With regards to marketing a website, one of the first stops for many site owners are web directories. While there's a mixed opinion on the value of web directories, as compared with more reputed article directories, there has been an explosion of web directory networks recently. It is most of these directory networks that I will discuss in this article.
If we listen to Google, which to tell the truth we should, then everyone knows excellent quality is key to success. How do we know this? Well, Matt Cutts said it naturally! Seriously, Matt Cutts is absolutely correct. What exactly is more advantageous, submitting to 1000 free directories that reside on the same network and tend to be interlinked or publishing to a sole quality directory? I'd personally dedicate my time submitting to a single quality directory any day of the year.
Owning a link directory is serious business. The amount of work which is placed into a directory determines its level of quality. If it has low editorial conditions, quality is tossed out the window and that directory grows into nothing more then a link drop.
Most website directory networks reside on the same server, which is already shared with hundreds or thousands of other websites. Once these directory networks get huge, and get some visitors from the different free directory lists, the hosting server can slow with a snails pace. This is not suitable for anybody, specifically the innocent people who happen to be residing on that server.
Many of the web directory networks running at this time are set to auto accept all of the submissions. By performing a cron job at a chosen time of day, all listings magically are listed. Editors have been been replaced by code which opens up the floodgates to everybody under the sun. Categories instantly become cluttered with irrelevant listings and unwanted listings find their way into the directory as well.
Why would people create such networks? The greater part of the networks out there have strategically placed ads. You know, the ads almost on top of the submit button. If someone mistakenly clicks on the ad then bam, that directory owner earns money. Multiply this by hundreds or even thousands of internet directories, and you have a good deal of clicks. The main problem is that the bounce rate for these clicks are most likely high, and most of these people are the same individuals screaming they are smart priced by an advertising network.
Generally speaking, the benefit of directory networks is short lived for its owner. Traffic is derived from being listed in a free directory list, but as soon as that directory is no longer brand new, the page views it gets drops to just a trickle. This is the reason why directory network operators are motivated to generate many more directories. They want that constant supply of visitors to deliver the advertising revenues they seek.
The harsh truth is that I have witnessed very few web directory networks that last more then their first year. These directory networks generally shut down when their owner realizes that there is little or no revenue growth, but a never ending cycle of hard work. As online marketers, we only have a limited amount of resources. Does submitting to directory networks benefit us in our advertising projects or are we better searching for the true gems that may still be in their early stages of success? After watching so many web directory networks crumble, it is my belief that site owners may be best served by submitting to superior article and web directories instead.
Author Resource:-
As an editor for a leading web directory, Valerie Anna has witnessed many web directory networks. Her main concern is that too many people are consuming too much energy submitting to website directory networks that would be time much better spent elsewhere.
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