Thanks to a new report from Web-directories.ws, it is possible to see that the directory industry is still going strong. Sometimes as we see certain directories get penalized or lose pagerank, there can be a perception that the directory industry is losing ground. Fortunately, the numbers tell a much different story:

Link to full article - My Response

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that's good....lots of new dirs....I don't know what will come about.

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And thats because Google still recognise directories as a source of the back links. That much has not changed. But how long is it going to last? What did we learn from last years fall out? I still see directory masters peddling their PR and I have no doubt that the Culture Club is still going strong. Has anything changed? I dont think so. Did we learn anything? I dont think so.

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Its gotta have some kind of return or usefulness w/o relying on a search engine, because I don't see how this can continue indefinitely.

I see more and more new directories everyday. Nobody, i mean NOBODY, exluding other directory owners, even looks at 'em.

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You're exactly right!

So called SEO services and a some website owners will purchase links on the Directories just to get a link or in hopes of increasing their chances of being picked up by the major SE's (Google/Yahoo etc.) That's IT!

Used to be that directories were needed and did help the SE's pickup a new site. Not anymore. The SE's find sites very quickly these days and absolutely DO NOT need a directory to point them to it..

Directories are dead, have been dieing for years and will never lead to anything other than Directory owners swapping $$ and Directory script creators profiting from milking the fools whom pay for their useless scripts! Period!

Having said that, some of the scripts are practical for niche types of sites that are more than a link dump. That is few and far between though...both on the useful niche directories and the useful/scalable directory scripts.

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I agree...generally speaking. It'll be a slow death.

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Directories are still the easiest and most cost effective way of getting the back links you need to get the serp's you want. But as with everything else we are slowly poisoning the well.
Its time that directory masters recognised that we are all essentially working for Google and that sites that are not good for Google are not good for business for any of us.

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Niche and regional directories are becoming more important. It is true there are a lot of general directories where the owner's goals were short term profits, and lacking in long term vision. But on the other hand, there are niche directories like MMA Station that clearly have goals, serve their readership, and are in it for the long term.

It is true that many directories lacking a vision have already been penalized or the owners are AWOL. They may have already "died". The same thing could be said about most any type of business or website. Right now, if you are going to start a general directory, you need a good plan to succeed, as there are many others like you. If you are going to start a niche or regional directory, there are lots of opportunities open to you right now.

And some of the niche and regional directories will do well, and some not so well. I've seen some interesting ideas such as:
Worst Food Ever
Gate UK
City Journalist
It's good to see some refreshing ideas in the industry, and I'm sure we can look forward to many more in the times to come.

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Why is it that no one in this industry will ever admit that it is driven by back links and that without Google it dies. Why all this mindless prattle about niche directories and traffic. I takes years and years to build a community and a lot more dedication and effort than it takes to set up and run a directory.

Why cant we just admit that our industry exists by the grace and favour extended to us by Google? What is so difficult about recognising the fact that we have a responsibility and obligation to both Google and the wider community to strip the dross out of the search results and to make ourselves useful. What we need to do is to identify and get rid of the professional spammers and scammers. Those fast talking types who have a strangle hold on this industry and once that's done everything will start to look bright and rosy again.

I have a good idea who I am talking about. So do you and so does our mutual friend at Vilesilencer. But you guys don't like this sort of talk, do you? Why not?

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Whats Google Friendly? Whats not?

You can find lot of good websites in directories also.

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