Mike Dammann Interview about the directory contest

I recently sent a few questions to blogmaster (Mike Damman ) about the directory contest and he was kind enough to answer.

The interview is posted at my blog but for the people that are not click happy I am also posting it here.

Hi Mike, let's start by getting straight to the point. What was the main reason that made you start the directory contest?

Dimitris, first off thank you for these great questions. Have been seeing your blog around for a while and am happy to add something to it.

The reason for the contest was and is to create the platform to let the search engines build the biggest and best directory of directories. No other url has been listed by as many different directories. Many tools will be developed around this contest. Different search engine marketers will use different criteria to find the directories they want to submit to. Some will use the link domain feature, some will add keywords to it. You name it, everything is right there and ready to be used. I have seen many directories of directories, and frankly, none of them has impressed me. Including my own.

A few people (including me) have expressed concerns that since backlinks are allowed this is just another SEO contest. What in your opinion differentiates it from other SEO contests.

I don´t believe that those links are that helpful. What matters most is how much the search engines like your directory, which depends on many more factors. If you have credibility in Google, you won´t need backlinks. Some of the directories in the top 3 pages don´t use any. You can do the research yourself. This contest is not perfect, but if you know what to look for, you will find the directories which more or less shot themselves out there, as well as the ones that Google just threw to the top, without the directory owners really doing anything. Those IMO are the directories worth submitting to and they are the ones that pass on credibility to every website listed.

What do you think is the main motive of the people participating, $money$ or the brand recognition?

The excitement, the fun, the competitive spirit. And of course the money. Also: the forerunners have experienced a huge increase in submissions.

I have watched the results for a while and analyzed the backlinks of a lot of the directories participating. The amount of backlinks that a lot of directory owners have pointed to their entries is amazing, 5000+ in a lot of cases. Do you think that this can hurt these directories in the long term and get them penalized since this a highly unnatural linking pattern.

Not unless you have no other backlinks into any part of the directory. No, I actually do believe that deeplinks like those are very, very helpful and will strengthen the domain name which those directories are hosted on. And also, the common keyword denominator is ¨directories¨. I don´t see penalties, I only see benefits, huge ones from whichever angle you want to look at it.

There has been quite a bit of discussion about the rules, have you disqualified any directories up to this point?

At this point and time I will no longer comment publically about who is in violation and who isn´t. I have gone back to the basics and specified the rules as being ¨treat the listing like any other¨. If you have a script that creates meta tags for every listing, more power to you, if your featured listings get featured on the homepage with the right anchor ... more power to you. Just don´t do anything that other listings don´t get.

Do you believe that the results of the contest will be valuable for the average webmaster trying to decide which directories to use?

Yes, I do. And the more time goes by and the more Google settles in, the clearer the results will be. I´m sure that there will be a lot more talk about it regarding which way the results should be used for the best benefit. Like everyone watching, I am learning as well and it´s fun and very interesting to say the least!


Thank you for answering my questions Mike. If there is anything else that you would like to mention about the contest feel free to share it with us.

I want people to have fun. The directory business is stale and boring. It needs life and creativity. This is only the beginning, I´m planning to keep things alive and kicking and am already on the next page when it comes to taking things to the next level. Anyone who has any input, bring it. Thank you for the interview, hope that everyone reading this has gotten a little bit more of an insight on what is about to happen here.

 

pretty good convo and reading. interesting to see how it's a stab at letting the SE's do their job by creating 'the platform to let the search engines build the biggest and best directory of directories'

thanks for sharing.

Rob

 

Very interesting and informative thank you for sharing Dimitris

Very helpful

 

I especially liked your last paragraph about wanting to make the directory business more exciting. It is great when people are challenged to be more creative and resourceful.

 

Interesting interview. Thank you~

 

Thank's for sharing.It's very helpful.

 

Great comments and questions. I think it is great to see these types of competitions. It not only gives us great insight into the workings of the search engines, but also gives us ideas on the quality of webmasters and directories out there.

 

Great interview. Very insightful!

 

I was not knowing that there is a directory contest. I will check it now. Thanks.

 

HOw did I ever miss this thread?

 

Good interview, thx!

The directorycontest is comming to end.. who has won?

 

Within the next couple of days I will make a final decision after going thru some more of the PMs from members here regarding rules and accusations of contestants breaking them.

 

Good Interview,

Thank you

Dan