PR or no PR + your directory profits/traffic

Hi just need these question answered before I launch my directory, thanks.

1) If I have static categories with dynamic links will link owners still benefit from the Search Engines. I don't really think having PR as a selling point is a good long term option and would rather have dynamic links so link owners can know how much traffic my directory is sending them.

2) Only if you wish to say, I'd like to know what sort of traffic and profit your directory projects provided you.

 

You have to remember that PR or no PR, a backlink is still a backlink. You'll be hard pressed making it into a large number of SEO friendly lists without hard links. Owners can already check the traffic your directory is sending them via whatever stats program is currently set up on their hosts via referrers. I have a personal list of directories I submit every new site created to - if a new directory isn't SEO friendly, they're immediately put in the ignore list. I'm sure there're a multitude of other webmasters who do the same.

 

Gee this is a touch decision, yeah I know they can check their own stats but what about submitters who don't have stats available or simply don't know how to check them?

 

It's an easy decision - have a site that people will value and STRIVE to get their links on, or a site where their primary benefit is traffic from direct click throughs.

Lets assume this - your directory site receives a meager 10,000 uniques per month, each searching for 1 individual niche in general. Your directory may list 10,000 sites. That means each of those webmasters (in a PURELY hypothetical way, and assuming each visitor doesn't go to a site visited by a previous visitor - nearly impossible already) only receives 1 visit.

Example - on one of my other directories, I actually took out functionality that came as a result of dynamic linking in order to instigate hard linking. In my eyes (and those listed within the directory), it was an excellent tradeoff.

I know that when I submit to a directory, I have absolutely no intention of receiving traffic from the link itself. I do it for the backlinks.

 

Thanks for the advice. However my particular directory is a bit different as I am trying to get people traffic and the SE and PR is an afterthhought. I have signed up with one big Aussie organisation. and I am planning on contacting other websites and ask them if they want to be my partner. So the way in which it will work is just say I have a category in my dir called flowers and Interflora flowers (a website) decided to be my partner, than who ever submits in the flower category will also be able to advertise on the interflora website as I will have a pdf containing all links in the flower category and Interflora will have to post the file on there main page for a week or so. So as you can see the traffic details is very important for me, so I think dynamic links would be better, however I know there are lot of people who wouldnt even bother submitting to my dir if it was dynamic. Any suggestions?

 

Maybe I have misunderstood: the directory links will be published in a pdf file on partner's sites? That will IMHO seriously reduce the potential incoming traffic numbers.

 

@Ernster:

have it both ways: [tech mode on]
you say your choise is:

<A HREF="http://www.domain.com/">

Code (markup):

or

<A HREF="/external.cgi?linkid=12345">

Code (markup):

but what about:

<A HREF="http://www.domain.com/" TARGET="_blank" onClick="registerclick(1234);">

Code (markup):

then write a small piece of javascript (like google does on their result pages) to save 1234 in your database. then you have both: static links to websites, and tracking of clicks (if user has javascript enabled == almost all the time)

I use this on some of my sites, works ok for me. the jscript code I created - feel free to use it:

function registerclck(id) 
{
        if(document && document.images)
        {
                (new Image()).src='/scripts/saveclick.cgi?id='+id;
                return true;
        }
}

Code (markup):

and ofcourse the saveclick.cgi should save the ID in some table; and return a 1x1 transparent image or something like that.

 

No thats incorrect, submitters will have their link in the directory + a link in a PDF file which will be advertised on one of our partner sites which best matches their category + on our URL Catalogue PDF file which is on CD which comes with Australias best selling Interent magazine, thats a lot of exposure

PS: Thanks very much Frank Ill give it a shot.