This may be the wrong forum, but I see a lot of directories where you can submit your links, quite a few non-reciprocal ones. Someone mentioned that reciprocal links can be bad. So how do you know when reciprocal and non-reciprocal are ok? Also, why do people run link directories? Do they make money from it? Does it serve some purpose? Every once in a while someone will say "I make XXX per week..." I wonder how they do this? By providine SEO services? Or just providing lots of back links? Does google recognize the difference between 500 sites on the same IP and 500 sites on different IPs all linking to the same place? Just curious. =) Trying to figure this stuff out.
Some think that reciprocal are valued less because search engines could detect it and consider it a scheme to improve their rankings, rather than natural linking. It doesn't seem to be a problem yet so far as I've seen. I do prefer non-reciprocal directories simply because they're less work for me if I don't have to add anything to my site. A lot of link directories are run to make money. Some charge for better positions on the page, others for AdSense, and others as a way to build interest in their sites. I'm sure people who actually run directories here can give you more reasons than I can.
What I have also heard is that some directories are considered FFA ( Free For ALL ) directories and most serach engines don't like these type of directories and would drop links from these sites making your effort wasted if you submitted to them.
I think you will find that quite a few members here run directories as they can get them a fair bit of weight in the coop.
Directories are run (imho) for many reasons: 1) As a service to your users, providing links to various 'net resources. 2) As a way of increasing page count (thus adding to co-op weight) 3) As a way of promoting your sites (and your clients') 4) Because they think they can write a better directory than the others out there. 5) just because they can (like a lot of other sites out there).
i run my directory as an extra for my visiters if they can find what they want on my site then i can still tempt them to search the directory instead of running back to google
I see, what's the deal with the coop. It sounds interesting... does one get paid comparable to adsense? Does joining the coop improve google PR? I'd throw up a directory and give people free links, I think almost all my sites are <= PR3 though. =)
Yea, I did read that. But I guess I'm too much of a newbie to get the point. I understand it's not JS, so everyone sees your links. But will it get a higher PR for me? Will my ads be served around the coop? Do I get paid per click? Sorry I know these are probably stupid questions. =)
The co-op is an ad network. It gets your ad on many many sites without you having to pay for it to be there (how many sites depends on your co-op weight). Whether it improves your SERPs depends on whether your ad is showing when G/Y/M visits a site. I've seen increased SERPs and traffic from the ads. There is no payment associated with the co-op it's free .
Our link system has given over 57,000 clicks to our subscribers at no charge. We do it as a a reciprocal thing, as it gets us traffic for our other sites as well.