yahoo backlinks not helping?

Everyone seems to discard the Yahoo! Directory backlinks due to the redirect. I seriously disagree when people say that those directory links don't help your rankings (at least in Yahoo!). I have also seen a lot of listings providing great targetted traffic. unfortunately that is rare and depends on the editing job as well as the submission process.

 

Well, let's take a look here. Regardless of what people say or opinions... let's look at facts. Below are some random searches I am looking for on yahoo. None of them are related

Search 1 - Gift Baskets (4,009.0 searches/day) (1,380 directory listing results)
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=gift+baskets&fr=FP-tab-web-t&toggle=1&cop=&ei=UTF-8
The first two results are pulled from the directory
4 of the top 10 are pulled from the directory

Search 2 - TIVO (4,901.0 searches/day) (34 directory listing results)
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=TIVO&prssweb=Search&ei=UTF-8&fr=FP-tab-web-t&fl=0&x=wrt
The first result is pulled from the directory
4 of the top 10 are pulled from the directory

Search 3 - Photo Development (20.0 searches/day) (114 directory listing results)
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=photo+development&ei=UTF-8&fr=FP-tab-web-t&fl=0&x=wrt
The first two results are from the directory
5 of the top 10 are pulled from the directory

Search 4 - Photoshop (2,194.0 searches/day) (170 directory listing results)
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=Photoshop&ei=UTF-8&fr=FP-tab-web-t&fl=0&x=wrt
The first two are pulled from the directory
6 of the top 10 are pulled from the directory

Those are just 4 searches at random, I am sure I could do it all night. I am sure people believe what they want to believe however, there you have undeniable fact. At this time, from my personal experience and from the random searches that I have done, I will have to say that Yahoo has integrated their directory listings in with their web search and yes, it does help to be in there. At least it is helping us out and whomever is number one for the searches above.

Yes, we actually broke down after 4 months of being listed 22-35 and there was nothing I could do. I optimized on page, I was getting links off page. I was checking links... Nothing I did was working. Then I looked at the 8 out of the top 10 results at that time were all being pulled from the directory. I choked when I had to agree to their idiotic TOS and when I paid the monies out.... yikes... however the very next day after the approval and inclusion... BAM! we were actually listed number 7. Then the next day we were listed number 1. We continued to jump between number 1 and number 7 for several weeks. Now we are number 1.

I, for one, am convinced that they are smart businessmen/women and without stirrring up a mean crowd have integrated their directory listing (which they make money off of and want you to join up with) into their web search, which they don't make money from. It makes sense that if they reward those that join their directory, they will get more people in their directory and make more money.

Facts are facts... nobody can deny that. You can see just by searching on some other popular searches that there are results that get pulled from the directory. In fact, up to 1/2 a page of results from pulled from the directory.

Just by the fact that they do in fact pull around half or more of their first page listings from the directory should ignite a spark and say..... gee, I wonder if being in the directory will help get me listed. Well, If you are submitted to their directory and you are submitted to their search then doesn't that essentially double your chances.... lol (well, not really) Yahoo, last time I checked, only looked at that 1 line entry for placement in the search engines.

We saw half of our traffic from yahoo drop off once we were submitted to the directory however, we now have more targeted traffic for better sales so it evens out. We have been picked up in some odd phrases that are not related to the directory however but it still shows our directory description.

In fact, this next statement is not meant to discredit anyone or cause any grief. This is only meant to purely look at the facts. Let's take this one step further.

In reply to your statement,
Let's take a look at your own keyword phrases that you utilize for your signature.

Currently, there are 3 keyword phrases listed in the signature, only 1 which is a semi-popular search. The others nobody is searching for. Let's look at the semi-popular one.

Motivational Posters (331.0 searches/day) (9 directory listing results):
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=Mo...Search&fr=FP-tab-web-t&toggle=1&cop=&ei=UTF-8
The number 5 search is pulled from the directory and it doesn't even contain the keyword phrase in it. The only word it has is posters and that is at the very end. Yahoo felt that it should include at least 1 directory listing above those that are obviously optimized for that keyword phrase.

Now, how or why they pull the directory listings up the way they do I cannot tell you however, even in the directory listings themselves there are only 9 web sites that come up for the keyword phrase motivational posters. Only one of those utilize the keyword phrase in their description. I am willing to bet, if there were more they would come up in the web search as well.

