Is being in the Yahoo directory worth it?

[niagara1]

As part of my ongoing efforts to understand search engines...I'm wondering if being in the Yahoo Directory is worth the cost of admission.

Everyone seems to agree that having inbound links to your site is a necessity. If you're a Google fan, you'll also want those inbound links to be from a site or page with high pagerank.

A lot of Yahoo Directory pages have a high pagerank. Other search engines that don't go by pagerank may consider the source of the inbound link. Does having a link in Yahoo's Directory give that link more "clout" than a link from elsewhere?

I've read (in this forum) that sites that are listed in the Yahoo Directory MAY be more stable in their positions in Yahoo Search.

So, does it make sense to buy a listing in the Yahoo Directory?

Just wondering your perspectives on this issue.

[bhartzer]

Yes, it's definitely worth it. Forget about the PageRank benefit, PR doesn't mean much nowadays. Rather, it's the on-topic link from a very reputable, powerful site that counts.

[buddhu]

Yep. Yahoo is worth it, as are other quality directories. Personally I'd be a little wary of directories directly associated with SEO sites or SEO forums, but that's my personal paranoia.

Good established, independent direcories are great links. There are some good industry/theme specific ones too.

For some good directory tips, check out the thread at:
http://www.webproworld.com/viewtopic.php?t=21900

[dracula]

It may have some relevance for other engines but on the Yahoo Websearch it will not give you any better position. In fact I have some sites who are in the Yahoo Directory for Years but if you do a websearch on Yahoo you will not find them, only in the directory.
Exemple:
Search for 1cars.com in the Yahoo Websearch and for the same in the Yahoo Directory!

[yuccadude]

Exemple:
Search for 1cars.com in the Yahoo Websearch and for the same in the Yahoo Directory!

That isn't a fair example. 1Cars.com is a redirected website URL to https://www.fareoffice.com/Webcustomer/skytours/rentabc/, thus it doesn't contain any pages that can be spidered and included in the Yahoo Search Engine.

[niagara1]

Thank you for helping clarify the issues involved. Your opinions are appreciated.

[wolfk]

I am not sure, actually, that it is worth being in the Yahoo index. It certainly does not help with positioning.

My site has been in the index for years, but Yahoo hasn't even bothered yet to spider my site once - despite submitting to the spider and despite being in the index. The site information in the index, of course, is outdated because you can't get them to update anything.

Consequently, I get virtually no traffic from Yahoo searches. Maybe I am on a secret Yahoo blacklist, where they note down all the sites they have decided not to love.

[bhartzer]

It certainly does not help with positioning.

I think you're probably the exception rather than the rule. (Try getting your like dropped from the Yahoo! Directory and see where you rank on the other search engines like Google.)

A Yahoo! Directory listing certainly does help rankings. It's on-topic and highly respected in the internet community--so Google and other search engines give it some weight. But again, DMOZ has weight too, and it doesn't cost anything to get in.

[sfowler]

It is indeed an on topic, worthwhile link, but what sort of link could you purchase for USD299 per year? I am sure you could get two relevant ones for that price.

[miked]

As a web designer, I wanted to ensure that my customers get their sites into as many quality directories as possible, and certainly the Yahoo Directory is a good example. But I started my own specialized Directories and have found that it increased the PR of each of my customer's sites as well as making my Directories popular as well.

If you are looking for quality Directories, you can visit http://hobbyline.com/aboutus.htm for the listings. But please be sure to check the theme of the Directory first to ensure it qualifies.