The internet is filled with amateur operated directories. They have no idea and no experience in operating directories and fill the search engines with what basically constitutes garbage. My biggest kick is the ones promoting themselves as SEO friendly. Search engine optimization friendly, what to heck are they talking about. A directory with static links rather then dynamic maybe.

There is a considerable amount of work that goes into optimizing a directory. Each topic must be optimized for relevant target marketing for the submitter’s website. This constitutes extensive monitoring of the search engine results to insure the individual topic is performing well in the search engines results. Any decent directory can be an effective target marketing tool for the submitter if managed and operated by professionals. Probably the hardest art is getting all of the topics into the search engine results. The primary requirement for this is content.

I see countless directories launched with less then 100 sites submitted and a topic structure of under 200 topics. The over generalized directory is very common, and will offer on average ten links per topic page. In popular topics like website designers for example, they will if with any popularity end up with a topic that is 20 pages deep in a very short time. Search engines rarely go past the third topic level and the submitter’s website will never receive even a search engine link let alone any traffic from the website itself.

Most of the amateur operated directory marketing never goes past webmaster forums. It takes many thousands of dollars per month to generate traffic and do justice for the webmasters who have entrusted you with marketing their website. It’s an obligation that professional directory operators take seriously and do their very best at. It’s impossible to make everybody happy or to even get every submission into the search engines. By far the professional and experienced directory operator can do it best.

Before you spend you money or clients money on a directory submission use your Google Toolbar and see if the topic is at least cached. If it’s not cached it’s presently not worth spending your money on. Don’t waste your time submitting to hundreds of directories that will do nothing in exchange for your submission.

Other directories to be aware of are content frauds. Check their Google cache at a minimum and see what they have cached. If it’s primarily content not related to the directories topics it is also a waste of money to submit. Using the Goggles Page ranking system the average good quality directory is PR 5 or 6. Anything above that should be closely scrutinized for how they are obtaining it. Chances are they are using outside source content to attract your submission with a high page ranking and a large number of cached pages. I see this done by several directories charging very high submission prices. A little bit of research can save you a lot of money. Never jump on high PR directories as a great source. Chances are good it will be just the opposite.

Posted on Thursday, November 3rd, 2005 at 10:23 pm by .
Filed under Web Directories.
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