Local Business Directories Going To Waste.

[banless]

Lately I've been trying to stay focused on my local area, this is something I did when I first started but got distracted by other things. So I've been looking around my area at a few other directories to get listed in, but I've run into a stumbling block.

Most of these directories don't offer any form of seo value to the links submitted. I understand these guys want to make money through adsense, upgrades, and other forms of advertising. But man, do you really need to charge me $30-70 a month for an upgrade to be featured? And yes, they want monthly not yearly.

Moreover, these sites are asking for these kind of prices when their site is not even getting any form of solid traffic. Not to mention the fact that when you do upgrade you still don't get a direct link to your site. Some are still nofollow and some use some form of funny java script.

Another thing that is funny, is that some local directories ask you contact them for advertising or an upgrade, no big deal, but these guys never respond. I just don't understand what these guys are looking for. Do they want to make money or not?

As an seo I'm naturally going to spend my money in the areas that will benefit my site as well as my clients. So for local directories to be asking for such silly prices to get a so-called creditable listing is just insane.

I'm lost, and little disappointed at the way the local business directory owners are running these sites. Maybe I just don't see things the same way they do. Either way, it is sad because these sites could be making alot more money if they would just stop trying to be like the yellow pages. I'm sure there's other seo companies in your area thinking the same thing.

Just wanted to get that off my chest, I've been searching and emailing for the past few weeks to some of these sites, and I for the most part I've gotten no form of response. Maybe they are run by other seo's in the area and just don't want to list me. I hope that's not case.

[HTMLBasicTutor]

Yes it is frustrating. I have a site that is a local sports related site that it is hard to find a good place to advertise (beyond the old standby of Craigslist) without forking out a unreasonable sum of money.

[Dan]

I know of quite a few local Australian directories that look the goods, but are nofollowed and have seriously bad URLs for indexation. Not to mention hefty ongoing prices...

They aren't built for "SEO purposes" which is one of their major attractions, but in being built for end users they work against themselves to the extent that they are useless for search engines, and that listings get lost in an endless mass of businesses.

Service industry directories especially where there are literally thousands of competing businesses (need a plumber anyone?). Heck I've got 10 different plumber fridge magnets on the fridge right now, how in hell is anyone going to choose from thousands in a list of these directories.

I really think that local directories can be brilliant, but they need to differentiate their results/content somehow, and they need to start building SEO friendliness into their design so that search engines index them better and the sites listed within them start to gain notice.