Directories & Why they Exist - written by Steve Myers

directories-and-why-they-exist

I used to run a directory about a year ago, in fact, it was with Priority List. The directory was from free to paid, free to paid, but what exactly did people want to see? I was clueless and provided free service, but got spam, I provided paid, but got almost nothing, is it because I don’t have much to offer? is my traffic not enough?

These questions are what directory owners suffer from and usually start out with for the first 5 months of being on the directory list of “Directory Owners”. The owners of the directories are solid, well behaved people and have a great mind frame of where to advertise and how to get the money for it. It’s common sense for them to go out one second and advertise one link and *BOOM* income generated and they make money to their online transaction account.

“Why do they make directories if we already have to many as it is? ” That has been and always will be the question that many people don’t see to get and will never understand. Directories are founded to be a back link importance to webmasters, SEO guru’s and personal bloggers who need to gain a good page rank to get high up in the results of Google.

“Directory owners even submit to each other” you gotta be kidding me? nope it’s true and they gain a lot from it too. It’s not the directories looks that get them there on the list, it’s the page rank that the directory owners has to offer that gets other owners to submit (No matter what the directory looks like). But of course for some owners, it is a big deal on how you present your directory.

“So the internet has been a link farm?” You could say that, but it’s really all on how you look at it from the other side of the fence. Directories don’t JUST approve everyone and anyone (even if you send them money) it’s about the page rank, the back links, the content, the look, display, traffic, etc etc etc. The list will continue to make the directory better than another.

Who can make it to the top of the best Directories List, no one, it’s always going to be the same no matter what. Each directory has it’s ups and downs, and can never promise a specific amount of traffic or service, you simply buy a spot, and you’re listed there forever until they find that your site is dead and no longer in active state. ( Hopefully they will contact you about your site removal) but don’t expect your money back, it’s not guarantee!

When I provided service, I always gave them the benefit of the doubt, knowing that the traffic may not get to them or that their listing will be approved though their site looks great and that they paid for the package, money is money, don’t let it get to you and some how you get a site that pays $49.99 for a featured listing and it’s a nasty farm link and the site has been banned from Google and possibly Yahoo! or MSN.

“To be or not to be” I like this term as it’s always a nice reminder to myself if I want to be a good directory owner, or one who just approves and takes the money… It’s a question that streaks lines in some peoples heads that some how lures them into approving the listing even though they don’t really like the site, they just want the money to earn a few bucks for the expensive gas prices we have these days.

Each directory has it’s faults, no matter which one you pick. Choosing the right one to get listed on is always a tough choice, you never know if it’s a directory that people don’t like, or if it’s banned from search engines, or doesn’t have over 1,000 hits a day or possibly losing back links because other sites don’t want to link back with them anymore.

I always do my research before submitting to ANY directory, and I don’t submit at all, but to one and one only which is a good friend of mine Bagi at iWebTool Talk, here’s his directory, feel free in submitting to it as it’s responsive, accurate and well maintained.

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