If I were to setup a new directory site, but focused on two specific niche areas at first like PHP Web development and NHL hockey for example. What's the best way to approach the directory category setup? Should it start as just Sports and Technology with the links under there, or should it be drilled down to something more specific with the idea that eventually you'll have all these other areas like NBA/NFL/etc under sports. Let me know if I'm unclear, thanks for your help!
If it was just for technology and sports, that would appear a little odd, to me at least. But regarding your categories question, well one thing ive learned is not to add a category if theres nothing to put in it, so having a top category would be fine first and you can branch off into subcats under that main one as the sites are ready to be listed. Basically when it makes sense to add the specific categories. If you will be relying solely on submissions from others then maybe you could explain somewhere on your directory that categories can be added as needed, or considered upon request or something. Having made my own mistakes in the past i now realise that empty categories (which i was guilty of) is comparable to publishing a blank page in my blogs.
Thanks for the response pipes, I guess I was thinking that I could start with a couple of areas that I know alot about and I get just populate alot of quality links since I use alot of the sites myself Then branch out from there, or is it generally better to just have tons of links everywhere first? I always thought building up quality niche areas might be better to start with anyways, but please correct me if I am wrong!
Oh i see what you mean yeah it makes sense to do it that way as you know those 2 well and building from there. No need to have tons of links, you are completely correct in your thinking and approach.
Thanks again pipes, last clarification, you think it's better to start with Sports -> links Technology -> links As opposed to Sports -> NHL -> links Technology -> Web Development -> PHP -> links Thanks!
Thanks Wallace, but if that's the case, I may have empty categories in the middle, is that ok when starting?
Yes, my advice fwiw is when you add a new category populate it at the same time with at least 2 or 3 good links. So add a sports category and populate it, when you have a few football links in it add a football sub-category and move them in. Focus on making the directory a useful resource of good websites, and add categories as you need them. It's fun, you'll find sites which are great but don't fit into any of your categories, so make a new category for it and find another couple of sites to add to the content. You'll build a useful resource with a unique category structure.
Your topics, from an SEO point of view are totally unrelated. You might want to consider making two separate niche directories. Done well, both niches could easily stand alone. How many categories to add is something of a tricky thing. Too few and people will hesitate to submit, too many and you might pay for it in the SERPs. I would look at other general and niche directories and look at their most popular categories that relate to what you want to cover and use them as a place to start. I would go for Sports > NHL and if that area gets big enough start splitting it up further by team or some other breakdown. So eventually you would have Sports > NHL > Montreal Canadians etc. While it would be smaller, if you are more a hockey fan than anything else, why not make a hockey lover's directory?
Thanks for the help everyone. YMC -> I was thinking along these lines as well, but I'm one of these guys who's very passionate about alot of different areas, so I thought it would be interesting to try and put them in the same "general" directory, but almost like niche directories under the same directory? Not sure if that's not a good approach or not. My original focus really will be on just areas of interest to me.