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The idea behind a bidding directory blatantly breaks Google's rules

Discussion in 'Directories' started by PixelStreamed, Sep 9, 2007.

  1. #1
    If you think about it, the idea behind a bidding directory is too pay a certain amount of money to get your link listed higher on the directory on a page with better pagerank - this constitutes buying links to increase PR and manipulate SERP's.

    At least with a regular paid directory, your paying a one-time fee for the editor to review your site and include it in the directory. So it's hard to justify whether Google considers this buying a paid link to increase PR, etc... as againsts it's rules.

    That being said, I don't think bidding directories will last too long, and if Google were to start going after directories those would be the first for them to target because of the idea behind them.

    I'd love to hear other people's opinions on this. I know I'm going to get alot of heat about this post by bidding directory owners, and because of the rise in popularity of bidding directory, but I am only stating what I see and being truthful.

    In summary:
    Bidding directory = Paying money directly for the link, the link benefit, and to be listed higher in the directory for the benefits (breaks Google's rules without question)
    Paid directory = Paying a fee to have the editor review and add your site to directory (questionable if it breaks Google's rules)
     
    PixelStreamed, Sep 9, 2007 IP
  2. Brennan

    Brennan Notable Member

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    #2
    The purpose of bidding directories isn't just PR, it's also traffic! Why do you think bigweblinks bidded $1,500 on zorg-links.com when it has no PR?
     
    Brennan, Sep 9, 2007 IP
  3. balkanboy

    balkanboy Banned

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    #3
    First of all if you wanted opinions you shouldn't give your own in tread title as a fact.

    Like any type of sites, quality bidding directories will stay above low quality link farms with no editorial integrity and no additional value but pure SE manipulation and PR passing.

    Business model doesn't put every business in same line so some will be there as great resources providing good value for visitors and in addition send high traffic to homepage listings.
    That way, bidding for homepage spots will be same as adwords.

    If Google decides this type of sites should be banned or given lower in some aspect it will not be because it is not ethical or something but only because they want to make more money(for example protecting adwords program by saying bidding directories are bad thing).

    So, try to think about Google as a company which will do everything to protect and increase their profits-not as a measure of justice.
     
    balkanboy, Sep 9, 2007 IP
    threebuckchuck likes this.
  4. Wealdie

    Wealdie Guest

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    #4
    To me Google has not got it in for any type of directory.

    I do think though they have got a big problem with any site "buying" PR to "resell" that PR as a commodity - directory site or otherwise.
     
    Wealdie, Sep 9, 2007 IP
  5. shenron

    shenron Notable Member

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    #5
    Let me just throw in something...

    What are Adwords? A refined version of a Bidding Directory?

    IMHO... somehow YES!
     
    shenron, Sep 9, 2007 IP
  6. mikey1090

    mikey1090 Moderator Staff

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    #6
    Wrong.

    Bidding Directory
    Minimum bid = review fee for editor to review site.
    Bid higher for better advertisement purposes. Simple.

    Paid Directory
    Paid so editor can review your submission.
    Buy a featured listing for advertisement purposes & deep links etc.
     
    mikey1090, Sep 9, 2007 IP
    Mong likes this.
  7. Red_Virus

    Red_Virus Well-Known Member

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    #7
    Very simply it can be explained as ...

    more money = higher placement of links = more traffic! :) & that too targeted, this again depends on the niche(categories) of the bidding directories.

    I don't think that bidding directories will be banned !
     
    Red_Virus, Sep 9, 2007 IP
  8. loredan

    loredan Well-Known Member

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    #8
    So true... the more you pay , more exposure your ad will get...
     
    loredan, Sep 9, 2007 IP
  9. uttoransen

    uttoransen Prominent Member

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    #9
    LOL - is there any difference of serps, or link juice, between a link listed on 10th position of the page and the 1st position of the page!

