Media CNFree content directory

In regards to promoting a website, one of the initial stops for a lot of site owners are web directories. While there is a mixed opinion on the value of web directories, as compared with more reputed article directories, there’s been a surge of web directory networks in recent years. It is most of these directory networks that I will address in this article.

If we listen to Google, which to tell the truth we should, then everyone knows excellent quality is key to being successful. How should we know this? Well, Matt Cutts said it obviously! Seriously, Matt Cutts is absolutely correct. What exactly is more advantageous, publishing to 1,000 free directories which reside on the same network and are also interlinked or publishing to a sole quality directory? I’d personally dedicate my time submitting to a sole quality directory any day of the week.

Owning a web directory is no small task. The amount of work which is put in a directory can help determine its quality. If it has below average editorial standards, quality is thrown out the window and that directory develops into nothing more then a link farm.

Most website directory networks reside on the same hosting server, that is already shared with hundreds or thousands of other internet sites. Once these directory networks get massive, and get some visitors from the numerous free directory lists, the hosting server can crawl with a turtles pace. This is simply not good for anybody, especially the innocent individuals who are already residing on that server already.

Most of the web directory networks operating at this time are set to auto approve all submissions. By managing a cron job at a chosen point in time, all listings magically are listed. Editors have been been replaced by code that opens up the floodgates to everyone. Categories quickly become cluttered with irrelevant listings and unwanted listings find their way inside the directory as well.

Why create these networks? The greater part of the networks out there have tactically positioned ads. You know, the ads right near the submit link. When someone mistakenly clicks on the advertisement then bam, the directory owner gets paid. Multiply this by hundreds or even thousands of web directories, and you have a large number of daily clicks. The problem is that the bounce rate for these clicks are in all probability high, and most of these directory owners are the same people whining they are smart priced by an advertising network.

Normally speaking, the benefit of directory networks is brief for its owner. Traffic is received from being listed in a directory list, but after that directory is no longer fresh, the visitors it receives slows to just a trickle. This is exactly why directory network owners are compelled to develop many more directories. They need that steady supply of website traffic to generate the ad revenues they seek.

The gospel truth is that I have observed very few web directory networks that live through more then their first year. These web directory networks typically close when their owner realizes that there is little or no earning growth, but a perpetual cycle of daunting work. As entrepreneurs, we only have a limited amount of resources. Can submitting to directory networks serve us in our traffic generation efforts or are we better looking for the true gems that may still be in their early stages of success? After looking at so many web directory networks topple, it is my firm belief that online marketers might be best served by submitting to high quality article and web directories instead.

Valerie Anna is a web directory editor and works hard to deliver descriptive reviews which best reflect each listing and is of value to site visitors. As well as being a directory editor, Valerie also manages multiple web directory lists.