Benefits of having your own directory?

[emitind.]

what are the incentives for someone creating their own directory? if it's on a PR4 website, will all the links not drain the PR down?

[John Scott]

Having more pages simply for having more pages doesn't make sense to me. If they generate traffic for your website, sure, do it. But otherwise I don't see a benefit.

[awall19]

it will help you pick up traffic if you structure it correctly and make it easier to trade links with people. I usually like to try to keep directories apart from a commercial site as they are easier to promote that way.

[john587]

I don't think there is much benefit unless you either use it to exchange links with other sites or you charge for the submission of sites.

[GandalfDir]

To summarise and add:

Here are the benefits:

1) Commercial
- You earn money by advertising.

2) Traffic
- you generate traffic for your main site

3) Links Popularity
- you build links popularity for your main site

4) PageRank
- as a rule directories provide static pages and Google loves them and gives pagerank for some unkown reason.

5) Search results
- another tendency is that directories win higher placement in search results. If the word is not very popular.

Finally, my own directory is good for resources purpose. We have built it to spesifically meet our resources needs. Due to industry spesifics we cannot make everything for client and so useful links do help.

[awall19]

hi GandalfDir
welcome to the forums

[nandini]

Originally Posted by GandalfDir

To summarise and add:

Here are the benefits:

Originally Posted by GandalfDir

1) Commercial
- You earn money by advertising.

- You have to spend a lot of money and man hours for advertising, promotion and building first to get it to the level of any commercial interests. If you can spend those in promotion of your own site, it can benefit you too.

Originally Posted by GandalfDir

2) Traffic
- you generate traffic for your main site

Traffic for main site -- I don`t agree much. A very little traffic (if you ask me for your main site.) Only a small percentage of People coming to your directory will ever go to your main website.

Originally Posted by GandalfDir

3) Links Popularity
- you build links popularity for your main site

But first you have to build the link popularity for the directory, and in return you will get only a few links from the Directory to your main site. I will submit to paid directories instead.

Originally Posted by GandalfDir

4) PageRank
- as a rule directories provide static pages and Google loves them and gives pagerank for some unkown reason.

Again first get a page rank for your directory in one PR update, wait for anotehr PR update to get a Pr for inner page, and then again wait for another PR update to get PR to your main site.

Originally Posted by GandalfDir

5) Search results
- another tendency is that directories win higher placement in search results. If the word is not very popular.

If word is not popular, you can achieve higher ranking easily by even on-site optimization.

[nandini]

Anyways grandlfdir, welcome to the Forums

[GandalfDir]

Thank for warm welcoming though

Background for further agrumentation:
I was stating above point based on my experience with aeDirectory and from the point of owner of directory. This is a free links directory script based on php wth static pages. When a link is added, approved or granted a star it sends out notifications letter to owner of the link. This is good for two reasons. Owner is kept notified and you provide instrcutions on how to link to you. (this may sound as basics but wisdom is in simplicity )

Traffic for main site -- I don`t agree much. A very little traffic (if you ask me for your main site.) Only a small percentage of People coming to your directory will ever go to your main website.

When a link is added to your directory you ask onwer of the link to link to your main site - not directory. Thus, you have other sites linking to your main site and as result traffic grows for main site.

But first you have to build the link popularity for the directory, and in return you will get only a few links from the Directory to your main site. I will submit to paid directories instead.

I am not sure if this works with only directories based on aeDirectory but still. When you create a subcategory with some less popular name search engines tend to bring this page in first search results specially google. So as the result you have number of keywords where your directory is one of the fisrt search results. (i believe it is also good to be first with not so popular keywords) - this is to say that directory strcture creates link popularity for it itlself.

with regard to

in return you will get only a few links from the Directory to your main site

- If you link it properly then all pages of your directory link to your main site. At least this is how i made it with aeDirectory.

I will submit to paid directories instead

now, this comment makes me think we are talking two different matters. See my background above for my position.

Again first get a page rank for your directory in one PR update, wait for anotehr PR update to get a Pr for inner page, and then again wait for another PR update to get PR to your main site.

Well, from this perspective looking for higher PR is waste of time. Come on, nothing happens instantly in seo things.

If word is not popular, you can achieve higher ranking easily by even on-site optimization.

Right, but with directory all you have to do is simply create a category with non so popular word. You do not have to creat a whole page with unique content.

[I, Brian]

Heh, Gandalf is one of only a few people in the world to get the aeDirectory to install.

