Directories - Are they worthwhile?

[patmcluk]

I have a friend who has just offered to submit a website to 2000 directories at a very good price. I have agreed to do it, but what do other members think of directories. Do they help with SERPS?

I have also (seperately) paid for 200 manually entered links on blogs and forums, which are guaranteed to be DOFOLLOW.

I have done this for two seperate sites so i can see the results at the end, but has anyone else done these and found them to be productive.
Or have i wasted my money?

[thebookiesoffers]

From the reading that I have done it seems there is still some benefit from directory submission it is just not what it was. You just need to remember to submit to the correct section and try niche directories

[dhayman]

My personal feeling (and many SEO's share my opinion), is that an over-indulgence of link submitting into directories will certainly not help you, and could in fact hurt you, if the total rush of link is proportionally significant to your exiting IL's. My personal rule of thumb is that if the Directory asks you for a reciprocal link, stay far away from it.

[patmcluk]

I have ignored all the requests for reciprocal links, and have been refused by quite a few (like doctors directories!) but surely one good thing is that most directories take varying times to approve your links, so i should get a drip through for the next three or four months. Even if i get only 500 out of it i will be happy.

But what about the forum posts, are they always a good thing?

[universal4]

I think the value of links in directories is not very high, but if the directories are spidered it is a valid link.

I also agree that adding too many links of any kind at one time can hurt.

I disagree that if the directory owner requests a reciprical that it automatically makes it a bad link....if the directory you are getting a link from has no inbounds than it likely will not be spidered often.

Rick
Universal4

[bonusbeast]

Directories submissions are surely not what they used to be, but if done correctly they are still beneficial.

[patmcluk]

I presume everyone thinks forum posts are okay then? And comments on blogs?

[Former Member 14]

A link is better than no link, as long as it's not spammy and is on topic to your site's overall content.

That said, submitting your site to 2,000 directories is fool hardy if not completely insane!

Google is not stupid.

Although most directories are not considered to be of high value, if one is selective on where they place their URL on such directories, you will receive a boost to your site.

The key is being sensible. If I'm looking at links back to a URL I certainly don't add more than 20 a month. That to me is feasible and what seems like common sense to me, I assume makes sense to Google too.

In addition, most of these good directory deals don't tell you that your URL ends up on FFA Links too. Which are just full of MLM links, porn, Viagra and other spammy net crap.

Not a good neighbourhood to be associate with if your trying to influence Google, or any other Top Level SE.



Cheers



Dave

[Former Member 14]

I presume everyone thinks forum posts are okay then? And comments on blogs?

As long as they're not spammy!


Cheers



Dave

[patmcluk]

Of course! I probably take TOO much time putting in relevant comments!
Link Spam is something i particularly don't like. I spend ages deleting lots of them every day!
Pat

As long as they're not spammy!


Cheers



Dave

[arisoftnet]

My oppinion is go ahead and submit your website as much Directories you can as far if it is high PR. High PR means value from google and that means benefit for your website.

If your website is new then i suggest slow submition , like 100 every 15 days , if it is an old website then really doesnt matter if u submit all the 2000 in the same day ... of course that is not possible , but is just an example.

I personal have seen benefit from good directories. Dont forget that as in more places your website it is submited more chances you have to been seen , i know that unfortunately this is a GOOGLE world , but also if you can get some kind of Independent the better!

[universal4]

PR is NOT nearly as important as you make it out to be.

Some much lower pr sites and pages rank better and generate more traffic that higher pr sites and pages.

Quality matters more than pr and pr is NOT a strict indication of quality.

Rick
Universal4

[arisoftnet]

PR is NOT nearly as important as you make it out to be.

Some much lower pr sites and pages rank better and generate more traffic that higher pr sites and pages.

Quality matters more than pr and pr is NOT a strict indication of quality.

Rick
Universal4

For sure PR doesnt mean anything! I agree on that , but PR is a measurement way that GOOGLE invented , so therefor PR means something for GOOGLE!

For sure Quality Traffic doesnt mean HIGH PR , but PR it is google's way of measure websites.

If A directory it is HIGH in PR for example 5 or 6 that means GOOGLE spiders that Directory and also very often , that means all the websites listed in that Directory earns a link popularity in GOOGLE , conclusion Better Rankings!

[universal4]

but PR it is google's way of measure websites.

