When it comes to promoting a website, one of the first stops for numerous webmasters are web directories. While there is a mixed opinion on the value of web directories, compared to more respected article directories, there’s been a surge of web directory networks lately. It’s most of these directory networks that I will discuss in the following paragraphs.
If we listen to Google, which in all honesty we ought to, then everyone knows superior quality is key to success. How should we know this? Well, Matt Cutts said it of course! Seriously, Matt is right on the money. What’s more effective, publishing to one thousand free directories which are hosted on on the same network and are also interlinked or publishing to a single quality directory? I’d personally use my time submitting to a single quality directory any day of the month.
Running a link directory is serious business. The amount of work which is put into a directory establishes its level of quality. If it includes below average editorial values, quality is tossed out the window and the directory grows into nothing more then a link farm.
The majority of web directory networks reside on a single server, which can be already shared with hundreds or thousands of additional internet sites. Once these directory networks get big, and obtain some traffic from the various free directory lists, the server can crawl with a turtles pace. This isn’t beneficial to anyone, particularly the blameless folks that have been residing on that server already.
Most of the web directory networks operating today are set to auto accept all of the submissions. By performing a cron job at a selected time of day, all listings are instantly listed. Editors have been been replaced by computer code that releases the floodgates to everyone. Categories instantly become cluttered with unrelated listings and non desirable listings find their way into the directory as well.
Why create these networks? The greater part of the directory networks out there have strategically positioned ads. You know, the ads almost on top of the submit link button. When someone unexpectedly clicks on the ad then bam, the directory owner gets paid. Multiply this by hundreds or even thousands of web directories, and you have a lot of clicks. The problem is that the bounce rate for these clicks are likely high, and many of these people are the same ones screaming they have been smart priced by an advertising network.
Usually speaking, the benefit of directory networks is short lived for its owner. Traffic is produced from being listed in a free directory list, but after that directory is no longer fresh, the traffic it receives drops to just a trickle. This is why directory network owners are compelled to build many more directories. They want that steady supply of traffic to earn the ad income they seek.
The gospel truth is that I have viewed very few website directory networks that continue more then their first year. These web directory networks ordinarily shut down when their owner figures out that there is very little income growth, but a perpetual cycle of time consuming work. As web entrepreneurs, we only have a limited amount of time. Will submitting to directory networks aid us in our internet marketing projects or are we better off searching for the true gems which may still be in the rough? After seeing so many web directory networks crumble, it is my opinion that internet marketers may be best served by submitting to good quality article and web directories instead.
Valerie Anna is a web directory editor who has edited scores of directory submissions. Her goal is to provide superior listings for webmasters and for those that see their listings.
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