Maybe the aeDirectory is just a front for the Ishtari.

Looked at the application ages ago, but it's darn unfriendly to work with, and you have to be *very* conversant with linux compiling issues to get it to install. No friendly install script for less users. Otherwise it would be a top directory script and sell very well (as I stated on their forums, before the post was removed, along with all the complaints).

[nandini]

Hi GanadlfDir...
I hope I didn`t sounded rude. There are many good reasons to build a directory, but didin`t aggreed with your ideas..

Originally Posted by GandalfDir

Thank for warm welcoming though
When a link is added to your directory you ask onwer of the link to link to your main site - not directory. Thus, you have other sites linking to your main site and as result traffic grows for main site.

I won`t call it a Directory then, Its nothing more than a Link Exchange Program. IMO you have to separate two things.
1.) Whether you are building an entire directory (just like yahoo or dmoz)
2.) Or you are adding functionality(adding link directory) to your main site, for your Link Exchange Program

So if your purpose is to build a link exchange program for your main site.. Then definately you are thinking on right lines.

Originally Posted by GandalfDir

I am not sure if this works with only directories based on aeDirectory but still. When you create a subcategory with some less popular name search engines tend to bring this page in first search results specially google. So as the result you have number of keywords where your directory is one of the fisrt search results. (i believe it is also good to be first with not so popular keywords) - this is to say that directory strcture creates link popularity for it itlself.

There are many namy directories floating on the web. But I don`t usually find inner pages or subcategory pages of more than few directories. Might be aedirectory is an authorithy site.

Originally Posted by GandalfDir

- If you link it properly then all pages of your directory link to your main site. At least this is how i made it with aeDirectory. .

Just put a link in your logo or in footer.. But again I don`t see much benefit in it. Links from many sites are far better than links from one sites.

Originally Posted by GandalfDir

Again first get a page rank for your directory in one PR update, wait for another PR update to get a Pr for inner page, and then again wait for another PR update to get PR to your main site.
Well, from this perspective looking for higher PR is waste of time. Come on, nothing happens instantly in seo things.

I never said stop looking for PR, all I doubted was the usefulness of the idea of building an entire directory to promote one site...
But if you are using your directory for Link building, its entirely an different concept..

Originally Posted by GandalfDir

Right, but with directory all you have to do is simply create a category with non so popular word. You do not have to creat a whole page with unique content.

I think I will go by Jon advice on this

Originally Posted by JohnScott

Having more pages simply for having more pages doesn't make sense to me. If they generate traffic for your website, sure, do it. But otherwise I don't see a benefit.

... But apart from these aedirectory is very useful script, I have seen it, and I really recommended it for both purposes, to build an entire directory or Link Exchange Program.
The only two things which can be improved is its installation, which can be quiet difficult for a non technical person and absense of integrated search engine.

[I, Brian]

There is also the possible issue of being an "authority" site, which may or may not help in terms of ranking purposes. However, it's difficult to build evidence to argue this case, so most webmasters will generally frown on linking out in large numbers of links unless there are clearer benefits, such as accruing backlinks via link exchanges.

[GandalfDir]

Nandini, glad that figured out our positions, i guess i can summarise that directory is still good for Link Exchange Program. I can say that as the result it is good for traffic and PR.

I agree with I, Brian and nandini that aeDirectory main shortcome is installation. For some time they had really weird installation instrcutions but they finally have detailed it and now there are more user-freindly installation instructions at their support forum.

The other problem is need for compiling the file and i did talk to their techs about making this some way around and there is. They said soon they will provide one file and there will be no need in compiling.

Going back to discussion of what are benefits of having your own directory i beleive my points are still relevant and with help of Nandini, they are more clear now.

[GandalfDir]

P.S. by the Nandini, i saw that you were building your own directory in the light of this may i encourage you to participate in my forum at http://forum.gandalfdir.com that is solely dedicated to directories buidling, promotion and other issues related to directories. I will really appreciate that. thank you in advance.

[nandini]

Originally Posted by GandalfDir

P.S. by the Nandini, i saw that you were building your own directory in the light of this may i encourage you to participate in my forum at http://forum.gandalfdir.com that is solely dedicated to directories buidling, promotion and other issues related to directories. I will really appreciate that. thank you in advance.

Sorry couldn't answer you quickly, as I was busy posting in another forum -> http://forum.gandalfdir.com .....

You have got a nice forum. I will surely be beneficial for everyone, from web directory editors, users, submitters as well as owners.

[GandalfDir]