Directories
The biggest problem with this industry is that much like the net itself it is continually evolving and as such its sometimes difficult to figure out what one is doing or why. There is no doubt in my mind that the demand for links comes from webmasters looking to improve their rankings. Many will argue this as well as every other point they can. Even the guys at Google will huff and puff, shuffle their feet and try to change the subject but without Google (and the other search engines) there is no industry and that is something we have to recognise from the outset.
I have spent a lot of time on a lot of community forums listening to different ideas from a lot of different people and at the end of the day it all comes down to one thing; “what’s in it for me?”. All the hot air , all the double talk, the smoke and mirrors, its all about vested interests and there is nothing wrong with that. That is as long as its kept in perspective and everyone remembers that Google is concerned about on thing and one thing only, the integrity of its search results.
Some will argue that it profits and that their only interest is in maintaining their strangle hold on the advertising market but even that is the case it still ultimately comes down to the quality of search results they display. Google is peaking and if loses sight of the fact that it only dominates the market because of the focus and needs of the people that use its search results, its got only got one way to fall. And the one thing directory owners need to understand is that whatever they do its got to be Google friendly and this takes us right back square one.
What is Google Friendly?