Using Link Directories for certain niches...

[AffiliateGamer]

Hey everyone. So i've been doing a lot of research, and even more thinking on what i want to do as far as affiliate marketing goes. I've picked a niche that's a little competitive but i'm passionate about it and i'm not in a rush to make money.

So, my question is, if i was building a site that would help beginners...would a link directory be appropriate? I was thinking an article type site, with a blog to bring news.

But i was also thinking of having a link directory. Are there things i should know about link directories? Is it hard to do? Does it cost more to start? I'm sorry, i've done little research on that part, as i haven't found many helpful resources for that specific subject. What does it take to start a link directory, and are there any tips pertaining to this type of site?

Thanks.

 

[djbaxter]

Hey everyone. So i've been doing a lot of research, and even more thinking on what i want to do as far as affiliate marketing goes. I've picked a niche that's a little competitive but i'm passionate about it and i'm not in a rush to make money.

So, my question is, if i was building a site that would help beginners...would a link directory be appropriate? I was thinking an article type site, with a blog to bring news.

But i was also thinking of having a link directory. Are there things i should know about link directories? Is it hard to do? Does it cost more to start? I'm sorry, i've done little research on that part, as i haven't found many helpful resources for that specific subject. What does it take to start a link directory, and are there any tips pertaining to this type of site?

Thanks.

Directories are so full of scams and get-rich-quick schemes (e.g., link bidding directories) over the past year or so that the value has deteriorated considerably. That doesn't mean they have no value but it does mean you need to be judicious about which ones you submit to. I think there's more value in niche directories now; general directories are, in my opinion, of little value with a few exceptions.

It's not expensive to start your own directory - I personally recommend eSyndicat Pro which runs about $50 USD or so, if memory serves. My complaint with eSyndicat is that in the past at least upgrades have been a nightmare but a fresh install seems to work well enough. The caveats noted above apply to your own directory as well: Focus on a niche that actually provides some value to a target audience and manually review all submissions to keep the quality high (don't enable automatic approval of new submissions because you'll get a lot of spam listing that way). Stay away from any paractice that suggests you are selling links/listings: Either keep listings free or charge only a one-time nominal fee for the site review.

I think article sites have run their course from an SEO standpoint, although there are those who disagree with me and they may still have some value for traffic if you're writing the articles yourself for distribution. Personally, I think you're further ahead to write your own articles and post them in a blog.

 

[AffiliateGamer]

Sorry, i didn't explain myself very well about the articles. I will be posting articles through my blog, but i want to set them up so that they are easily accessible under topics, instead of dates. Is there a way(using the wordpress installation) to make a normal blog, but post an "articles" section that would have information relating to certain sub categories?

You answered my question about directories well. Thanks again minstrel.

 

[Linda Buquet]

I agree with minstrel on the link directory issue. Google recently dinged a bunch of top directories and seems to devalue them. So as far as a way to get traffic it may not be quite as good as it once was.

As far as the blog idea - there is a Wordpress theme that may do what you want. It's called Dateless Sniper. It removes the date from posts so they are categorized mainly by topic in your category menu. It's supposed to be SEO'd well too.

Sniper 1.0
Dateless Sniper 1.0

Sniper 2.0
Dateless Sniper 2.0 Now Available | Court's Internet Marketing School

 

[AffiliateGamer]

Thanks a lot Linda. These forums are amazing.

 

[Linda Buquet]

You are very welcome. We work for you!

 

[djbaxter]

Actually even in out-of-the-box WordPress, it's easy to set up categories and use those categories as part of your permalinks if you wish. I'll have to have a look at Sniper, though...

One plug-in you will want to install is the All-in-One-Seo-Pack for Wordpress (from the WordPress plugins site).

And as for WordPress styles, there are too many free ones available to even count. It shouldn't be difficult to find 3 or 4 you like.