Have you considered just taking your directory/directories permanently offline?

As a long term directory owner i admit that it's dead now, flogging a dead horse comes to mind.

Now it's mostly removal requests.

As far as online business is concerned, web directories are never recovering, if you think that it will then you are in denial.

So would you consider simply taking yours offline? Permanently.

As the removal requests confirm that they are harmful to other websites, sure you can say that it isn't the case and that it's overuse of keywords across hundreds or thousands of submissions but we know that's what some people submitted for in the first place.

Technology is moving forward, google is moving forward, brand new web startups appear every week yet people are still in denial about this "web directory business" that never truely existed.

I think that there are some smart people here that could go and make something better, leave the directory days behind you, start something new, learn how to code, learn how to design, learn about startups, solve a problem online or offline, make a good steady income, distance yourself from trying to game the search engines.

Eventually most of your listings will need to be removed anyway.

I think those of us that are holding on to them are prolonging the suffering.

Added: Btw, i'm going to hand mine away for free, if you want them you must take them off my hands this weekend, i can push the domains to you and pass on the db's, transfer the licenses but i want it sorted quickly so that i can close down my hosting account where they are.

If you want them then let me know quickly.

 

My directories were never made to generate income from and most of the content is from free submission. The income they generate is a nice perk but you have to love it or leave it.

 

Glad to see a bit of common sense.

 

I can foretell how this discussion will go. Many with their web directory links in their signatures will reply by something like this :
"Hey you are wrong. My directory is still making XXXX every month. Maybe because my directory is high quality. If you are not making any money this could be because your sites are rubbish low quality link farms."
Most people here come just to promote their web directories anyways.

Don't you think it would be better to try to find a buyer. Atleast get something for the time and money you spent on your sites back. I am sure with a nice sales pitch you can get some money out of your sites either here or at flippa. Or you could give them for free to someone who is willing to pay for the domain renewals.

 

I am afraid pipes is correct.

I can't remember last time I used a web directory service... I believe it was before google came around.
I believe I am correct when I say that nowadays the only people using web directories are the ones that want to SEO submit their websites.

IMO the original problem with web directories was that they didn't provide an easy and reliable way
to establish whether website A was as good as website B or not for example.

Search engines did that first (1) and in a better way (2).
You just need to type a couple of words in an input to find out which websites are better and worth your time.

 

I am absolutely not in a state of denial as possibilities should not be negated, however on the other hand I am optimistic and shall remain devoted to Directories. They are my first and last love.

 

On the other hand I don't believe they are dead too.
Just like TV didn't kill the radio, Internet didn't kill the TV, search engines are not going to kill web directories.
But hey... they bleed and bled a LOT.

My 2 cents.

 

I already said in my previous posts (In another threads) if I would create and develop free local directory to list only local sites created by teacher, Professor and any individual whom thinking Education as essential factor to improve the quality of our life.

I already check any directory which specially doing a something like that but it wasn't exist (at-least in my area). However, PHPLD license is more than $25 (lifetime - LinkBack version / $60 unbranded).

In the past, I use WordPress as directory (without any plugin - just normal WordPress using post and category). Not quite easy and it use lots of resources.

Reading post made by Pipes above make me worried. I would not even think again to get a directory. Not at this time. I have to think the best way to list all sites created by every teacher, professor and individual with 'unique methods'. I am thinking to make a category which is different than regular category.
Ex:

1. 'How to be a teacher'
2. 'Guide for new teacher'
3. 'Teaching material for teacher'
4. 'Understanding student'
5. 'How to be nice teacher'
6. Teaching with confident'
7. etc, (there would be 64 list of category with only ten great sites in every category. Non great site would be added to sub category)

The category was created to help anyone whom willing to learn about education in local area (my area). There would be vote and comment (moderated - only member allowed to make comment. List of Member are teacher, professor and professional). I am not sure this idea is good enough. Will only focus on blogging and teaching at the moment.

 

I go back and forth on this issue. I suspect general directories have two major problems - the QBC and trying to cover too many topics with categories that are covering too many disparate topics (i.e. an Arts category with listings for musicians, poets, painters, quilters, graphic artists, sound file sites and the like all listed on the same page because those site owners were willing to pay to be "featured")

That said, if I had fewer sites of my own and more time, I would jump at your offer.

But, I would probably take your databases and turn the bigger categories into niche directories. I would want to revisit every listing to ensure they are still viable listings as well as recategorize them more tightly.

I would try to include longer descriptions and make them more sales oriented. I would make them all third person (something I admit I didn't do on my own site) and designed to help garner search engine traffic for the directory.

This isn't a critique on your sites, I don't remember which directories are yours. Just saying what I would do if someone handed me a big general directory and a nice big database full of sites to play with.

 

Just in case any directory owners still haven't got the message to pack up and move on, here is the trend that search engines appear to be going from what i observe.

That more information that you are looking for won't even require you to click a result in the search engine results (already happening) sure plenty will still need to be clicked through to and of course that is part of googles current business model too but as search engines move on it simply leaves web directories behind.

Even niche directories, be honest with yourselves.

 

I guess I just don't get the message and have no intention of joining the take the money and run crew and close my directories.

 

I get more requests to list web sites than I do requests to remove them. The ones that request removal chose to either go with a NOFOLLOW option for the same fee we charged to review their site, or a slightly larger fee to remove the listing completely.

If anything, the SEO' worlds misunderstanding of links have been somewhat good for business.

 

Speaking of the SEO world...I continue to receive submissions every week for SEO companies...to my Arts and Crafts Directory. They're submitting their own sites as well as sometimes as many as a dozen of their clients, which also have nothing to do with arts or crafts. A good 85-90% of my submissions are from these schmucks. Others email directly to get text links. One even wanted a text link on the details page of their client's competitor.

They created the mess and it seems to me they are continuing to wallow in it.

Why should I discontinue my site because they don't know what they are doing? Google should stop listening to these snake oil peddlers and return to using common sense.

 

thanks for sharing your opinions...
will help me with my work

 

I continue to receive submissions to my web directory

Regards the link removal requests, thanks to the tip provided by YMC on a different forum, I now reply to such requests with a generic email and educate the individual which works well as they either agree or don't reply

I understand where Pipes is coming from, but think you should continue and don't give up It's your decision though.

 

I'm definitely not taking money and and running away from the directory market. In fact I've built a whole business around directories in the past two years and it has gotten better every month (even during the directory market slowdowns).

The only thing that's happened to the directory market is that a directory doesn't have much SEO value anymore. I actually send my subscribers (PAID listings) customer leads and traffic. I dont think any of my customers buy a listing on my directories for the backlink value anyways.

 

I closed mine up 2 years ago.

Link building has taken a new route, directory links/(sites with thousands of out bound links) are not worth anything anymore. Google changed and seo has changed with it.

Adapt or slowly die.

 

You are assuming that the only benefit directories have are links for search engine ranking and Google. Directory business still exists and will continue to do so albeit focused on bringing a different value to the clients (actual leads and traffic)

 

Because people use directories instead of google ?