11 replies to this topic

[Cratima]

I've started to make SEO for our Web Design Company Cratima
and one of the problems I am confronting with is that there is
a fee difference between different web directories on the web.

I can submit our site to free web directories, reciprocal link directories,
and paid directories.

Now, my question is: is there really a difference between this submissions?
I mean, does Google index your site depending on the amount of money you pay a web directory site? Or do this paid web directories offer services that help Google index your site better?

[IBBoard]

Google works off free submissions. Yahoo works off free submissions (originally DMOZ IIRC). Altavista works off free submissions (my original search engine of choice). MSN works off free submissions (or at least I think it does - I've never expressly submitted to it, just had my site turn up in it).

Links will add extra page rank or influence to your site, and will also give people more ways of finding it. Lots of places also duplicate DMOZ, so getting in there automatically gives you links from lots of other sites.

Reciprocal links are good in theory, but if it's a reciprocal link directory/farm then it'll have low value and could potentially even have negative value if it becomes a bad neighbourhood filled with spammer sites. The really valuable reciprocal links are those created by humans between sites of related content.

As for paid directories, I'd want them to show me what they could do that a free directory can't (beyond guarantee a timeline for inclusion). I've not investigated them too heavily, but AFAIK it's normally little or nothing.

[NyteOwl]

Yahoo have a paid submission process as well starting at around $250 I think. In any event Google doesn;t care what or if you paid for a directory listing. It indexes you site when it gets to it and ranks according to quality and quantity of links it finds. Not the order there - a dozen quality links are worth more than 50 crappy ones (numbers shosen are arbitrary for example purposes only) and as IBBoard said, links from a "bad neighbourhood" can actually have a negative impact.

Of course the tru relative merits/demerits of any link or group of links are known only to Google.

[mfarley]

I've started to make SEO for our Web Design Company Cratima
and one of the problems I am confronting with is that there is
a fee difference between different web directories on the web.

I can submit our site to free web directories, reciprocal link directories,
and paid directories.

Now, my question is: is there really a difference between this submissions?
I mean, does Google index your site depending on the amount of money you pay a web directory site? Or do this paid web directories offer services that help Google index your site better?

Is there a difference?  Well look at what you get and where you're listed at.  Most of the highest ranking directories such as business.com are fee based.  Of course you not only get listed on a site with a high pagerank but most of the categories also have relatively high pageranks. http://www.business.com/directory/accounting/employment/  Few free directories can mimick that other than DMOZ and getting listed in a non-popular category in DMOZ is like winning the lottery these days.

Each directory needs to be judged on it's own merit whether it requires paid inclusion or is free.

All I can say is just be weary of companies that will include your site to thousands of directories...you'll end up running your risk level very high and may even start to get penalized.  Google does not reward based upon how much you can afford to spend but based upon the validity and popularity of the page your link resides on...as well as the bleed factor or number of outbound links.

[Cratima]

The thing is that I've heard that Google banns all the web sites that
use paid directories.
A colleague of mine at Cratima Interactive has just sent yesterday an
e-mail to Google to ask for more details, no answer yet.

[mfarley]

Google does not ban websites listed in paid directories, plain and simple.  Give their algorithm a little credit.  Google doesn't even ban for being listed on a known link farm.  Matt Cutts has verified that.  It's all about patterns or perceived patterns.

[Cratima]

I was under the impression that I will get banned if I submit to monthly
paid directory, not the web directory!!!?!?!?

Anyway (just another thought), it's a strange thing that Yahoo directory takes 299$, and DMOZ
(Google directory) is free (although, it's a little hard to get listed,
I don't know why???).

Why is yahoo directory (300/0 =>>>> infinite) better than DMOZ?????

[IBBoard]

Probably because Yahoo has paid staff to approve entries and hence can guarantee inclusion within a time frame where as DMOZ is staffed by volunteers and may not have a volunteer for your category, which is why it is harder to get listed in.

Also, DMOZ isn't Google's directory, it's just that Google uses it and the content is cloned on lots of websites. That means that as soon as you're listed in DMOZ then you get a huge number of links to your site (although they'll be low quality as each DMOZ page will have lots of outbound links to split PR between).

[billzo]

Google is discounting directory links like crazy to the point they are nearly worthless.

Don't waste your time or money on Yahoo directory.  It won't do you any good.

Don't waste your time with Dmoz.  Very few people use it, it has little search engine benefit, and I recently read that it is taking 2 years to be reviewed in many categories.  

Yahoo charges $300 because a small number of people are willing to pay it.  If you pay me $300, I will be glad to start a directory and put a link on it to your site.

[mfarley]

I disagree, there are a number of quality directories that are worth listing in--it all depends on your budget and your targeted optimization.  Business.com, and Yahoo! are only two.

I do agree that it appears Google is tending towards discounting links from directories, but they are still links and they are still counted.  And Google still gives weight to DMOZ, so to say don't waste your time on DMOZ doesn't make much sense.  Submit your site, and check once every couple months to see if you're listed.  Doesn't take but 2 mins a month--hardly a waste of time.  If you're not listed in 6 months email the moderator (5 mins every 6 months).

[Cratima]

I also think that submitting to DMOZ is good.

It has great PR.
It's recommended by Google.
It's used by many people (prospects).
It's free.

I think that Yahoo Directory is also good. The only difference
is the 299$, that I think is not so much.
I've heard that it brings great result in terms of internet marketing.

[saim82]

I also think that submitting to DMOZ is good.

It has great PR.
It's recommended by Google.
It's used by many people (prospects).
It's free.

I think that Yahoo Directory is also good. The only difference
is the 299$, that I think is not so much.
I've heard that it brings great result in terms of internet marketing.

Wow. I had no idea. Thank you for the info.

I wish I had this kind of money to spend on advertising...i know I know you gotta spend money to make money, but i have no money! lol