link details page must be well authoritative to gain search ranks. Say for example: site.com/details/this-is-my-keyword.html has to rank for the term "this is my keyword". This can only happen if the directory has enough credibility. If this is the case as an advertiser I can funnel search traffic to the link details page and then to my web page. For this to happen a 2 line description will never work. People must submit highly optimized, unique and substantial description. To sum up, a good directory is the one that gives the best benefit for the advertiser or the web master who submits it - Benefit in terms of traffic and benefits in terms of SEO. That's it. Please go ahead with your constructive criticism
The simple fact is that Google supplies the best information out there, everything else is irrelevant. I am not going to look at those references that you have supplied as I have probably already seen them. No directory is going to make or break your SEO campaign and that includes the so called top dogs DMOZ or Yahoo Directory, I bet you see no proof in those references. The only benefit I see in directories is link diversification, and a simple setup and forget directory script can do that for me. The only quality directories IMO are those that are not link directories but instead informative business resources such as yellow pages or even freeindex, then again we have Google local for that. I personally do not care if people have link directories or not and the only reason why I posted here is because near enough every post that I read in this part or the forum I see the same people badmouthing other people with simple link directories. So come on show me these so called quality directories. I have pulled the following directory from the seomoz pro directory list and this kind of directory is not quality, it's link manipulation >>> http://www.thebrickwall.com/directory/ I too can buy dropped domains and sell links.
Probably this one may be close to what you are looking at. I personally like this one. Has multiple facets...
samdar can i ask you a question about dirjournal.com? It's a simple question. Here it is. what dose daddu.net and dirjournal.com have im communion? Nothing unless dirjournal.com pay's a fee to daddu.net. By the way dirjournal.com is not a Blog as described by daddu.net Clear proof that that dirjournal.com is on a paid link business, or they are owned by the same person who knows. Can that be quality? Don't think so.
Thanks for the challenging ask. I don't want to support or badge a directory as quality because I myself struggling to build one. May be I got obsessed by the review on Yoast -> http://yoast.com/dirjournal-review/
That is a paid blog post, probably cost in excess of $400. Even though I have no proof I consider my own opinion to be valuable. Submitting to link directories can offer anchor/IP diversification but other than that I see no benefit. the best and only sign to look at IMO is where do the directories rank. Lets say that I am in the UK and I'm looking to promote a builders website so I now think whether or not this dirjournal is worth paying $60 as a minimum for. here is the category: http://www.dirjournal.com/regional/...siness/construction/builders_and_contractors/ I now do a search on google UK for "builders" but this dirjournal page is nowhere to be found, hmmm. Ok lets do a search for the page with its actual title tag "Builders and Contractors" Hang on a minute, the site is still nowhere to be found, do you still think it's a quality link? If I want to promote my builder UK site then why would I purchase a link on a page that can't even rank well on Google itself, makes no sense as Google doesn't consider it quality so why should you? Here is something so amazing and is such common sense. Do a search in Google UK for "builders" and look at which directories come up, simple right? www.fmb.org.uk - Great site and a quality resource for builders in the UK. Great for building companies and for people searching for builders. www.mybuilder.com - Great community of searchers and building companies. Wikipedia - Great link to obtain even though it's no followed. Yell.com/s/builders-uk.html - Gaining a link on this page can be valuable not only for serp improvement but for actual people searching for your business. I personally would meet up with a yell.com representative and request analytic data, then decide if it is worth paying the outrageous prices that they charge. 1 directory sticks out for me and that is: http://www.freeindex.co.uk/categories/property/construction/building_services/ Gaining a link from freeindex will not only be beneficial for serp improvement, but you will find potential clients, and it's free. The creator of Freeindex has been smart, not only has he found a way of having real searchers but he has found a way to garner links naturally and that being through badges and a rating system that can be included on peoples websites, check it out >>> http://floor-me.co.uk/ >>> http://floor-me.co.uk/testimonials. Also notice how companies are ranked by actual reviews from the companies clients. I do not see any general link directories, these died 10 years ago, again just my opinion, anyone care to challenge my words and prove me wrong? What i'm saying is that Google should be your only point of deciding whether or not a link is valuable enough in terms of serp improvement, and it seems that the general link directories have been discarded and replaced with local business directories.