Category Archive

We all have a list of favorite directories we use to jump start our latest projects or clients sites; established web directories such as DMOZ, Yahoo!, BOTW and Business.com are usually at the top of any serious marketer’s campaign.

A number of popular second tier directories that come to mind include Wow Directory, Skaffe and GoGuides, these directories provide quality indexes consisting of manually reviewed and edited web sites, and confer some measure of trust.

While we’re all impressed with or have some respect for the directories mentioned above, one other directory has really caught my attention: Aviva Directory. Aviva is a rapidly growing quality directory, and in my opinion will move ahead of some of the well known second tier directories by years end.

Besides accepting user submitted sites for a nominal annual fee, Aviva also adds quality, authoritative listings and will provide a positive user experience as the size of their index grows, which has just passed 9K listings across a little over 1100 categories.

A small editorial staff is now onboard building out new and existing categories and their hard work is being noticed. Just take a look at their Latest Additions. Good job, folks!

Many directory owners whom rely strictly on user submissions to build their directories may eventually find themselves behind the eight ball, with Aviva on the other side chalking up for another round. Recruiting an editorial staff was a positive move that will pay dividends in the future.

Many self taught webmasters are too easily influenced by PageRank™, and unknowingly equate a directory listing’s value primarily on an outdated graphical display of a browser add on. While they may be easily entertained, I’m more impressed with the growth of Aviva in a manner that will provide a permanent benefit to the Internet community.

For example, eWebPages.org was recently voted as the PHPLD directory with the best content for the month of February, but it’s quite evident that if Aviva was eligible, they wouldn’t have had a chance.

Aviva definitely provides a quality link and citation for listed sites, and should be a consideration for your link development

While those familiar with Aviva’s history are impressed with the ongoing marketing campaign and accomplishments thus far, it’s hard to not see the bigger picture and the true meaning of “Aviva Delivers!”

With the explosion of general directories lately (everyone’s an editor) it’s nice to find one that stands out in design and quality.

With one of the best new directory marketing techniques I’ve seen recently, Loren Baker is off to a running start with Umdum. 

To celebrate the launch, we are running a free submittal promotion which will run until 5 pm PST on Thursday April 20th. You can have your site listed in Umdum for free by Umdum Web Directory these simple steps.

1. Go to Umdum.com.

2. Select the most relevant base category for your site by browsing our Category Map.

3. Click over to the most relevant category then submit your site and select the free “Non-profit” payment method

4. Rinse and repeat - submit your sites which deserve to be listed. We are looking for businesses, blogs, guides, content oriented sites, other search engines, your favorite sites.

5. Do not submit gambling, drugs, or illegal content sites. Do not submit ‘built for AdSense sites.” Do not submit scrapper content sites.

6. Submit one AUTHORITY site such as USAToday, your favorite local news channel, a Web 2.0 site, your favorite search engine, or other large sites.

7. List the sites that you submitted in the comment form below. I will then review, edit (if needed) and approve those submissions. (Do not link to the sites in the Comments field as SEJ’s spam filter will hold your comment in moderation if it includes more than 2 links).

That’s it. You’re now listed in Umdum if your site passes our Editorial Process.Your site will be approved in less than 24 hours if not instantly.

You won’t get that from DMOZ.

While this promotion has ended,  you can bet that it will be mimicked many times over. If you missed out on a free listing,  we still recommend submitting to Umdum.  Good luck with the directory Loren!

There was quite the buzz with million pixel ad web sites a brief time ago,  when a young entrepreneur came up with the idea of selling one million 1×1 pixel ad spaces for $1.00 each.  The Million Dollar Home Page was born.  It brought out so many copy-cat sites that they can’t give away those ads now.

We recently came across a new variation of the million dollar ad web sites called the Million Clicks Button.  Advertisers are afforded the opportunity to “own” the button for a set dollar amount until the next advertiser purchases the button for a higher dollar amount.  All of the traffic from visitors clicking the button are directed to your web site for the duration of your ownership.

The cost to own the button starts at just $1.00US and the amounts double with each purchase,  up to $1,048,576.00US for the right to own the button until 2012.

How the owners of MillionClicksButton.com plan on sustaining the growth and traffic necessary to attract an advertiser willing to pay in excess of $1,000,000.00 for the right to own the button through 2012 is unknown at this point.  The Million Dollar Home Page buzz lasted a little more than 4 months.

I wonder if anyone else looks at the whois info before making a purchase;  it’s not very reassuring to know that as of today,  the domain name is registered for a single year.

Domain:    millionclicksbutton.com
Registrar:  ENOM, INC.
Created:   07-APR-06
Expires:    07-APR-07

I imagine some of you that clicked the button might be thinking what the fuzzuck am I doing here?  Well,  the way we figured it,  we really couldn’t go wrong for a buck.  We just hope you didn’t break the Million Clicks Button on your way to making internet history.

Thanks for stopping by.

Our best wishes to Rohit and Lata, the owners of  MillionClicksButton.com!  Read about their progress at  Million Clicks Button Blog