I know that there are ALOT of web directories around but has anyone here seen any success through Adsense and a Web Directory?
Do you mean if you are listed on a web directory? I own a directory...makes a few hundred a month, if thats what youre asking... In terms of getting unique visitors... I get minimal visitors from directories, they are there purely as a PR building tool.
If you're talking about creating and promoting a directory to make money from adsense it's a pretty saturated field. With all the free directory scripts out there it looks like even Bob's uncle has a couple.
I think that although the market is saturated there is still room for people who are serious about their directory. Find a good niche, work hard at promoting your site and you can make money from it. I wouldn't recommend adsense though, maybe try a pay for inclusion service instead, this is particularly useful if your directory targets a good niche.
Like any industry especially an online one, its not easy to break from the pack and become successful. However it doesnt take a rocket scientist to work out what works and what is needed for a quality site. However the bad thing is there are never any guarantees if a site will succeed. Im sure marketing plays a big role as well... Some advice though dont follow what most people do on this forum. Most of the directories advertised here are average and wont make much money, offer a quality and useful directory with additional services and you may succeed.
So would you guys here suggest a niche directory that is free & supported by Adsense or a niche directory supported by paid placements?
What?! You mean you won't acutally have to work. Are you actually going to review submissions? I certainly would be wary of submitting to any of your directories. This is the biggest pile of fecal material I've read in this forum.
As I posted in a similar thread. I think a directory should be used for what it is meant to be used for. Finding a quality site that you are interested in. As a directory owner, I am content, for now anyway, with just making enough to pay for the hosting. I enjoy reviewing the submissions, and have found some very worthwhile sites in doing so. I think that if a directory owner is merely after big dollars, he should be looking elsewhere, since there are so many directories. As far as using them for pr links. That's all fine, but site owners should be looking at directories that will bring them actualy visitors. If, in the future, directory links are targeted as bad links by search engines, then look for directories that use nofollow code. You may not get the backlink out of it, but you can still get a visitors that use the directory for finding good sites.
I personally think they are a waste of time and effort. One can put up 10 sites in the time it takes to put up a directory.
Depends on your seo, If you promoted properly then it's good. But imo niche directory is better than general directory.
The only use for general directories is PageRank and giving links. I have two of those. AXEQ.com paid that has given me $2K in x months. And addurl-free.com free with soon 7K listings which gives me a good mailing list and good promotion for my other sites. I pay someone to review submissions on that one. If you want it to be a resource you have to be kidding. DMOZ failed, why should you succeed? Niche dirs are probably very good but you are looking at some real efforts. I have a swedish general dir that I want to be a resource. And I think it will take 3 years before it will be a good one with, say, 1K uniques a day.
IMO your swedish dir is niche dir and that's a better way than general directories for all countries. Like I said before, I didn't mention about bad to build general directory but seems hard to compete with too many good general directories out there.