Big gaps in bids, and bids changing a lot in 24 hours is something i experienced. It happens when a fast bidding "war" happens. Other top ranked sites dont join in, so bids rise fast and a gap gets made. @the pheonix Bid directories are useful for being ranked high when: A site wants to be top of a category - eg a games site as it will be clicked first. Another directory owner wanting webmasters to visit their directory.
Lemme shatter your illussions, bidding sites, they don't deserve the title 'directory' as they're a load link selling BS. Site A wants to be on top of Category A because tha'ts what they sell. They bid $50 for it. Then (and this is the legal side) ten other sites all come along and want to list so think go on I sell enough fake sports goods to be able to pay $300 for top place, so they kick Site A of the top even though site A sells higher quality goods. Now here's the not so legal side. Side A just like above gets his place for $50 then along come 3 others, only this time the 3 are happy with place B,C,D and E. and they only have to pay $10, $9, $8, and $6. The owner now desperate to recoup some of the money he paid out on the script, hosting and template thinks 'how am I going to achieve this?' so he say's I know I'll 'invent' some fake bids, (it happens all the time in auctions). The REAL bidders don't know they are fake they just know thier place is taken by someone who's allegedly paid $300 so should they re-bid? Being stupid, many of them do and there the sting takes place. That's why bidding directories are a load of BS. Disclaimer: I'm not accusing ANYONE of doing this or any group of secret covents who send p.m after p.m to each other agreeing to pretend to bid just to bump up the price. People would never do that would they? Surely its just a co-incidence. Oh and of course, Google doesn't like buying and selling of links, and bidding directories do tend to let in just about any site it can if the greenback is involved which is why Google dislike them so much.
Correct Doesnt happen at my place, thats why im very select where i bid. The sites listed in my bidding directory are around 60% of the sites submitted. I have probably rejected a lot of MFA and stuff. I also dont sell myself to casino sites, over $400 worth was rejected last week.
of course i do There will always be QBC ran sites around who will accept every site as its more money for them. Then they will up the bids or triple them etc to make more down the line.
Can you provide some examples of sites THAT you do suspect of this? I am just curious... My guess is they fall into the categories of sites that don't meet most of criteria I talk about here: http://beacon-directory.com/blog/2007/09/05/how-to-determine-if-a-directory-is-credible/
I can but I won't as I only ever provide FACTS. If I gave you examples Lance I'd be making a direct allegation of which I honestly couldn't prove. I could of course provide examples of what might be construed as suspicious but that would be up to the readers. I've not read that blog but I will, go over to the directory in my footer and tell me if that's credible in your eyes and if not explain and if so explain. It's not mine but I am one of the editors repopulating it. I just want to learn.
That is exactly my argument. You should NOT just go to a site say "wow it looks nice, lots of "submissions", high PR" and then submit. I am arguing for people to some real due diligence prior to investing. Lance
LMAO, I'd be rich if I got a penny for every time I got asked that one, its not mine, I'm just one of the editors. Never gonna defect from phpLynx, I'm a loyalist. @Lance, I really do agree with you mate and I respect your views, I'm standing up for the people on here (and there's lots of them) that don't like what they see but are afraid to post.
I also really don't understand why Bidding directories are the only ones that get questioned like this. To me a bidding directory is the very simliar to a paid review directory. 1) Usually have a free submission/reciprocal at no charge. What is the point of this? Link farms and PR chasers? 2) Paid have a standard submission fee. This lets you list and eventually get pushed down as more and more people submit. So no one will actually ever see your site after time. Again, what is the point of this? Short term PR chasing? Also, most standard submissions are much more expensive that a bidding initial bid. Some are even monthly/yearly where a bidding is permanent. 3) Paid have a "Featured Listing"... This let's me be at the top, until too many buy it and then same thing happens see #2. Again, what is the long term advantage? Bidding basically offers the exact same, except a one time fee (which is usually cheaper than a bidding directory see #2) which is permanent and the CONSUMER has the option of moving his/her site up for a price. I am just asking because you seem passionate and articulate about the subject and I am enjoying this healthy discussion. Lance
Pheonix, you make a very good point with alot of what you have posted. However this is with any business. One will offer a certain price to get you there and then a higher price for what you actually need ect., ect. That is the nature of the beast in which we live in today. The big thing to realize is that any smart webmaster can see this a mile away. There have been several sites to do this and get called on it, and several that have simply disappeared. But yet this is business and that is what happens. I to am with Lance and Mikey, I am more than happy to prove any transaction that I have made or that has been made on my directories. One thing I would like to know is this. You say that bidding directories do not deserve the word directory on it. Here is a definition for you to consider. Bidding directories do this just as web directories. Bidding directories and web directories offer, organize, and collect information, links, and resources for other webmasters, visitors, search