The Future For Directories

Mike do you have any proof of this, I only say this because I have only heard Mr Cutts talk about paid links, not free links.

 

remember that google also allow MFA ans spammy sites ,in their Adword ,
everyday i filter many crappy sites which should be categorised like Spam / MFA .....ect

 

Mike I dont think Google is interested if a payment is actually made, more if the site offers a paid service.

Remember your comments are just tha, your own comments, not fact. I did ask for a few examples of free directories that have suffered a penalty, simply saying a few have is not hard facts.

 

How do you explain blogs that were penalized?

It is not a matter of the future of directories, it is basically a matter of the web itself, there have been several blogs penalized due to the last update. Coincidence? I think not.

Also, nor do I or you have any facts to prove what we are standing by, you are obviously not satisfied with web directories and think they are not going to have a bright future, whilst my opinion is different. We'll just have to wait, time will tell.

Business Services, I respect your points and you've brought a excellent discussion, although we've had these kind of threads in the past and I can assure you web directories will remain a big part, although lots of work will be required in the coming months/years.

 

I have heard this phrase many many times. But how is quality determined?
And better yet how will google understand that the directory in question is a quality one?
Many will say the quality of sites listed, content etc etc....
But then again why so many real quality directories have been penalized?

I think the correct phrase would be: The directory industry is bright for directories that have to offer what is needed by webmasters.

And this is what the first post of this thread is talking about.
Directories should definately re-define their role on the internet. It's not that bad and people shouldn't be afraid of this fact. Many kinds of businesses have changed through years.

Bottomline I think that key here is traffic. It always have been, but many webmasters have been after the easy money PR and other things and metrics like it had to offer, forgetting that the rug could be pulled under their feet any time the "owner" felt so.
Traffic is the keyfactor. Take google itself as an example. An idea, a useful tool, then expansion to marketing ---> King of the internet (and not only).
And this is all based on traffic.

So are there any directories that can gather some visitors? And not only webmasters....
What can directories do to attract this audience?
Is there anything that can be done?

I say yes there is, but as always, very few will manage to get on the evolution train and taste the benefits.

Just my opinion.
Thank you.

 

Its a massive task ahead then, probably will result in more established directories calling it a day and finding a completely different business to be in.

 

Consider this question...

If we were to take PR out of the equation, how many directories would die quickly?

Would your site live or die if PR went away? Perhaps evaluating your answer to that question would be a true answer to whether or not your directory has a future. Free, paid, paid review doesn't really matter in that context; does it?

Many of you are too young to remember the early days of the Internet when Google didn't exist and Yahoo! and Alta Vista were all there was to help you find things. Even with Yahoo! and Alta Vista, it was a true challenge to find good websites despite there being no such things as MFA sites and all of the other crap that litters the Internet today. People put lists on their sites of sites that they had found via the grapevine, on their own, or were made by people they knew. With the technology to create search engines not around yet to truly index the web many of us relied on these link lists/farms as a way to find things on the Internet. Those lists evolved into the foundation of directories. The point of the lists was to share sites that had been found to have value to visitors of the initial site - PR, SERPs, SEO, and all that other stuff was irrelevant - it didn't exist yet.

Free links, paid links, paid reviews and all the rest have never been the real problem here. Why keep tap dancing around the true issue here? Create a resource, be it a directory or any other site, and you will have a bright future. Create something that has no value and your future may be less assured.

So, if you take away PR, SERPs, SEO and all the rest; would your directory be able to survive? Mine would, how about you?

 

But thats clearly never going to happen, it would be like the search engines starting all over again, so its not really a worry.

SEO's, webmasters etc never created any of those above, they were shells put in place and like always, people find ways to build on them.

Should a webmaster dumb themselves down in order to fit in with requirements?

How do you know yours would survive?

 

So is that saying that without all of those terms above that you can do great and with them you must be kicking butt? like your unstoppable right now?

Or are you saying that PR, SERP's, SEO and the rest are actually getting in your way?

 

How do you know the content is useful? does the traffic convert as much as required? do they perform the action or exit swiftly?

 

@YMC

interesting position, but to clarify certain things, are your directories a commercial venture or a hobby for you ?

 

I see there are many ways a person may develop their sites, none right none wrong ( within common sense ), at the end of the day i see visitors both unique and recuring as the indicator to how well this is done in a similar way customers walk into the front door of a department store, offer a good product with service, the customers will return, and in turn tell their friends, your business grows.

The alternate offer rubbish and it will only be a matter of time before your doors close.

 

Actually, I think that almost all paid directory submitters have a very clear understanding of what they are doing. They are (1) putting out their money in order to (2) get a backlink to their websites. The fact that Google's recent activities have forced paid directory owners to run for cover under the "pay for review" phrase changes nothing. The paying submitter couldn't care less what the directory owner calls the process. His/her motivation is entirely to get a good backlink, and that is why they put up their money.

 

Paid directories will be death in time (or disabled from being able to alter the ranking of the websites they list in any way). I think site owners should concentrate on other more "natural" ways of link building, such as buying reviews with links inside the body from VERY relevant blogs.

 

You can get george lucas creating all your content but not everyone is star wars fans.

Everyone in their niche believes their an expert though.

 

Just so i have this real clear, can someone explain the difference between a link in a paid directory and a link in free directory, both do the same thing and in that would bother have penalties applied if that was the case. ?

 

I agree to you. Actually most of the people don't know it basically review fee, not the paid links. fee for time & efforts webmaster put into directory(prepare a place) for you to put your links.

hope it help.

thanks