What is a directory good for?

**willcode4beer** · 04-27-2007, 02:33 PM

Sorry if I upset anyone but, can anybody answer?

What is a web directory good for (besides trying to game search engines)?

I don't know anybody who browses or search through them. There are thousands of them around.
Why do people keep building them?

**chrishirst** · 04-27-2007, 04:33 PM

I can only think it's for the adsense earnings and grabbing money of the fools who pay for the submission.

**Flesko** · 05-03-2007, 06:03 AM

Making websites findable. Yes, directories are rarely used to find a website, but that doesn't mean they are useless. As for the making money aspect, that's like any other job. What's the point in bottling water and sending to the other side of the world at great expense, other than making money?

**chrishirst** · 05-04-2007, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Making websites findable. Yes, directories are rarely used to find a website

Isn't that a contradiction in terms?

Quote:

, but that doesn't mean they are useless

Go on then

**Kirtan** · 05-04-2007, 10:22 AM

To sell PR? Most directories highlight their PR. PRx dir, PRy dir.

It is better to shut my mouth up, especially in SEO Forums. I keep trying to do so.

**ADAM Web Design** · 05-04-2007, 10:41 AM

Most of the time, nothing.

The odd one here and there will send traffic (as in actual people) but most, if not all, exist for search engine reasons.

**tripy** · 05-04-2007, 11:28 AM

I have submitted some of my previous sites to really specialized, but free, local directory, and they send me a couple of peoples a week.
The one site that comes to my m ind, www.search-menu.ch, is a restaurant related site, that allows the restaurant to generate their diner card and handle customers mailing in a one place.

The firm I worked for and made this went in bankruptcy, but as the site was paid for several years, it still run (french only), and I still see the logs.
And as it was just launched before the bankruptcy, the only advertising (ads on the streets, local radio, sticker on cars windshields) have made it really narrowed.
Heck, Swizerland in it's all is as big as NYC, but when you took only 1 small city in it, it's like a subburb of NYC...

So, me too I don't see really much use of inter-national, open, free to submit ultra generalistic directory.
Nothing but spam attents...

**jv16** · 05-07-2007, 01:12 PM

I have spent some money to get my website to the best (in my opinion) paid directories.

I can't say that I have seen any results in terms of search engine positioning or traffic, the links bring only a few people (something like 10) to my site in month.

**Flesko** · 05-21-2007, 11:45 AM

It isn't always up to directories which sites get visits or not. What it all comes down is google, the master of the internet. There are some pictures google picks up others, they don't. My directory is fairly recent, but there's a couple of sections google has taken a shine to and send close to 900 visitors in two months, others sections reference with as much effort get about 5 visitors over the same period.

If you think directories are pointless then fine, but the fact is that they do work, but it's hit and miss, that's why you should list yourself in all the directories that have some PR.

The pay directories I must admit are not worth it. My Directory has a pay section but that is just for companies who want to be listed quickly and can afford to pay for my inconvenience at slipping them at the front of the waiting list.

**Flesko** · 05-21-2007, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrishirst

Isn't that a contradiction in terms?

yeah didn't explain myself fantastically there, I meant making websites findable through google and other search engines and that directories are rarely used by visitors to browse for a website.

Most of our traffic comes directly from a search engine, then they find a website they are looking for on the relevant page and leave.

Very few go looking for things across the front page. If you look at my directory I do put links on the homepage, but this is to give partner sites a PageRank boost, all the visitors come from the deeper pages.

**willcode4beer** · 05-22-2007, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flesko

It isn't always up to directories which sites get visits or not. What it all comes down is google, the master of the internet. There are some pictures google picks up others, they don't. My directory is fairly recent, but there's a couple of sections google has taken a shine to and send close to 900 visitors in two months, others sections reference with as much effort get about 5 visitors over the same period.

If you think directories are pointless then fine, but the fact is that they do work, but it's hit and miss, that's why you should list yourself in all the directories that have some PR.

So, its for gaming search engines, because directory traffic is minimal.
got it.

**samoris** · 04-18-2008, 01:55 AM

Well webdirectory is not so much of your's use, if you got page rank of 8 or 9 yourself. But if you don't have that much page rank, than I guess, you must be looking for. And what could be better than list your self in a webdiretory for a year or so.

**sylwester** · 05-18-2008, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willcode4beer

So, its for gaming search engines, because directory traffic is minimal.
got it.

Right, I have 2 directories and I love to play with search engines

**willcode4beer** · 05-21-2008, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samoris

Well webdirectory is not so much of your's use, if you got page rank of 8 or 9 yourself. But if you don't have that much page rank, than I guess, you must be looking for. And what could be better than list your self in a webdiretory for a year or so.

I have no idea what you are trying to say here....

as to page rank, I think traffic is more interesting than page rank

**meanne2007** · 07-07-2008, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willcode4beer

I have no idea what you are trying to say here....

as to page rank, I think traffic is more interesting than page rank

You're right...traffic is more important than page rank

**beacon.seo** · 07-07-2008, 10:37 PM

well, for me... gaining traffic and quality links.

**LinkPopularity** · 07-08-2008, 12:12 AM

I'm sure that Google considers the directories as a huge source of human reviewed sites, that's why they are still around, google uses these directories to have a first impression

a site without a couple of hundred directory links is suspicious