30 replies to this topic

[Scottie]

I was getting ready to do some directory submissions for a new site, and went to one of my regulars, Go Guides.

I'll admit it's been a while since I've been there, but I was surprised at the new fees. They seem to have dumped a lot of listings... listings I had in there since 2002 are gone.

Now you have to pay $39.95-$69.95 to list a single site, or join as an editor for a $50 initiation fee and $20 a month for two years (that gives you 120 submissions at 5 sites a month)... if you don't pay up for 2 years, they remove the sites you submitted.

Talk about monetizing a directory! Does anyone pay these prices? I would consider paying someone who was already a paying editor to list my sites, I guess.

[SearchRank]

Directory submission is getting expensive period. Best of the Web went from $29.95 to $39.95 and now it is $49.95 recurring. Site-Sift went up as well. They are at $49.95.

I just pass this cost onto clients, so yes I pay them if a client wants to be listed. I can still get sites in for free to JoeAnt, Skaffe and Web-Beacon as an editor but it certainly is true that directory submission is becoming more expensive all the time.

With all of this occurring, I only wish DMOZ would start a fee based program for timely submission reviews.

[Scottie]

I've never even heard of Site-Sift...

[Michael Martinez]

I don't remember how many listings I had with GoGuides. I seem to be down to 2. They aren't screwing up anything for me, so I'm not concerned about them.

I'm not surprised the directories are monetizing. Eventually, other free directories will pop up and we'll start the cycle all over again.

There was a time when Yahoo! was free.

[Jill]

What a waste of money. The whole lot of 'em.

Don't fall for it. You shouldn't have to pay for crappy directory links. Might as well throw your money down the drain instead.

[Randy]

I agree with Jill. Waste of money for the most part.

Scottie, if you have records of what the rules were when your sites were accepted, assuming you either paid or had an agreement where you didn't have to pay in exchange for moderating, you have cause to force them to re-include those sites.

Having been in business for far too long, you can change the rules. But rules changes only apply to New business. Everything under any old agreements are grandfathered if you can prove what the terms were then.

[SearchRank]

I wouldn't agree that ALL directories are a waste of money. I am a bit biased as one who operates two directories myself.

I would say that MOST directories are a waste but there are a handful that can give a good quality link. These or course are directories that have some substance to them unlike so many other directories that are either scraper sites, DMOZ clones or contain hundreds and hundreds of unpopulated pages.

[qwerty]

Yeah, I agree with David. Some of them are still worthwhile, and it's a quickly approved link that usually gets spidered quickly. General directories can't function as a link campaign on their own, but I still think of them as the quick way to start one.

When did GoGuides change their rates? I last submitted there about two months ago, and I think it was still a one-time $40 fee then.

[Jill]

It's just plain wrong that they went and removed sites that they previously had listed fine.

Can someone say LookSmart?

[Scottie]

I don't really care, I won't be submitting there anymore.

But it does irritate me that I was an editor there and really built up a local directory section (not my own sites) and all those hours of work are gone. So much for the "working together to build a great directory" thing.

I just think it's a very poor business model- especially when the footer ads now link to a PPC search engine featuring debt solutions and credit card ads... yuk.

[Jill]

How weird! Why would they just remove all that?

[Scottie]

They weren't paid for.

[qwerty]

Everything that wasn't paid is just gone? I assume that's a lot.

[Scottie]

I don't know if everything is, but I was surprised at how empty the cats are for a directory as old as Go Guides.

[Leann_Pass]

Scottie,
If you want, you can send me the info and I'll add it for you.

Leann