ok, but what's the point?

[gulliver1]

I'm just wondering what most users gain from setting up a directory? I know what I want to use it for, but I'm just wondering about everyone else. There are thousands of these sites out there, which obiously take time and effort to setup and maintain, so what do you get out of it?

I understand how useful they are for the people that submit their websites to them, but I'm not really sure what most of the directories actually get out of it?

Do you use it for your own SEO purposes (to put in a link to your own websites on every page for example)?

Or by attempting to sell a related product or service to people using a sales page after submission (and again in the confirmation email)?

Or do people actually pay to upgrade their listings...?

Or is there some other purpose/motive that I haven't thought of?

I realise that for very well known sites with high PR some people would pay for listings and upgrades, but I would have thought for the majority they would just go for the free listing (or go elsewhere).

[David]

Yes, there are still benefits. Submitting to directories helps provide backlinks and anchor text to help rank for keywords. Obviously, there are some low quality sites out there, and we will always encourage people to create quality. The same is the case with things like blogs. There are low quality sites. However, putting that aside, it still helps to submit your site to directories, as it does help you rank for keywords. Some of the directories you submit to will be well maintained in the coming years, and those links will help even more. But whether you are the submitter or the directory owner, in the end it is attention to quality that will help you over the long term.

[gulliver1]

ok, but my questions was really - what are the benfits for the directory owner? How do they make money out of it?

[David]

Yes, so charging for the review process would be the most common way to make money. Some directories start out free, and then as they become established, they charge for the review of the links. And that is why I mentioned doing a local directory because often that is a faster path to getting paid links these days.