Why the sudden penalization on Directories?

Because they dont buy/sell paid links but they provide a software and support for that.

 

Yup thats what I'm thinking. But I'm betting they're being penalized for attempting to manipulate Google via paid links.

 

there are already zounds of threads with owners complaining of the SERP drops, none of my directories fell so I don't complain. Let's analyze and try to figure out the algorithm Google uses to detect paid links. I would think that Google penalizes you because you have sold links on your site, not because you have bought links on other sites.

If google would penalize you for buying links then this would be an open gate for competition to harm you. I mean, I create a crap site, I pub there a huge box with title Paid Links, Paid advertising etc and use your links in the box.

I would think that the Featured links in your own directories is the problem. maybe the word Featured is in their algorithm, next to paid advertising and paid link, somebody suggest an alternative for word Featured. something like Special listings.

You ask yourself, why Google penalizes the big directories, well.. all have Featured Links and many links between the text Featured Links and Regular Links. They don't penalize small directories, because between Featured and Regular is only 1-2 links.

This is just my oppinion.

 

They are gaining backlink because they are providing a script to run the directory and you are linking it to sponsored link.
Wordpress blogs also link back to wordpress.org so you think those links should not be counted and you use a free script and wordpress.org should be penalised for offering the script for free?

 

I dont own any directory, but have submitted to many in my time in the hope of more traffic.

With so many of the "strong directories" losing SERP for their own name - at the same time - it sounds more like a penalty more than a blip to me.

Sorry to hear that - Directory owners must be gutted for their loyal customers.

Hope it gets sorted

 

For the people saying "wait until Google gives an official word". When do they ever?

 

Yup. Also, people think they could outsmart Google with the games they play. I think Google just had enough of their VERY SMART and CLEVER ideas. Too much SEO don't do any good. Maybe its a wake up call for everyone.

 

I have submitted my directory to 10 paid quality directories (I don't give names) and invested $200. In 2 days, from the front page of google for my targeted keywords, I was nowhere.

 

In many cases it's not all that hard to tell which links are worthy and which are not. The sig links here on DP are marked with a __________________<br> not to mention <!-- / sig --> tags in the HTML (which is on by default in vBulletin)

Footer tags are also pretty easy to spot. Most are wrapped in <div> tags and are the group of links right before the analytics code.

It would not be all that far fetched to think that Google could ignore these links for SERP calculations.

It certainly would be nice to go back to the good old days when things were a bit more organic and a lot less shifty. I'd love to be able to look up ring tones for my phone and not need to shuffle through hundreds of sites that offer nothing to get to a page that has re-hashed midi files that sound like they were dubbed off an 8-track. *shrug* It only takes google to wake up on the wrong side of bed to get the rest of us to open our eyes

 

It wasn't long ago that I became a laughing stock for adding informative content that a directory needs. Almost got shot by most of the industry members for not accepting their sites when I did start upgrading the level of acceptance.

Now as I remember the old verse in the holy script that the Angel of Death will strike without warning.

 

There are still many many quality directories that were not affected. I don't think Google is penalizing directories.

 

You are correct ...

My biggest question is why has this happened?

What did they do wrong ?

How long will the penalty last if the correct changes are made?

thx
malcolm

 

One possible problem is that so many directories are interlinked among themselves, either by listings or ads. To Google's algo, this could look like a link exchange network.

 

Excellent point. And not only to Google. It doesn't just LOOK link a link exchange network. It IS a link exchange network.

Another excellent point, not only for directories but for SEO in general.

Revisited: The Art of SEO
Jill Whalen
August 29, 2007

...more

 

This sounds completely sensible and as I understood things...but I looked at a few of the penalised directories in backlinkwatch and the common factor seems to be that they have links from dubious footer links on high PR sites, surrounded by links for cigarettes, poker etc.

Meanwhile directories that didn't get penalised appeared not to have these links. So illogical as it appears, I suspect they have looked for buyers of high PR links and penalised them.

I only looked at a few but the trend looked consistent. Are there any sites that don't fit this pattern?

 

I noticed this. just last week I placed 7 external links on my website home page, that used to enjoy a very high SERP ranking. Now its rank fell on page 5 and its the first SERP drop ever in 3 years. There's the 'Sponsored Links' on top of the text links. Just last sunday, I removed all those links and the 'Sponsoed Links' text as well. I'm monitoring if the site will go back to it's previous rank.

 

I don't see what Google did wrong here. People were taking advantage of a loophole, and Google decided to do their best to close the loophole. If you spend one hour of your time promoting your site by putting specific keyword links on other sites, forums, and blogs, while some other person in the same niche spends that same hour building content on their site, which one should be rewarded by Google? I'm not saying that link building and other SEO practices are wrong, I'm just saying that some people have taken it too far and just expected Google to always reward them.

The one thing that might be a bit nefarious on Google's part is trying to wipe Text Link Ads off the map. TLA is a competitor to Google's advertising programs, even though it might work a little differently. A company that is not evil should not try to deal with a competitor by making it appear that they do not exist. If they want some of TLA's business they should develope a similar advertising program and compete for it.

 

In summary, Google wanna dismiss SEO:

1. supplemental index gone from public
2. PR update hasn't happened yet
3. Google hunting for paid links and some well known directories "got" penalty.