As an end user I rarely use directories. I might use DMOZ.org or Yahoo!'s directory only because I have some vested interested but other than that I've only used code sample directories like hotscripts.com. Everything else I use search engines for. I have done directory submission campaigns but got little benefit. I notice a gazillion directories in forums like DP but my gut tells me that Google knows what's going on with these directories that are out there for the bots to visit so the owner can get and share PR so I would expect them to devalue and even make a public statement about it like they have with paid links (many directories are built on paid links). So from a web user and a web site owner's perspective, I see little value in these directories and I wouldn't be surprised if Google devalued or penalized directories and the sites listed in them. What do you think?
and how google will understand that you see your site very seriously and invest in your site? for example every owner of a hotel have about the same content how can google see wich is serious enought so to be placed in the top results?
Thats becouse cooler hotels are rated by users, and reviewed on other sites. Google will only love you after everyone else does.
Yes you end up with a share of the pr, but generally the more good backlinks you can create the better for your own sites rankings. There was talk that Google were doing something as regards paid links but as yet nothing has happened. But i dont see how they could police that anyway.
Would you consider a link from a typical directory "good backlinks"? I see directories that are marginally good and decide to add my site and then I get hit with "Do you want an express listing for $39.95 or a regular listing for $19.95?". These are directories full of paid listings. Google could easily police these. If they are directories, flag them. If they have fees, penalize them.
There are only about 100 tops excellent high valued directories by google, it can either give value exclusively to them, and then any other website that is centered around the word directory, set it so that there is no page rank passed from them. They cant devalue directories greately when they ask you to add yourself to directories like yahoo, and dmoz. I personally get a ton of traffic from directories so I woulden't care less if they devalue or not, directory submissions should only help you get your site indexed in the short run and seen, but I don't think there are enough directories out there to keep submitting to, especially free one's, that wont end up getting hundreds of outgoing links, and not enough incoming to really pass off any real PR. What Matt Cutts is saying is that he doesn't want people to buy links on blogs and so forth, I think that is a paid link. People say buy a link on my blog, its PR 6, you write the content, that is where the problem is, not directories.
Some directories could be devalued if their category contains unrelated sites. But directories that contains quality links can still have value.
Yeah, I'm also interested which directory delivers traffic becaue from what I know 99.99% of all traffic in one directory is from Submitters. Most of my directories rank good for dumb keywords that don't really get any quality traffic rather more and more submitters .... and submitters don't visit websites .. just add more and more and moreee... Can you share that list Thanks, Venetsian
I don't think Google will penalize sites featured in directories. That's impossible because otherwise your competition will just submit your URL a few hundred times and you're gone. Most probably the directories will maintain the same level of authority.
I think they pass very little link juice.....and that can be reduce even more if it isn't categorized correctly or allows submissions from shady sites.
From the sound of your posts you are just submitting to free directories. Of course you are not getting much benefit. If you stopped submitting to worthless directories and started to submit to premium directories you will definately see trhe benefits. No, Google is not going to punish paid directories. The effort it takes to run a quality directory, review each submission, and then edit them, can not be done for free. Google knows this and has said outright that it is perfectly within their rules. In the end you are going to get what you pay for. Pay nothing and get nearly nothing or pay a little and recieve a lot.
I wasn't so much referring to my submissions (I have submitted paid ones like Yahoo and have submitted to free ones as well). My post was inspired by the flood of directories I see in forum signatures. I considered adding a directory to a site like I added a blog and forum but my gut says they aren't a great value for my visitors. They all look like they exist to collect fees and inorganically share PR because I don't use them and I don't think people use them to find resources. I hear people say "google it" not "check your favorite directory for it". In affect you might view them as more elegant link farms.
Search engines are everywhere just as directories are. Only a handful of search engines are going to bring you traffic, just as most directories are going to bring you any value. Maybe you think the purpose of a directory is to bring you direct traffic. If that your expectation, you most likely will be dissapointed. Directories are an endorsement to search engines to let search engines know the purpose of your site. A listing is going to help you rank higher and in turn bring you more traffic. People do not use directories to find sites. Even Yahoo's directory is not used for that any longer. If you looking for traffic from a directory I suggest using a niche directory with a narrow focus. Directories are also not a link farm unless they have lost site of their intended purpose. A directory is a categorized collection of related sites. By lisditng your site with other strong related sites it makes the search engines job easier of categorizing your site in order to rank it in search results. When a directory lets any site in just because they paid or submitted is when it becomes a link farm. In these cases they will hold no benefit for you. Quality directories are well edited and hold strict guidelines. Also, a directories most important benefit is not even PR. Many naive submitters think a submissions value is based on the pr of the page their listing appears on. The most important factor is their authority status. A pr2 listing on an authority directory will give a much stronger SEO advantage than a PR6 listing on a non-authority directory. Directories are not going to be devalued. In fact their imprtance is growing other forms of creating links are being devalued. For a new site starting out directories are the best way to start ranking. If you can think beyond what you can see in direct traffic than you can understand the value.
The crappy ones will be devalued, and the quality ones will continue to be trusted. As is the case with most things in life, you get what you pay for.
I always like to balance "you get what you pay for" with "a fool and his money are soon parted". Is there any objective or semi-objective way to determine site authority? I know that a few of my programming and technology sites carry more weight but I can't quantify it or check the authority of other sites that I am not as familiar with. There are page rank tools out there, are there site authority tools or calculators??