engines to look at. The biggest difference is that bidding directories offer webmasters the opportunity(not a requirement), to be listed first in a category or to be on the homepage. This can be received as a plus or negative for webmasters. As with your comments, there is a risk involved to be listed top. However, you do not have to go this route and can simply pay the minimum to be listed and you still receive a normal link just as you would with and web directory on the net. With web directories you must be one of the first or have the higher pagerank, depending on how the site lists there listing to be first in your category, and with most directories you never get the opportunity to be listed on the homepage. Now as far as the entire part of it being a waste of time and not receiving anything from being listed number one in your category or on the homepage, tell me how it is any different from every single one of us trying to be listed first or on the first page in any search engine for your category/keyword. The main benefit from this is traffic, and with the creditible bidding directoriesas well as search engines, you receive this. Targeted traffic. To get your site to rank first in search engines, bidding directories ect. you have to spend a little money. That is the bottom line. I have seen alot of people talk about how we are simly PR chasers ect. by going after the first spots in bidding directories ect. That we simply don't know what we are doing by going after first spots ect. However PR is not the begin all and end all by no means.(Sure it helps in sales, if you have a newbie wanting to purchase a link) but if do some research, you can tell which sites are worth going after the main spot and which are only worht placing the minimum bid. That is one reason you don't see such high bids on alot of sites. Also just as mikey has already stated why you will see a big gap, if two webmasters get into a bidding war over the top spots, as the others are not around when it happens or simply don't have the funds to persue the top spot. Bidding directories deserve just as much as web directories to have directory in there name. They also offer a very big new way to get your site/product noticed and deliever high targeted traffic.
One more thing... If this type of stuff gets you going... What is the difference between this type of activity (assuming it really exists) and "2 for 1" and "3 for 1", etc sales from paid directories(fact)? Doesn't this hurt people that bought early? Doesn't it make them appear and actually have more submission which = submissions? I personally would be upset if someone sold me car for $20k and then sold to the next guy for $10k just to make the sale. And I get equally upset when someone I advertise with does the same. Lance
One thing I can not agree to disagree is you continue to say in every thread that bidding is a lottery and normal directories are not. The only way this is true is if you take or chose to take the opportunity(not a requirement), to be listed first in a category or to be on the homepage. By taking part in this you already know that is exactally what it is, however if you chose to simply place the minimum bid to have your site listed, there is no more risk in bidding directories than in a normal directory.
Bidding is a lottery because you never know if you are going to stay at the place you originally bid. FACT. A normal directory is NOT A LOTTERY because you pay for a review, and if its accepted you get put into the category you applied for. Your not going to convince me otherwise, and your argument is very weak. The idea of bidding is to bid the highest not the lowest so please, stop kidding yourself, your not kidding me.
Yet you have no arguement. By placing a bid even if it is the minimum amout, and it is accepted, you are placed into that category that you were accepted in, even if you are out bid you are still in that category. If you are out bid then you may move down the list, or to the next page. By submitting your site to a web directory, it is the same principle. Your link, if accepted, is placed into the category that it is accepted in. Depending on the the way that directory organizes their links(most common method is by page rank.), then your listing may be moved down or to the next page. However your listing is still listed in both bidding directories and web directories in the category they are approved. If you are looking at it any different then you are kidding yourself. I will agree however that if you choose to take the opportunity(not a requirement), to be listed first in a category or to be on the homepage in a bidding directory it is taking a risk. Period. You may be outbid by anyone at any given time, and unless you have the funds in order to move back up then yes you will be moved down. I look at this as a plus and not a negetive. However if you listing in a web directory is moved down because someone submits a site that has a higher PR(in most cases since most web directories are listed in order of PR.) then your site is moved down and there is nothing you can do about this.(Simply because you have to rely on a third party(Google) to hand out PR). Or spend more money in order to achieve a higher pagerank in order to get more traffic and maybe have the chance to move up in the directory, if the directory owner updates their pagerank listings when there is a pagerank update. Simply put, both methods have their ups and downs. You may receive more from one bid directory than you might from a web directory, and vise versa. It all boils down to the directory that you submit to and how hard they promote it. I can show you several web directories and bidding directories alike that produce higher se placement, higher pr, and more traffic.
Sorry Lance, I'm fighting off the children of the corn at the minute, you know how some of them are on here. Gladly discuss your arguments with you, let me put the kids to bed first.