I could be late on this one but I just noticed that the Starting Point Directory stpt.com got it's PR slapped around. It's home page now has a PR 5 with the internal page at a 4. Were they not an 8 before? Hmmm........ wonder when the big G will lower their own PR? I'm sure they're next. I remember the big hit a couple months ago, is this a new one?
In this case, you judge a web directory by it's PR, which is in my opinion, wrong. I never put efforts on increasing my pagerank, there are lots of other factors you need to consider. As for Google being after directories, I don't think that is the case, as you may recall, not only web directories were penalised. Google is after paid links, which is a common issue for a certain number of web directories, as they guarantee inclusion and don't even bother to review a web site carefully, see if it matches all the submission guidelines and so on. If you are selling listings, that is wrong, if you are selling reviews and fully supporting it, you should have no further issues. I could go on much further, deeper, however I believe you have a good picture of how the pagerank system itself works; so I am not going to explain how the PageRank is determined. Meti
It's high time that webmasters should start believing in traffic instead of PR. At least as far as directories are concerned. "Pagerank system is here today, but may not be there tomorrow". So it's useless at the moment >> BOTTOMLINE
I didn't say that I judge sites by PR, but I know many webmasters that do. This may be of interest for them. It just happens to be a popular directory that took the hit.
Business Blogger, changes continue to occure, it wasn't a one action screws all at the same time moment, i see continual things happening. I have got a little better at not trying to understand anything, its liberating. I think its still a unhealthy habit for any forum members to come on saying how they have PR6, or talking of their great success or saying how they were not affected, seems no sooner do they say that then they get unwelcome suprises.
I wonder since paid links arent allowed on site.....will directories that require paid links be punished?
PR will make no difference. Little g is the only ones who are allowed to peddle links in the form of adwords. Of course there are those who will argue they don't use direct links. True, but if for some reason they changed their current method then their old method would no longer be acceptable. IMHO - Forget little g with respect to directories and optimize your directories for other search engines.
This has to be one of the most common misconceptions there is. Directories ( most ) charge for a review / & or advertising not paid links and as such will not be penalised.
Google is actually doing us all a favour. If every directory had its PR lowered, people would look for other factors other than PR to judge a directory. We would all be judged the same then, rather than us with low PR being "overpriced" or "hated by google"
A high percentage do not "require" paid links, though they do charge for reviews, managing a web directory does take time and hard work, and running a free web directory takes lots of time, not to mention a massive amount of spam listings are added. Some web directory owners choose to charge a small review fee for each listing they go through, there are multiple factors that a editor must go through, and see if it matches the directory standards. The fee most of them charge, is for the editorial process. Hope that makes it clear, Meti
Asked and answered multiple times, even by Matt Cutts himself. Directories are a great, low-cost way to build backlinks. Don't waste your time chasing PR because in the end it doesn't really matter. Here are my feelings: targeted traffic = most important traffic = important quality content is = very important page rank = little if any importance good luck
I think that it is traffic that converts in Sales and not PR. what Good is PR when you cannot get traffic. So there is life beyond the Google Pagerank and I think that soon this PR metric will be obsolete.
Thought long and hard about this and have decided to give PR a facelift and new image. From this point on in directory land ( Mine anyway ) PR = Public Relations and can be summed up by the following, where we promote directories to the public / business that use directories, work closley with our customers to ensure their product is delivered to the public and offer a service that can't be matched for quality, backup and service. and in that i hope everyone's PR is high.
The bid directory bigweblinks.com took a huge hit...it is now PR4, down from PR7. The top bidder stood at just $3000...for a PR4 link.
I believe Google is at it again.- but not only with directories -- it is also taking action against blogs and other sites. One of my blog which was PR4 and only have links to my sites has been downgraded to PR0 I have also noticed that 2 PR6 directories ( nextdir & dirfly ) - which became PR6 during October update - have been penalized recently. They are not ranking even for their own url name - like those penalized before. So --YES- Google is going after all those sites that sell links.