    More money will only give you more traffic, as the first link get's most traffic and the 10th link will get limited traffic:)

    And talking about PR, most bidding directories are PR0, so they can't sell pr value anyways, LOL:p:D

    Remember, this is the directory category and not the google category, google gives about 10-15% traffic, there are other search engines too! so there is nothing so much to talk about google in the directory categories!:)
     
    uttoransen, Sep 9, 2007 IP
  10. loredan

    loredan Well-Known Member

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    #10
    When you pay for your spot in a bidding directory it's just like in real life:
    you pay $10 - you get a Ford, you pay $100 you get a Mercedes. This is life...
     
    loredan, Sep 9, 2007 IP
  11. britishguy

    britishguy Prominent Member

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    #11
    Exactly and so what is wrong with that, and what has that got to with some SE saying this and saying that, its the fundamentals of free and competitive enterprize and it will outlast any quango invention by others whether they be some SE or whether they be the much missed Luciano Pavarotti :cool:

    When you have a Mercedes you have a touch of class they last a long time and give great performance with many value added benefits like getting to the front of the TRAFFIC lanes before a lot of competitors :)
     
    britishguy, Sep 9, 2007 IP
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  12. kentuckyslone

    kentuckyslone Notable Member

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    #12
    Very generally speaking there is some truth to what you say, but really that isnt the way it is. Advertising execs and marketing pros have convinced the public the high price equals quality.

    The problem with that way of thought is that if I ask $20 for my used car no one will think it is worth anything, but if I ask 20,000 for that same car folks will think "wow it must be good!"

    This is like one of the most basic things taught in all marketing classes. Believe me, high price does not automatically mean high value.

    Recently I bought a Chevy. I have put about 5000 miles of trouble free driving on that car. A friend of mine bought a nice red Mercedes at about the same time. Guess what? It stays broke down! True story!
     
    kentuckyslone, Sep 9, 2007 IP
  13. Wealdie

    Wealdie Guest

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    #13
    So just to be clear - are you saying bidding directories are all about traffic and nothing to do with PR?
     
    Wealdie, Sep 9, 2007 IP
  14. loredan

    loredan Well-Known Member

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    #14
    Ok...let's take it this way... Google is a free search engine isn't it? Your site is on 47th page for a certain keyword and you want to be on first page. Guess what... you just have to join Adwords, PAY and your site will be on the first page. Isn't it similar with the bid for position concept? Sure it somehow is...
     
    loredan, Sep 9, 2007 IP
  15. loredan

    loredan Well-Known Member

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    #15
    Wealdie, check Zorg-Links... it is PR0 ... it can't pass any PR at the moment so why did this site get "penalised" when it's all about traffic?
     
    loredan, Sep 9, 2007 IP
  16. kentuckyslone

    kentuckyslone Notable Member

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    #16
    Yes, it would be VERY similar. But one difference might be that tens of thousands of people might see the Google ad (targeted 'people' who typed in a search word or phrase) while how many people who are actually interested in your particular site will be looking at a bid directory?

    Alos the Adwords ad will not give you any PR value or regular SERP improvements for your pages.

    I do see what you mean though and I agree with what a lot of people are thinking - Google is just trying to cut back on the competition because they want t be the ones who are selling link space.
     
    kentuckyslone, Sep 9, 2007 IP
  17. loredan

    loredan Well-Known Member

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    #17
    Hopefully they won't do that... Yahoo and MSN are just around the corner waiting for such a mistake and I'm sure they will be able to come up with something :)
     
    loredan, Sep 9, 2007 IP
  18. Wealdie

    Wealdie Guest

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    #18
    I dont know when Zorg-Links launched - but according to Yahoo it has a "few" backlinks - regardless of what the Toolbar PR says - so I do not understand what you are asking me.
     
    Wealdie, Sep 9, 2007 IP
  19. mikey1090

    mikey1090 Moderator Staff

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    #19
    Its not PR0, its probably PR5 or PR6 when the toolbar eventually gets updated. But yeah, people bif for exposure, not PR.
     
    mikey1090, Sep 9, 2007 IP
  20. loredan

    loredan Well-Known Member

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    #20
    Mikey, you don't know what PR Zorg will get when the toolbar gets updated, so let's presume the PR is 0 as the toolbar shows at this moment - the rest are just predictions.
     
    loredan, Sep 9, 2007 IP