A random muse ~ thoughts and observances from around the web.
So there’s been a slight preview of the PageRank toolbar export on a few of the 216.239.51.* data centers today and unsurprisingly, it didn’t last very long.
The usual discussion forum buzz and jubilation was evident at DigitalPoint and included the usual comments regarding the brief glimpse of the updated values.
Pixel envy is still rampant, and there’s quite a bit of disappointment being expressed over the lack of a visual display in relation to the link development efforts of some.
DirectoryContest.com is a unique contest set up as an attempt to determine the strength of general web directories. Started by Mike Dammann, the final rankings will be determined by Google’s search results for the search term directorycontest.com on on February 6th 2007, 10 AM PST.
Web directory owners can participate in this contest by simply adding a link to the DirectoryContest.com blog as a Standard or Featured listing. The link can’t be a site-wide link, or located on the homepage of the directory.
The listing should not appear in a new category named for the contest, and the title should be one of the three titles below:
Directory Contest
DirectoryContest.com
Directory Contest – DirectoryContest.com
The top 10 directories will win prizes, and cash prizes will be awarded to the top 3 directories.
Good luck to all the participants!
You tell me. 😉
Directory Ranking is supposedly an attempt to rank or grade the quality or importance of links from general web directories based on advanced search operator results (back link commands) at the primary search engines; Google, Yahoo! and MSN.
In the opening post on a popular webmaster forum where this project was announced, it’s stated that participating directories should list this neutral site as they would any other normal listing:
“Every directory that participates must list this site as they would do for normal listings. Then using these backlink commands at google, yahoo and msn we sort the links ordered by descending link power.
If you do not agree with any of this metrics you can use your own, the objective of this site is to create a neutral resource that enables you to do that.”
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?
Why do some webmasters submit their sites to paid directories when there are an over abundance of free directories everywhere?
Does a paid directory provide more value or a better link than that of a free directory?
Is it worth submitting your site to new PageRank 0 directories? How much value is there in that?
Why pay to be included in a low PageRank directory when you can get an equivalent listing elsewhere for free?
Perceived value.