I disagree with that statement.

SERPS placement is the best measurment of Google.

I know of plenty of low pr websites that rank well for some keywords, that get spidered more frequently that some higher pr websites....so if you were competly correct that wouldn't happen.

Higher pr just means more people that are stuck on toolbar pr are more willing to buy links from you, which does NOT always translate to better rankings for those that purchased the links.


Rick
Universal4

[patmcluk]

The link I submitted to the directories was my general Website Reviews site, so any link would be "relevant" i suppose, and it would be nice to get a mythical PR number to entice more people to take my reviews.

But isn't it true that: A link is a link is a link!

[universal4]

Some believe that and some do not.

I believe that a link is a link.

But a link in a bad neighborhood can harm you a little, especially if that's all you have.

But a link that comes from a relevant site, with lots of relevant content, that is from a content page or a page that isn't completly full of link exchange links is stronger and does better for you a standard link exchange.

A link from a financial site or a web hosting site to a casino site is less powerful than a link from another casino site.

Rick
Universal4

[arisoftnet]

I disagree with that statement.

SERPS placement is the best measurment of Google.

I know of plenty of low pr websites that rank well for some keywords, that get spidered more frequently that some higher pr websites....so if you were competly correct that wouldn't happen.

Higher pr just means more people that are stuck on toolbar pr are more willing to buy links from you, which does NOT always translate to better rankings for those that purchased the links.


Rick
Universal4

Google Created PAGE RANKING for a reason and that is to Rank Pages and that means that Google Values Page RANKING.

As i said previously i agree that Page Ranking doesnt mean QUALITY TRAFFIC and also doesnt mean GOOGLE GOOD POSITIONS , The story here is about submitions in Directories and there is no doubt about Directories with HIGH PR in GOOGLE is a sure value for any website!

[webber286]

A link is a link is a link. The only thing bad that can happen is a short term dampening of your search rankings. Even if you got 2000 directory links in a single day, Google would look at that and say, wait a minute we need to see if this is for real. If the links stay in place, then Google will begin to trust them and give you credit for the links. Depending on the strength and age of your website, they will return your rankings in a shorter or longer time. Directories are also a good way of varying your anchor link profile, since having every link coming to you with the exact same link text is a flag for Google as well. So make sure you are varying your anchor text when submitting to 2,000 directories (probably 20 of them).

Having said all of that, you really should make certain you have a nice variety of links coming into your website, if they are all directory sites that aren't even related to gambling, you can only go so far. You need to supplement with gambling related links (reciprocals, 3-ways, purchases, forum posts, whatever). Google will trust your site much more if they can place you in the correct neighborhood. You want your site in the gambling neighborhood, not the search directory neighborhood.

[Former Member 14]

I disagree with that statement.

SERPS placement is the best measurment of Google.

I know of plenty of low pr websites that rank well for some keywords, that get spidered more frequently that some higher pr websites....so if you were competly correct that wouldn't happen.

Higher pr just means more people that are stuck on toolbar pr are more willing to buy links from you, which does NOT always translate to better rankings for those that purchased the links.

Rick is allowed to voice his opinion....

Google Created PAGE RANKING for a reason and that is to Rank Pages and that means that Google Values Page RANKING.

As i said previously i agree that Page Ranking doesnt mean QUALITY TRAFFIC and also doesnt mean GOOGLE GOOD POSITIONS , The story here is about submitions in Directories and there is no doubt about Directories with HIGH PR in GOOGLE is a sure value for any website!

Your allowed to voice your opinion too.


But being dogmatic, saying your right and he/she is wrong ain't cool. Topics like this fall on opinion only.

Instead of derailing this thread, why not start a new thread about current Google PR value.
I'm sure you'd get people posting their opinions on it.

patmcluk asked the question: "Directories - Are they worthwhile". So sticking to that topic is best for this thread.


Cheers



Dave

[patmcluk]

Yes, but the idea of getting lots of links from directories is as an aid to higher PR
But the site i submitted wasn't a gambling site. It is my Just Website Reviews site, which is a very generalized title, so i suppose ANY links could be relevant?
I admit it is an experiment, as the site is only a couple of months old but already has about 90 backlinks according to Yahoo, so i just thought i'd see how much difference it made in a month or so.
I don't have much SERPS or PR to lose anyway!