Google Knol on 'Why Owning a Directory Sucks'

Hi to all the directory owners out there, I recently updated an article I wrote back in 2007 and put it up on a Google Knol - please take a look and add in your "Stage 15" here or in comments on the Knol itself.

Excerpt:

Stage 1 - You dream of claiming your piece of the Internet boom pie and possible fame from owning the next BIG directory. The desire to help your fellow forum members and maybe earn some cash along the way is the driving force behind your decision to build your first web directory.

Read the entire Knol here

 

Interesting timeline jg123.

But honestly four months is not long enough to build a quality directory. Instead of waiting for things to happen, it requires hard work and something that will take your directory in its own direction to stand out from the crowd. If your directory can offer value for those that visit and submit to it, you have done a good job. Certainly this is a lot easier said then done, but it can be done.

 

The truth is that I hung on to multiple directories for almost 3 years so I did actually 'tough it out' and ended up with a few successful paid directories. But during that time I did experience all these stages and spent a lot of time in this forum watching others go through these phases as well and I still own a few directories.

 

this year can be disaster yearfor web directory, google drop many web directory ranking

 

The problem with directories is they are good (maybe) only for the PR, but wont bring you any visitors. It is a big difference from the situation 10 or 15 years ago when people went thru Yahoo to your pages. And this is the reason why there is only a small chance to build next big directory.

 

Great knol! I'll add it later.

 

While I applaud anything that may discourage folks from thinking making a directory leads to a shower of cash with little or no work; your title is just more fuel for the SEO folks who wish to push their agendas.

The entire premise of your Knol is that building directories is a waste of time. Yet, you continue to own and run them. Why in the world would you continue running directories if they suck as much as you say they do? Seems more that a little hypocritical.

As I suspected before even visiting your Knol, you include a link to the site where you provide professional SEO services. Strangely enough, your services just happen to include "quality directory submissions".

Seems a bit odd that you would want to create "viral and link bait content" that undermines another aspect of your own professional services. After all, if all directories only have 0.0017% (the 1/600 ratio you used in your Knol) of worthy submissions, why would anyone pay you to submit to what you see as such spamfests?

 

Good article, I think I bought my first directory from this man a couple of years ago and have owned some pretty decent directories in the last couple of years the last of which I sold recently on SP for a nice figure, sort of miss having a directory so will be keeping an eye out to purchase a decent directory but they are few and far between...

 

I know over the years the directory owners on this forum have taken a beating and I have been among them and have always stood in full support of directory owners and David at phpLD. I think you are having a knee-jerk reaction when it is not really applicable here or at least not fully.

I never said "directories suck" I said that running one can be a very stressful and 'sucky experience' and I don't only detail my own experience in my 14 stages but I also pull from reading 1000's of posts in this forum and following the ups-and-downs of other directory owners.

What this Knol is really trying to get across (with a bit of humor) is that running a directory is tough and not a way to 'get rich quick' and I also try and poke some fun at directory owners that approach it sort of half hazardly - thinking a free script, free template, free hosting and they reached the end of the rainbow. eg:

Again I think you are taking the particulars a bit to personally, I admit to slight exaggeration to help get my point across but I would honestly guess that 90% of the directories out there these days are spammfests and worthless. The industry was overrun long ago by folks building dozens of terrible directories on dropped domains.

As you mentioned I am a professional SEO and still recommend quality directory submissions as part of a good over all campaign and in fact I say in my opening statement on the Knol itself:

 

14 pts

good compilation
i also started few directories and burnt my hand

 

Several years ago I had an article reach the front page of Digg. I had an attention grabbing headline that was designed to spark controversy. What I learned from the experience is how few people actually read an article before they feel compelled to make comments on it. Their opinions and comments were solely based on the headline.

All of these negative articles about directories only helps to confuse folks on whether or not their sites will be harmed by submitting to them. They hear the word "directory" and completely miss the aspect "quality directory".

I understand when the professional SEO'ers bash directories. After all, they are trying to sell their services and are trying to convince potential customers that they will fail if they try to do it on their own. (Not exactly a marketing ploy that I would recommend to a client.) But, when someone who owns and operates directories uses this tactic, it leaves me wondering if they understand the marketplace they are working in.

Even assuming folks are going to take the time to read your Knol completely, you never mention that you still own directories and do not give any other clues that this is a satirical look about the pitfalls of owning a directory.

 

I guess we will have to agree to disagree on this one, this article is written for directory owners I doubt many 'novice submitters' will be reading it. I think whether I still own a directory is mostly irrelevant to the article and I do say "A bit tongue-in-cheek but true to the heart."

 

good compilation....

 

Hilarious. This article should be required reading for anyone experiencing the urge to create a directory. Suppress the urge!

 

Funny article, however I started things way differently and can admit directories are relatevly easy money. The downside is depending on Google's PR. Hate when that drops.