Hope it helps..

 

ProductivePC,

I would have expected that. It's perhaps cuz of a rush of blood in the head due to the recent #1 position you're experiencing, which obviously is pushing you to side Y! deirectory listing that much. In any case...

I see and understand your points clearly as i read them. However, it doesn't prove a thing! Facts you say? where? This is the typical Y! directory is sense-nonsense chat. The jury is out everywhere on this issue.

Based on my own perspective and experience in this trade, i deeply believe that the Y! search algo does not depend in any way on the Y! directory. Your current position on the Y! serp is definitely not a natural one based on the innate algorithm of yahoo search. In my terms, anything that is not natural is not long term. (Call it a manipualtion from the y! guys or whatever, i won't comment on this.)

Yahoo must move along with google now, since google is nearly almost "standalone think by itself" machinery, y! search depending on the directory will only impede its progress cuz G! opened a lot of avenues through which one can see that a powerful search engine doens't need to be any dependance on any third party. MSN proved it too by dumping looksmart. (although it still has to really prove itself yet...hi bill ) Y! is still displaying those "unchangeable" titles that's against their TOS because it makes them a lot of money after all. What's the secret as to why yahoo has not officially said that the directory directly influences the serps? cuz there are no secrets. It makes them money , they just display your Y! directory title in their serp just to show $300/yr can be money better wasted and they just it shut. (the mouth i mean )

Basically what i'm trying to prove is that there is a big difference between a natural ranking based on the very Y! search algo and that of the directory editors manipulating those results. I said NO EFFECT cuz i have seen absolutely no natural boost in rankings due to a y! directory listing. I work in a web consultancy firm and i assure you if i had to see the real benefit of a Y! listing, i would have seen it long ago.

Oh yeah, about the fact...Take the same keyphrases you mention and do this same search on www.google.com . Then go to www.dmoz.org and search for the top the domains in the top 10 serps and you'll see almost all of them listed Now what! google is still dependant on odp? (Guess what! I haven't done those steps and already know that they will apprear in dmoz...it's plain common logic)

Modern search engines are about quality and not quantity. Any website that will rank well for a given keyword in a competitive or fairly competitive industry will also most probably be listed in those directory. Because they are quality websites. This is what the search engines are looking for cuz this is what users want.

p.s. My sig line is not meant for search engine purposes

p.s.2. search for any popular keyword in google and you'll see what they appear in dmoz as well....to almost the same degree as they appear in yahoo search

Hold the breast,
Pamela

 

The facts are that in those searches around half of them were pulled from the directory. FACT... undisputable, undeniable FACT! (for conversation sake let's just say half (5 out of 10 listings are directory listings)

Now, just the FACT that they are in there says, guess what, Yahoo IS going to pull results from the directory and input them into the SERPs, therefore removing 5 non-directory listings.

Now, common sense would dictate that if you are in the directory, you will have a better chance than not being in the directory. Therefore you have two avenues of approach. Nobody is mentioning that the actual people are manipulating the results to give directory results better placement however it is suggested that you get a bonus automatically for being in there based on what we have seen above.

1. Get onto the top page from the directory
2. Get onto the top page from regular search

VS

1. Get onto the top page from regular search

I was the same way for months. Apparently, presumably so since you are so anti-directory listing, you have not entered any of your web sites into the yahoo directory. This would call that you are presuming everything from what you read without experience. I personally would say, test the web site above. Put it into the yahoo directory and see if you go up in the SERPs. It helped us.

Not long term? Since March is not long term?
Let me see,
March - 1
April - 2
May - 3
June - 4
July - 5
August - 6
September next month??
We are going on 7 months of number 1 placement?? Is that not long enough to be considered long term or should I wait another 7 months?

I was wondering about the sigs for search or for advertising because the keyword phrases were definitely not the best... lol

I too read a lot of what people say, however, any one of the real SEO's in WW will tell you experiment and see what works for you.

To everyone:
It is up to you to make a choice based on what you see and read. Coming from someone that does have numerous number 1 placements for very competitive keyword phrase searches, all I can tell you is what worked for me. If you have read this thread, then you already know what worked for me. Good luck to all.