What will the future hold?

There's an interesting thread on HighRankings.com about the future of web directories with respect to search engines.

A member there asks, "Given that search engines are getting smarter day by day... Are the days of web directories numbered?"

I found it interesting to see that some members think directories targeted to a specific niche will retain more value than general web directories. They reasoned that niche directories tend to focus on providing more detailed information related to a specific industry.

If that is the case, then general web directories can treat each branch like a niche. I think that as long as a directory (niche or general) maintains sites listed in relevant categories, search engines will continue to value their existence.

Read full discussion

Re: Yahoo Testing PhotoMail

Doh! I just realized that the link provided in my previous post went to Yahoo! Mail and not PhotoMail.

The link is now correct.

Yahoo Testing PhotoMail

I definitely Yahoo! but mainly stick to GMail when I want to send photos because uploading and sending images using a basic Yahoo account is painfully slow. I personally like the way GMail features images as thumbnails but the amount of images you can send at once is of course limited - as it is with most web-based email services.

However, it would appear that Yahoo is offering a small software extension (to IE browsers only) that will enable users to send up to 300 thumbnail images to hundreds of recipients - in a single email. "All the photos inserted into the e-mails are stored on Yahoo computers, enabling recipients to see a full-resolution image by clicking on any thumbnail." - Read More...

The PhotoMail test service will be available today to those who have a regular Yahoo! mail account. Yea, it's free - http://photomail.mail.yahoo.com/

Reciprocal Links frowned upon by Google

There's a somewhat insightful thread over at the The v7 Network on why Google frown's upon link exchanges (aka 'reciprocal links').

Luckily for some SEO's, there are other engines besides G$. The question is... will Yahoo! and MSN take a similar stand?

Does Google Pass the Love from Directories?

By "the love," I mean link credit.

The dust seems to have finally settled in a discussion over at Webmaster World regarding how Google analyzes links from paid directories. The initial post questioned why Google would give credit from a paid directory if they knew it was selling listings.

It was concluded that Google doesn't necessarily give more or less link credit from a paid vs. non-paid directory. It really boils down to whether or not the directory exists to provide a relevant resource or merely to sell or reciprocate links. It may take the Google Team some time (usually a few months) to figure it out but they eventually filter and "discredit" the link farmers. It's not that they want to hand out penalties to directories - it's just that the directories that solely exist to sell or reciprocate links, get in the way of Google's mission for providing the most relevant search results. In a previous post, I mentioned the symbiotic relationship between search engines and directories. For this reason, directory owners have a responsibility to organize listings (paid or not) in "relevant" categories.

If you are a paid directory, use the funds to employ someone that will review and properly categorize sites that are submitted for possible inclusion. Don't sell links randomly with keyword anchor text in every title. Provide a unique service. Anyone with decent PageRank can sell links.

If you are a non-profit directory - god bless! My advice: "grow naturally." I would advise against trying to increase popularity by offering a reciprocal link service. It used to be Hot. Now it's Not. Seriously though, reciprocal links can be good to an extent but should not be a main source for growth.

Remember, Google can tell who is linking to whom. If 90% of your inbound links are from sites you are reciprocating a link with, Google will eventually view your site as 10% "important." Directories will pass link credit as long as they provide a relevant resource and grow naturally. Of course it does not hurt to have some "valuable" (non-reciprocated) inbound links from other relevant resources - but how to obtain those is a different story...

Back into the swing of things

Finally, I got my head on straight after three days of non-stop drinking and partying in Vegas. Oh man, was it fun! I won some money and then lost a lot more... caught some rays at the pool and fine-dined at Postrio in The Venetian. It was great to spend some time away from the office with the rest of the staff. We even had our top guys from Boston and Orange, Texas fly out to meet us and party. The highlight of the trip had to be when Mister Charlie turned $100 into $2500 at the Blackjack table - we all thought he was counting cards.

So now I am back and spent most of yesterday pouring through email and our submission queue. Luckily, there wasn't that much customer care to deal with. I was able to close the week out with a bulk submission deal for a preferred client.

Hopefully, everyone will continue to bust ass and we turn this Vegas thing into an annual event.

Vegas Baby, VEGAS!!

The execs here at BOTW, have awarded the entire company with an all expense paid trip to Las Vegas for three days and two nights - so if you happen to notice an absence in blog posts during the next few days, it is because I am living it up in "Sin City!" :)

Yea - I'm leaving my laptop home (good riddance!) and looking forward to a little R and R while trying my luck at 21, Roulette, and Poker.

Directories: Are they a waste of time?

I was reading an interesting thread over at SEW about the worth of getting listed in web directories. The majority of posts concede that directory listings provide relevant inbound links that are valuable to ranking in the search engines. If you think about it - this should make sense. Directories organize sites into relevant categories. The search engines "crawl" the directories and recognize a site selling 'green widgets' is also categorized with other sites selling 'green widgets.' This natural classification helps the search engines to return the mentioned site in a query for 'green widgets.'

