The Future of Directories

2006/11/08 in Directories and Search Engines | 2 comments

Ever wonder what the future holds for general web directories? First and second tier directories will always have a place on the net, but what about the smaller, general web directories?

Consider that the average new directory utilizes a popular free script, the default or free template and a readily available category DB, I’m convinced that the future is not so bright that I’ll need my shades.

Add that these new directories are launched on the same webmaster forums and likely receive the same submissions from the folks that frequent these forums just like the directory before it and the picture becomes just a bit clearer. Ever notice the same listings in the same categories over and over again?

What is there to separate one new directory from those preceding it? If you’re reading this blog, I’m sure that you’re familiar with the term duplicate content; and you can guess where I’m heading from here. 😉

The Quick Buck Crew (thanks an0n for the term) offer cheap Featured Listings in multiple directories hosted on the same servers and approve the same crappy submissions as their last gallant effort – which lasted until the flood of new submissions died down when their announcement thread fell off of the first page.

If you start comparing these directories, you’ll soon see the similarities and realize that few of them really have the potential to amount to?much, or become a presence on the web. Little if any promotion is being done; the majority of it amounts to submitting listings in all of the free directories and foolishly interlinking their own sites to excess.

Utilizing the same script, template and data base repeatedly is slowly creating a target, and with each new directory launch, the bulls-eye is increasing in size. Relying on submissions for their content, these directories exist primarily for other webmasters and offer real users little in the way of quality content.

I wonder if these directory owners recall what happened to guestbooks, or if they realize that they’re likely headed down the same path?

  2. hvizdak’s avatar

    hvizdak on 2007/08/30 at 1:00 am

    That’s true 🙂 . Directories exist for webmasters, not for ordinary internet users. But it doesn’t mean that new directories should be buried before launch. Man can still lay enough effort to build his own directory script with features which are different than phpLD for instance.

    Also, allow only quality URLs to be listed there. First, go to DMOZ and Yahoo! Dir and get inspired… Take about 10 000 URLs from there, submit them into your directory. Get inspired from their categories structure. Hire few people who will find new useful sites and let them submit such URLs into your directory.

    Be different and your future will be brigher than expected.

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