I just recently added a directory to my very small and very new e-zine, because directories seem to be pretty darned popular. I am thinking of creating a stand alone directory, using phplinkdirectory (which I absolutely love, BTW), but I have a couple of questions. 1. Why is it important to have a directory? 2. How does one go about populating a directory? 3. How does one get traffic to the directory? *I know these are all probably very basic questions, but I am still trying to process all of the information that I find here. TIA ~webigail~
1. It's not. Depends on your site. Directories provide an easily navigated interface for users to find quality content. Usually. 2. By getting traffic. 3. Get traffic by posting on forums like these. Include the directory in your signature, so it is crawled by Google, and so people on these boards will submit to it.
Submit your directory to other directories, post your URL here and elsewhere and you'll get plenty of submissions.
ROFL.. not! I've got 3k submisstions (2.5k approvals) in my Free Website Directory and it makes a cool $5 a month from adsense. But, that's not the reason I made it Directories will NOT give you traffic. Hell, even the DMOZ sends only a handful a month. Backlinks with anchor text is the reason. They help with serps indirectly.
I have about 6000 in , and rejected about 20.000+ submissions. I make aprox. 5 times as much as you monthly. Still a burger or such. I think i will remove the adsense.
Directories can make money as long as you invest time and money into the directory. Don't expect to earn money overnight, I'm running a web directory for almost one year now and it's profitable. When I started it to see as a (e-)business I started to make money with it. I'd suggest when starting a new web directory to startoff with a small business plan, think before you act. Think about why people want to submit their website to your directory, if it's only for a backlink like mdvaldosta suggested or do you want to give something more to your potential clients. Create a unique design, think good about your niche or go general topics with your directory. Promote it in anyway you can and don't let the income of the directory soly depends on adsense.
to start your directory you'll have to offer free listings and not charge at first. Once your categories become populated, traffic increases, pages become indexed - you can start to charge a fee for listings. Like everyone said, it takes time and effort to grow your directory. Whatfind had a great suggestion as well, think of a unique name for your forum so people remember it. There are hundreds of directories out tehre which i have submitted to and i can remember the name of maybe 15 of them!
IMO most directories are good for 1. submit your resources to boost your se rank. (not much but better than nothing. 2. Most of directories (especially for new directories) are free to submit. 3. Get some traffics from directories. (It might be better for get your resources in local or specialty directories that relevant for your site contents.) 4. some paid directory is worthly enough to paid for get your site rank boosted and right targeted visitors. 5. Most of them have good categorized so easy to find resources for visitors.