I’ve been meaning to write my insight into the latest trends for directories and their owners for a while. Over the last few months, I’ve been noticing good and bad trends occurring in and around directories. I’m going to cover a few topics that I’d like to voice my opinion about and I’d like to know your thoughts as well… Read the rest here
I have seen high inner page PR drop to as high as or lower than the domain PR in the past. Especially after Bigdaddy, it happened in millions of websites, showing PR4 while the domain PR showed PR1. Or sites gained PR0 to PR6 in just 1 month, etc. Ultimately, we will never be able to know what PR we will get in each Google update, but dropping PR or gaining PR, this shouldn't affect your site negatively nor positively, IMO. As for QBC's, I believe "the trend" really started after word cloud got popular. I saw many dropped domain sites using word cloud script to sell links on it everyday at Link Sale forum, here at DP. Since then using expired domains to sell links became so popular here.
I would like to further shrink the space of sponsors on footer links. It should be no more than ONE in any case. If you'll put more then there are high chance that these links would be removed altogether by end user. {web developer} Its very natural when there is success in any niche lot of 'good' and 'bad' people rush in. They add both good and bad to the existing niche. And one of the bad is 'QBC' and it get further worst when some reputed member with lot of green blobs and high number of posts {=good contribution to the community} starts a QBC styled site. And worst trend is that to avoid any conflict good members also doesn't point their mistakes publicly to avoid it happen next though they encourage others to discourage them. Overall good read out of you
Nice Job! - I don't post a lot but I do read the directory forum quite abit and it does seem alittle less than friendly at times. Nice call on the sponsored themes using 4+ links...I perfer to design my own themes but if I were to use a free one, I would skip those with multiple links in the footer
Do I sense the urge to mention names here? Is there someone in particular you wish to urge to step forward and say his name out loud? Who can it be? Come on... Say it! say it out loud!
very good article thanks for taking the time to write it, if only you added something about those new directories owners who register networks of expired domains with pr, domains like xxcss.com, ilovebritneyspears.com... they register hundred of domains then sell guaranted and permanent inclusions on all their network for $6.. its really shameful and very bad for the directories industry.
Nice article...I agree with your perspective. I think another reason why many directories were hurt/devalued is because so many new directories use the same identical categories. When search engines look at these pages with the same categories and same links/content, they are counted as duplicate content and thus devalued.
A well written article Nick, showing you have your finger on the pulse of whats happening in the market.
Quote from your Article Owner Clashes and Bickering This is probably the most annoying trend now over at Digital Point. I’ve limited my reading and contributing there to a few threads and posts per day due to the constant complaining, bickering, childish activity that has engulfed the directory forums area. It all arised from mod development, dmoz submissions, and any other controversial issues that have been made apparent by some obnoxious members. Just an FYI, this activity isn’t helping anything and at best is allowing members to find other communities that don’t support the non-stop drama that is erupting from those handful of members. Should STOP PERIOD
Good points, especially about the high numbers of footer links on sponsored templates. Footer links always tend to be problematic, because they usually aren't related to the overall topic of the page, or the whole directory. So the fewer you have, the better it is for targeting a page towards a particular subject. The same thing goes for sitewide links, on the whole. It will be interesting to see whether search engines pick up on this unrelatedness, and begin to discount such links more extensively. I certainly think it's a plus point when a directory doesn't sell sitewides or have lots of footer links.
In the past few days, I don't think I have read such a detail article any where. You have nicely put all the point there. Excellent work Nick
I'm glad some of you have taken the time to read my article, it was something that has been brewing in my head for a while and figured others felt the same way.
That was one good read on the Directory industry after a long time, i often read Jeff's blog but this read was good one, and specially loved the Toilet 584 - General Directory part! lolz!
Seems like NRLMedia is switching the Wordpress themes for this blog, in the start while i was reading the article it was on a very neat and clean Wordpress themes in white (by BEcarry) and now that i just refreshed the page it shows me some multi coloured blog with a weird kinda theme!!! Bottomline: Please switch back that theme cos it was really appealing,simple and looked more like custom coded for Fourfind network! Just my suggestions though!