Example on How to build the ULTIMATE directory!!

Couldn't agree more... wow.. I left DP because of all the bickering that was going on here.. It is so nice to see some civil, productive conversations coming back..

Lance

 

I will be viewing esyndicat script and Thanks again.

 

I think the use of a web directory is open to interpretation as there are directories that are solely involved in providing listing and links to site. There are other directories that list articles, some list products and others are downlaod sites. Whatever directory type you have is irrelevant to me - i am just suggesting that wrapping other services to that directory will enhance it and provide more value - thats what I'm saying. Typically most users don't know about directories such a DMOZ (webmasters do obviously) and tend to use the SEs to locate the resource they are looking for.

hehehe eeeeaaaasy ... it wasn't that bad!

Oh i'm reading don't worry!! Some of these individuals may not understand what I am trying to convey or suggest which ideally would like them to understand and maybe one day will. It is unfortunate that having the expertise you have in the field and you know that what I and many other are suggesting is accurate, that you don't support it. Perhaps you don't understand it or fail to see the value. I don't know! You have the technical skills to implement what many of us are suggesting, (heck there is even an article mod for PHPLD), perhaps you should look at testing the concept and seeing how it does instead of knocking it and being bitter about it?

You are right. They should be what you want them to be. Google will not penalize you for just having a directory. Google will penalize you in their index for not following their TOS in terms of disclosure of paid links and gaming them for PR and SERPs. It doesn't penalize the download sites as they are providing a resource for products.

cheers

 

Personally I don't think there is quite enough advertising on the site.

 

i think we have already addressed that - we are trying to discuss and address the concept of adding more services and value around the directory to make the site much more than just a link directory site.

 

I would be interested to know how people with pure directory sites, that have no other content, optimise them for the search engines. Surely most people are only interested in being listed on a site that is found otherwise there's no point wasting 5 mins submitting your site. Or are most people just using them for link building purposes and not actually interested whether their listing gets seen or not?

 

MOST use it for link building and for pagerank gain. That is the value they promote!

 

I assumed so. I have always shied away from adding EOL to such sites as you can't be sure who you are sharing a page with. I have been led to believe that it is better to be part of link directories where the sites are related to the industry that your site is aimed at. I'll be adding a reciprocal link directory to EOL soon but it will be dedicated to equestrian sites of course. I am hoping that this will help my own page rank and search engine placements.

 

nice thread, very useful, it opened my mind....
thanks

 

Yes, for the most part you have been advised correctly. Google specifically states that you shouldn't link to "bad neighbors" and having a link beside non desirable/questionable sites isn't always the best thing. Some reciprocal links are actually natural and acceptable in the eyes of google, HOWEVER having a directory solely based on reciprocal links in not natural in the eyes of google and could possibly cause more harm than good. Private message me and I can give you a few pointers and basic run down.

 

Regarding the current talk of expanding directories so that they offer more, i think like anything else it will have to be done sensibly, in the sense that any owners willing to embrace that, will have to know when to say enough is enough and not make their site cluttered.

And also for everyone not to do the exact same thing, like suddenly 300 directories made great changes but they all did the exact same as each other.

Also when this whole niche thing has taken root more hopefully you dont find people going barmy and setting up 20 very random niche directories, like really tiny narrow niches for the sake of having one or twenty.

A niche on its own wont work if its not needed.

 

Good advice pipes!!!

 

Very well put!

 

And im still following your advice since the last few weeks, im doing a ton of research and taking many things into account and seeing what i can put together for the very near future. thanks for the useful posts.

 

You welcome Pipes! As you build your changes can you keep track of traffic, listing conversions and overall customer satisfaction with your site and perhaps give the group a little summary as to whether the advice I and others are suggesting has made any significant impact on your directory/site? Heck did your PR even go up? You know PR means little to me but other might like to know.

 

Absolutely, any changes and especially positive will be worth myself reporting back on.

 

A nice thought but it wont happen, here's why. Lets look at cars lets say i develop a stability control then say to other manufacturers don't copy, the truth is they are good and now all cars have them

I have already said i have a classifieds section ( re badged ) will this stop others then putting it in place, i think not.

But this is where it goes wrong and how to avoid it, people see an idea and lets look at classifieds as the given example, now the $2 managers ( a term i give to people who see an idea and act on it with no thought ) will say i need that, they will give no or very little thought to its planning, implimentation, the effect it will have on the business in regards time expense or other factors, by doing this other area's of their business will or may suffer these people just react without clear and well thought out strategies.

Also in that an idea may be a fizzer but before you know it 100's have jumped on board thinking it's the next best thing and then land in trouble, look at bid directories MK1 a poorly thought out concept but a lot jumped on and even slower ones are still jumping on a dead horse. ( my opinion only )

Looking back at cars you can see why manufacutures keep all development and testing very much in house, they cloak all development from public eyes, this then gives them the jump on any new improvements to capture the market.

In a way a directory or any business should work in the same way, there will always be the sheep and they don't bother me, it is best to work out in front and by that quietly work on new angles then release them if after testing they pass, what happens then is the sheep follow but by the time they think they are catching up i am already onto another move, frustrating my opposition even more and in that they best thing any one can do is spend time developing their own stategies and implimenting them regardless of others, the rule is simple do not worry about what others do, let them worry about you, as they are doing this their focus is not on their business plan, where as the good operator is working 3 generations ahead of now eating up sheep.

 

The best paid directory I've found at the moment is Cascandra

Nice design, reasonable price, PR on all pages and approval within hours.

 

Great post DownUnder, i strongly agree.

 

This whole discussion really is about what you want to build as a Web developer. If your goal is to create just a directory that gets submissions and you make a few dollars on submission then just having a directory is fine. There are very few directories that get tons of traffic from end users that are looking for sites.

But if your goal is to build destination sites where people go and come back all of the time and you are trying to build a full blown company than you have to become more like a portal.

The case study for this is no other than Yahoo. Originally Yahoo was a directory. Nothing more than a directory. But to build a far reaching business they became a destination site. Now you can argue that they lost their way and that is why Google came in, but the fact is that most directories need to be something more than just a directory to last in the very long term.