This is a major reason why site owners and marketing professionals submit their URLs to numerous directories on the web. But not all directories are worth the time and money to submit to. You should try to only submit to the directories that have been around for more than two or three years and have established themselves as authority web destinations. Here's my top five directories to help rank your website higher in the SERPs:

1. Yahoo! Directory - Free for non-commercial sites. $299 per year for commercial sites ($599 per year for adult websites).
2. DMOZ - All submissions are free. May take a few months before your site is reviewed. Get listed in DMOZ and you will also be listed in the Google Directory.
3. Zeal - (Part of the LookSmart Search Family) You must register and take a quiz to become an Editor where you will then have the privilege of adding only non-commercial websites.
4. BOTW Directory - Free for non-commercial sites. $39.95 per year for commercial sites ($59.95 per year for adult websites). Get both a topical and regional listing as well as a mention in the What's New section.
5. Business.com - $199 per year for a listing. Get up to five directory listings for your business.
   

Next Generation Gaming is Upon Us

"You’ll see all Xbox 360 titles at 720p and 1080i resolution in 16:9 widescreen, with anti-aliasing for smooth, movie-like graphics and multi-channel surround sound." full article

Visit www.xbox360.com to play some more.

Editing For $$$

So I tried to get my long island princess to become an editor for BOTW. The pay is the usual fifty cents for every site added. I was happy to hear that she was interested in the gig and hoped this would give her the opportunity to earn that extra cash she often complains of not having. So we set her up with a user name and password and thought it would be a good idea to let her start with adding EDU sites. I informed her of our guidelines, site criteria for inclusion, and even gave her a quick demo of the editor interface.

She added about twelve sites in an hour and decided that it was taking too long. I informed her that with most new experiences, it takes time to get comfortable with the environment and editing will get easier with every site added.

It probably takes new editors a good three hours before they can add fifty sites per hour. Some of our staff editors can add about two hundred quality sites in an hour! If you do the math, that's some pretty good coin being made! We screen all sites that hired editors add to ensure that minimum criteria is being met. If it is not, the sites are placed on 'hold' and the editor is contacted with constructive criticism. As always, we try to keep editors motivated by rewarding bonuses when they have reached milestones like adding 1,000 sites.

Needless to say, my gf vowed to give it another try. Yea, it's good to be a BOTW editor. Help build a valuable resource and get paid. If anyone is interested, send an email here. Previous editing experience with a web directory is a big plus.

Xbox Revolution

As an avid video gamer and fan (short for 'fanatic') of the Xbox console, I am looking forward to the un-veiling of the new Xbox 360. Microsoft is reported to release product details on MTV, this Thursday night but some have already been leaked through pictures and eyewitness accounts. Rumor has it that the Xbox 360 will be better equiped to handle multimedia functions like audio and video playback. Be prepared to manage the music and movies stored on your PC right from your den!

Xbox 360 will be in stores before Christmas.

It should be interesting to see how Microsoft does in a second round battle with Sony for the top selling video game console. It's been reported that MS has lost about $2 billion with it's four year run with the original Xbox game console. Will they now just right it off as a loss and push future marketing efforts towards the new 360? Depending on how much the new console is, I might just hold off until Halo 3 is published - cuz then I'll have to get it! :)

Anyway, here's an 'unofficial' pic:

Got Bandwidth?

I've had it! I can't get any editing done with this spotty T-1 connection! Using a web-based editing application while browsing for sites to add has been unbearable as of late.

It would seem that between the hours of 9 - 5, "normal business" hours, some other firm on our floor is doing something to bring the shared network to a crawl. I performed a speed check over at bandwidthplace.com and my results came back "mediocre." After comparing my speed (.23 mbps) with the average T-1 connection in New York (.73 mbps) , I would call it "piss poor."

Makes me really cherish those hours before and after corporate America is working. Luckily, (i guess) somebody is working on the issue and it "should be resolved within the next few days." Until then, I will have to continue practicing my Nerf basketball skills and maybe hop outside to footbag with a few staff members.

My First Web Log

With almost ten years of Internet experience, it's a surprise to some that I have never published a web log. Even though blogging hasn't really become popular since the millennium, it's most recent impact on the search engines has generated appeal to publishers around the world.

When optimizing for today's search engines, experts will argue that contextually relevant links are key for pulling high in the SERPS. This has led to the creation of blogs for just about every competitive industry.

This blog, however, is more of a personal view on Search Engines and Directories with respect to Internet Marketing. My long-term professional involvement with a viable Internet directory has led to a keen interest in the online marketing industry. In my opinion, the Internet is still in its infant stage. There are entrepreneurs all over the world still looking to take their business online and open it up to the global market. There's still gold in them hills...