Internet directories & other free marketing methods

[jstone]

Hi!

What are your experiences about internet directories?

Have they been successful in bringing traffic to your site?
Have they affected your Google page rank?

[fisicx]

I don't bother with directories, they bring in so little traffic it's not worth the effort of registering.

As to page rank - who cares? I've got pages that rank well with PR0. But if you are one of fools who chase the TBPR fairy then you will get some link juice from direcories but I'd rather have one inbound from a popular site than a thousand free-for-all directories.

[wecando.biz]

Directories servie two purposes of course. One is to bring traffic to your site, either by clicks or improving your page ranking. But the other is to generate leads - phone calls or e-mails.

Free directories are probably worth the 5 minutes it takes to register, because chances are you'll get more than 5 minutes of eye-ball time in return.

People listed in our directory are reporting getting e-mails, even incoming calls, as a consequence of being found with us.

I wouldn't say they all show such results though!

Regards

IH

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by wecando.biz

Directories servie two purposes of course. One is to bring traffic to your site, either by clicks or improving your page ranking. But the other is to generate leads - phone calls or e-mails.

I find these directories to be a wretched nuisance for just the reasons that you state as I receive several phone calls every day from people wanting to speak to the marketing manager or whoever handles the website or printing etc

[fisicx]

Free directories are probably worth the 5 minutes it takes to register, because chances are you'll get more than 5 minutes of eye-ball time in return.

Unlikely. If you can find a free directory that doesn't require a linkback then so can everybody else. Which means it will be inundated with requests for inclusion. Which means the chances of your site being found is about zero.

[wecando.biz]

Originally Posted by Ian J

I find these directories to be a wretched nuisance for just the reasons that you state as I receive several phone calls every day from people wanting to speak to the marketing manager or whoever handles the website or printing etc

Can you be sure they are from directories? There are many ways to lay your hands on company data.

I use such things extensively and I wouldn't say I get a disproportionate amount of calls.

Anyway, take some comfort in the fact that the sort of cold calling you are describing. CTPS and low success rates are killing it off. I support some articles I have recent read which suggests that social networking and forums and the like are likely to soon be more productive in terms of generating business leads.

I believe Modernselling.com is producing a guest opinion piece this week which talks more about this.

IH

[wecando.biz]

Originally Posted by fisicx

Unlikely. If you can find a free directory that doesn't require a linkback then so can everybody else. Which means it will be inundated with requests for inclusion. Which means the chances of your site being found is about zero.

Graham, you would expect me to disagree!

We don't require link backs. Checking over my stats from the last month or so, a business listed on our site got around 10 profile views on average.

IH

[fisicx]

Ah, but you are not a directory in the same sense that dmoz or yell are. I'm talking about the sort of directory that allows anyone and their dog to submit their URI and a description for automatic inclusion.

The orginal post was all about the use of directories for traffic and PR. And I still maintain that the amount of traffic directly from these directories will be minimal. I'm not talking about profile views - I mean someone using the directory to search for a business and then using that directory to link directly to the website.

But you could also consider the stats. Assuming a conversion rate of 1%. That would mean 100 visitors. But using the same conversion rate the directory would have to display my entry 100 timeas for each clickthrough. That's means 10000 impressions on the directory for each converstion. And that ain't gonna happen.

Social networking however it a different kettle of fish...

[wecando.biz]

I agree with you Graham on all counts there. No one should count on directories for traffic, although they do no harm. But I think more could be achieved with the same time spent on social networks, forums and blogs.

IH