Changing Our Directory List

[snowbird]

We are considering some changes to our free directory list (http://www.vmoptions.com/directory-list.php) and would like your opinion...

Lately there have been many new directories launched that do not qualify to be in our list because their URL's are not SEO friendly. Below is an example.

Site: Ten Thousand Eggs (http://tenthousandeggs.com/)

Blogs category URL: http://tenthousandeggs.com/index.php?c=419

A SEO friendly URL structure would use something like: http://tenthousandeggs.com/Blogs as the URL.

The benefit of SEO friendly URL's is that important keywords appear in the URL. Additionally, some search engines do not like many dynamic characters appearing in the URL.

Please vote in the poll I have posted and please comment in this thread. We will consider your opinions in any future changes we make to our directory list.

Thanks!

[jitendraag]

Google indexed non friendly URLs for directories so I think it's not such a bad thing to include those in the list.

[snowbird]

Google indexed non friendly URLs for directories so I think it's not such a bad thing to include those in the list.

At the present time I am leaning towards allowing them in the list. As you noted, Google does a good job indexing them. The other search engines on the otherhand have issues, but they can't even index seo friendly urls anyway. :)

[jitendraag]

Maybe you can include a column in your list that identifies whether the URLs are SEO friendly or not (or color code the directory name). So that webmasters can choose whether they are interested in submitting to those directories or not :)

[snowbird]

Maybe you can include a column in your list that identifies whether the URLs are SEO friendly or not (or color code the directory name). So that webmasters can choose whether they are interested in submitting to those directories or not :)

That's an idea, but I'm not sure how much it really matters to most people. Besides my list, Dan's from IV is the only other SEO friendly list I know of. Even Manish at Directory Critic permits directories that are not SEO friendly.

I've seen some nice directories that were not SEO friendly and contacted the owners to ask them to turn URL rewrite on. Seems like many "new" directory owners don't even know this is an option. :) Some turn them on, while the majority say they can't find where to turn them on or they don't work. I don't have enough time to contact everyone I see, but I do try to help where I can.

[jitendraag]

Dan also puts emphasis on quality of sites that directories are approving (or atleast he says so) :p

You are right about url rewriting not being trivial. And one of the major reason for this is missing RewriteBase line that most scripts don't generate while generating .htaccess file.

Besides some hosting providers don't allow .htaccess. :)

[snowbird]

Dan also puts emphasis on quality of sites that directories are approving (or atleast he says so) :p

You are right about url rewriting not being trivial. And one of the major reason for this is missing RewriteBase line that most scripts don't generate while generating .htaccess file.

Besides some hosting providers don't allow .htaccess. :)

Dan's list is good and he does demand quality which is great. If more list providers did this, we could lift the standards of directories which would be better for all. Just as he is doing, I have been removing iEntry directories from my list. Besides submitters getting bombed with their newsletters, iEntry stopped allowing user defined anchor text for the titles. They simply use domain_name(dot)com as the titles. :( The sad part about it is that they normally approved sites in a couple days. With a throwaway E-mail account, everyone could get some quick backlinks.

I think most of the problems with url rewrite are found with phpLD 2 installations. Seems a good number of people have an issue with that on their first installation.

That's true there are some hosts that dont allow htaccess. But that leaves me wondering about the overall quality of such hosts. :)

[Gerding]

include them all. i think they all get indexed with or without seo urls.

[jitendraag]

Wow. I was going to tell you about iEntry too. I have been separating them too and might put some kind of 'remarks' for each directory in my list soon :)

[snowbird]

Wow. I was going to tell you about iEntry too. I have been separating them too and might put some kind of 'remarks' for each directory in my list soon :)

The funny thing is I saw iEntry announce a new directory in the last week. :)

Maybe iEntry should review its methods of getting subscribers. I think they are going to find their traffic dropping off a cliff as their links get removed from directory lists.

[jitendraag]

I was 'sort of' happy when Jayde.com's PR dropped from 6 to 4. iEntry runs webproworld and LOTs of article directories. Of all the people I expect them to have some quality directories. :)

[avvy]

include them all. i think they all get indexed with or without seo urls.

I agreed... and this time all will get indexed.

[snowbird]

Effective immediately I will begin including directories in the directory list that are not using mod rewrite (seo friendly categories).

Back in the day having seo friendly url's was important because search engines had a difficult time indexing non friendly urls. Times have changed and seo friendly categories are no longer required for the URL to be indexed.

I still believe that directory owners should use mod rewrite. To me it's seo 101. Having keywords in the category URLs is useful for directory owners and those that are listed there.

Thanks everyone for your input, PM's, E-mails, etc.

[jitendraag]

That's a good change you are introducing. I agree that directory owners should use mod rewrite but some new owners take time in learning this and their directory should be included in your list which has been a useful resource for a lot of webmasters.

[SEO Positive]

I am a newbie here, and have just seen the list of directories. I must say that it is a looong list. Thanks, I will start making use of them now.

[sewonijuleeni]

Wow , thats an awesome list,,

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[fastreplies]

I think they are going to find their traffic dropping off a cliff as their links get removed from directory lists.

Well then, what are you waiting for?
Or you want us to push them to the edge.

:D

fastreplies

[fastreplies]

Having keywords in the category URLs is useful for directory owners and those that are listed there.

Actually this is correct only as far as directories owners concerned.

Directories that using scripted links e.g. /cgi/link=1950 has been creating internal links to their own pages thus creating much more higher PR than they would get if they use keywords instead.

We noticed that when we restricted G. and Y by robots.txt to access our directory system files. Soon after internal pages dropped their PR from 3 and 4 to 0.

But hey, this is not about us, it's about Internet Community that we serve.
Oh well, at least free directories are doing that ;)

:)

fastreplies