Directories and Search Engines

Explore search engines and directories; discover which directories are worthwhile and which to avoid.

Comment ClownsSo there’s hasn’t been a full fledged toolbar PageRank export since the first quarter of the year, and everyone’s wondering when Google will update their toolbar PageRank.

There have been insignificant PageRank adjustments here and there since April, but nothing major. New pages have gone from PR N/A to PR0 regularly, but have not gone beyond that.

Google has recently updated their version of DMOZ’s directory as they usually do just prior to a toolbar export and backlinks have been updated as well. The RDF dump is from sometime prior to November 15th, but I’m not sure why they’ve chosen to use a dump that is over a month old.

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Which directories are best?
When choosing which directories to submit your site(s) to, it can be a good idea to take a moment to review the directory to decide whether or not you want to be listed there rather than throwing your URLs at everything that moves to see what might stick. You’re really not that desperate for links are you?

I realize that it’s easy to get caught up in the frenzy when trying to compete in link based algorithms; but sheer quantity is not always best and as algorithms evolve I’m one that feels the low quality links may just have a detrimental effect that you’ll play hell trying to reverse. But let’s stick to one topic for now. 🙂

What characteristics do you look for beyond whether or not a directory has a free option or a functioning submission form when trying to decide if you should submit a site for consideration there? Do you review the submission guidelines or the Terms of Service? Does it matter if either are non-existent?

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DMOZ editor wading through submissionsEver wonder why some of the lesser sites have multiple listings in DMOZ and how they got there? How are deeplinks added to the directory? Do editors look beyond the submitted URL for possible deeplink listings when reviewing a site that’s been suggested by a webmaster or web site owner?

Ever wonder how you can get your site deeplinked in DMOZ, or other quality directories for that matter?

Having sites with deeplink listings in DMOZ, Yahoo Directory (multiple topics) BOTW.org and GoGuides.org, I’d thought I’d share how they came about.

The first thing to keep in mind is that a DMOZ editor is under no obligation to review any of the sites suggested by webmasters, site owners or the overly enthusiastic public. An editor is there of their own volition, because they want to be and they share an interest and desire to create a compilation of resources under subjects that they may have a passion for. They’re volunteers, doing what they like to do, when they want to do it.

They are not there to process the garbage that’s thrown at them by so-called SEO’s and webmasters looking for a quick link or trying to list every one of their affiliate mirrors offering nothing but the remote chance a visitor may click on a well disguised ad and earn them a buck.

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So where is Mike SiwekWow!

Mike Siwek, a Michigan attorney at law, was turned into Google’s poster child by Steven Levy at Wired.com in an article entitled Exclusive: How Google’s Algorithm Rules the Web.

Steven was giving us an inside view on Google’s algorithm and was demonstrating how  Google’s search results were superior as they were the only engine to return a listing for Mike Siwek, the attorney located in Michigan in the top spot when searching for mike siwek lawyer mi.

Well so much for that. I wonder how long it’ll be before you’ll be able to find that listing for Mike at the top of Google’s search results again?

Hey Mike, are you enjoying your 15 minutes?

Pay up!Is this the beginning of a new Google pay to play beta program?

WebProNews recently reported that Google is eliminating local results for a couple of terms, specifically those for SEOs and web designers.

The article also points to a discussion in the Google Maps help forum where a Google employee confirms that these results are not being shown:

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