Im new to this forum, but most the stuff here makes no sense to me. I mean directories??? What is the actual point of a directory, o.k sounds like a dumb question, but is it really? Lets say YOU want something, say a new pair of speakers or whatever, what do you do? a) I go to a directory like http://www.dmoz.org/ and crawl around for hours like a blind man who's lost his white stick trying to find his way through a maze. b) I google to find out the best speakers in my price range and then google again to find the best price. c) I use ebay. I know full well if I google something, hit a link and I reach a directory by mistake, the back button on my browser gets hit quicker than a ho who didn't pay her pimp. Seriously, who can honestly say they use directories to buy or find anything? If so what is the point of them? Totally confused, ben
Im not meant to reply to you, naturally, but you are here to make a fool out of directory owners, 3rd post? and your off. While it is better off ignoring you, that doesn't really solve the problem of you, the thread title works a treat of course to get attention, its saturday so you must be insanely bored. So Ben, you have either been here before, a banned member from the past, or sent here from another den somewhere, or ran a directory for about a week and gave up or i dunno... Your no genuine newie to the forum, keep chatting and il see if i can figure out what one you are.
Oh your going to hate this directory question... Here ya go big guy ... Difference between directories and search engines Oh your going to hate this....... directory Answer And better definition can be found here for ya... Search Tools for Kids, Teens and if you really dont know about the differences then this LINK might help Quote: You will benefit from submitting your site to Directories, not only because search engines will find your link there and index your site, but you will also increase your link popularity. Search engines consider each link which is pointing to your site as kind of vote and give it a "credit" for each "vote". That's why you should submit your site to as many directories you can. However, don't expect bulk traffic from the directories. Even the biggest directories like Yahoo! or DMOZ are not able to deliver load of traffics. On the other side, traffic delivered though the directories is usually quality traffic, because these people are browsing to the find products or services that you offer. thx malcolm
Open your eyes then because you clearly don't have a clue what your on about. Directories server a very useful purpose and if you really did know what your on about you'd hit the 'search' button on any directory and find what your looking for without having to crawl around for hours. Quite frankly I think you know that and you've clearly come on here to pick a fight on directory owners. We don't do fights, we switch off from negative and inaccurate posts like yours.
No i wasn't trying to pick a fight at all, I was just confused as to the point of web directories. I was saying that if im looking for something I don't use a directory, I use google, as everyone else. I think from reading some of the links in this thread the purpose of having your website listed in a directory is NOT to get business from that directory exactly, but because the search engines search through the directory. So if you have a business and your listed in a directory, it increases your chances of coming up in google, is this what all the lengthy SEO waffle is trying to say? Ben
Don't assume we all use Google, web directories are very valuable if worked correctly and to give an example. You used the example of 'speakers' in your OP, type in the word 'speakers' in Google and you come up with a load of liks related to speakers alright but they are all over the place. Compare those results to that of a well organised directory search http://search.dmoz.org/cgi-bin/search?search=speakers It gives you sub categories to narrow your search down to specific results. Dmoz is old, it is poor in results even though it has a lot of them, just imagine what a well organised and optimised directory could do. Present absolute relevant results, something any search engine is a long way away from. It's for that reason that directories certainly do have a future but only if continuous work is done on them to keep the content up to date and relevant which is the key.
I posted this under marketing and maybe you guys with direcorty experienc can help. First, I understand the importance of being in directories and am on the same page. I paid to be in a directory last year and it really helped me with business. Then after 6 mos the co got in trouble with google and lost their ranking. They changed their format to google specs and came back but then gone again in ranking. They were on pg 1. At the same time another co came by and took their place. Maybe this other co reported them (i dont know but they did steal alot of their clients). I'm not sure if they do everything according to google standards. Both are directories that require payment. The directory I was in, I had paid about $800 and it was short lived. I was thininkg in subscribing with this new directory but then dont want same thing to happen. One of the things I notice that the other co I am a member of changed was how many hits each subriber got. The was published to the public with the links to those websites. This new co publishes that same info (along with a date the person started, but the date changes when they rejoin but not the # of hits). It seems to the consumer that the person with most hits is the more popular and that is not the case. I think google banned that from the first co since they changed that. So my question is, how do I know if a directory is in legal eyes with google before slapping down more money? thanks
From your info right there i dont think anyone here knows more, you seem to know more than ive read from members here for a long time. Your better checking for yourself if your slapping down money, if it goes bad then theres no one to blame.
Always makes me smile when people say directories don’t provide much traffic, here is why..... It’s true that directories don’t bring massive amounts of direct traffic, but submitting to directories will greatly improve your search engine ranking this in turn brings you traffic. My new directory has only been submitted to a handful of directories, yet I have many first page returns for many keywords, some number ones. So submitting to directories will help get your site indexed quicker, increase your link popularity, send some traffic (most cases not loads) and help your websites serps. Hope this helps answer your question. Thanks Brian
Others have already pointed out the obvious, just wanted to add this: I can give you at least one example of a Niche directory that you have probably hit at one time or another via Google and NOT hit your back button "quicker than a ho who didn't pay her pimp". Shopping.com
Pretty much. In the old days, like 2-3 years ago, that was the main SEO for many people, especially those who understood of importance of backlinks. After link exchange got too hot and disliked by Google, people started to think and come up with an idea, "paid links are better!" So, they started to buy links like crazy. Directories are the ones offered their needs. I think even many DP directory owners were caught up with the SEO technique, too. I admit I was one of them, trying to push PR as high as possible though I covered all other SEO factors. But buying links was the major thing as you could totally ignore on-page SEO and other important things to rank high in the G SERP. Directories though have their places. Like SilkySmooth said, many niche directories can be very useful than Google. Google doesn't show a "nice and handy" resource links. Their focus is on relevancy to your searched keyword that matches with sites that are well promoted with backlinks. It's like, if you want to check on items to buy online cheap, you want to use eBay, rather than Google. (assuming eBay offers things cheaper than anywhere else as that is true in many cases.) You don't have to go to different sites to compare the prices each time you want to buy something. I rely on eBay in many cases to find stuff cheap although I do buy gadgets at another site.
Thanks for the replies people, I was a bit confused by directories, but it seems they sound like a pretty useful thing for website owners to be listed on, I guess the job now is to get on as many good directories as possible. Cheers for the answers Ben