Directory Dilemma

coder · #1 (**permalink**) 06-10-2005, 08:30 AM

I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner, or for that matter if it is worth bringing up. I was submitting sites to directory listings and thought of a couple things. First, we all know IBL's is a good thing. Secondly we know SE's don't like duplicate content.

Does anyone else see a problem?

When submitting sites to directory listings or even link swapping, do you change your description of your site? This may be one of the reason that google does not list all your backlinks, simply because it is duplicate content. Or are search engines smart enough to recognize a directory and expect to see duplicate content? If they do see it as duplicate content, does that still count as high for an IBL?

Does other people submit to directories using their description tags or text straight from their site? Isn't that duplicate content?

A) Maybe I'm not thinking this out correctly and it's fine to use the same descriptions for IBL's

B) My theory is correct and need to change site descriptions for different directories and link swapping.

C) This hurts to think about, onto the next post.

**ctabuk** · #2 (**permalink**) 06-10-2005, 08:57 AM

Hi, no it's actually a well thought out post, maybe I'm just lucky but when I double submit to a Directory, normally I get a message saying 'The URL submitted is already listed in the Directory'I don't think it really matters if you are in once or twice and I cannot see the spiders vetoing just one site, when they search, surely they search in clusters?

cspelts · #3 (**permalink**) 06-10-2005, 09:09 AM

I used to try a lot harder to submit a unique listing to each and every directory - but when I realized how many times one listing in the DMOZ could be duplicated, I decided I was overthinking it! Now my plan of attack is to use two or three variations of my site title and description - and then I try to make slight variations as I go.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phantom

This hurts to think about

Agreed!

coder · #4 (**permalink**) 06-10-2005, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctabuk

maybe I'm just lucky but when I double submit to a Directory, normally I get a message saying 'The URL submitted is already listed in the Directory'

I was referring to multiple directory listings all with the exact same description.

I usually do a quick search to make sure our site isn't already listed in the directory before submitting it again.

coder · #5 (**permalink**) 06-25-2005, 04:54 PM

I just received an e-mail from a friend who runs his own site and has been submitting his site to directories. The interesting thing is that the directory listing is higher in the google serps then his own site.

Google never mentioned anything about that happening in their advice. lol

wednesday · #6 (**permalink**) 06-25-2005, 06:03 PM

Quote:

The interesting thing is that the directory listing is higher in the google serps then his own site.

He's welcomed to the club. But he should not expect fireworks and champaign. ;)

Is it a new site or affilite site?

coder · #7 (**permalink**) 06-26-2005, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by .martin

Is it a new site or affilite site?

No, sadly it's neither. He just wants to figure out everything for himself, even though i've given him a lot of advice.

It's even funnier because that happened to a site I was working on about 8 months ago. Changed the domain name from lakemiltonraptorcenter.com to raptorcenter.org for obvious reasons.

dejaone · #8 (**permalink**) 06-27-2005, 01:03 PM

various titles and descriptions are very important for bulk diretory submission. It avoids the potential of duplication content problem. Various titles (anchor text) can naturally cover many target keywords. If you stuck many keywords in one title, it would look very spammy. many directories won't list that kind of submission.

I wrote a tool (in my sig link) that fill a submission form in one-click (randomly picks one of 10 titles/descriptions), and track what, where and when submitted in one click.

AndrewX · #9 (**permalink**) 06-28-2005, 04:00 PM

Duplicate content is a bugaboo that inspires more fear than it deserves.

Search engines simply don't have the resources or desire to try to search for all duplicate strings within all webpages.

What they actually care more about, is wasting resources on identical pages. And luckily this is a much easier problem to solve, just create a mathematical score that is based on the entire page's content and make sure that the score is unique before indexing a new page.

But, you should be very concerned with the anchor text that you are able to get with each directory. This is the primary SEO benefit of a listing, getting the appropriate keywords in the text link to your page. Different directories have different policies, so you just have to do the best you can there.

coder · #10 (**permalink**) 06-29-2005, 10:47 AM

I agree that the anchor text is the most important part of the directory listing. However SE's state they that penalize duplicate content.

So would the directorie listings do any good if they are duplicate? Or is this just a mute point, and an IBL is still an IBL no matter how it is seen?

AndrewX · #11 (**permalink**) 06-29-2005, 11:16 AM

I suppose you are correct that if you happened to be listed in a directory, and that directory was then cloned to another domain, and no changes were ever made to the listings or layout of the pages that you were linked from, then you might not get credit for at least one of those pages.

But my original point is that this isn't something that is likely to occur in general.

Sapphire · #12 (**permalink**) 06-29-2005, 11:17 AM

It can't hurt to vary it a little. I have 3 descriptions for most of my sites, and I used to vary the anchor text, but more and more of them are forcing you to use the exact site title. (shrug)

But I don't think you need to change every single one, or anything that drastic.