Make sense to setup article directory site?

11 years ago

Does it make sense to setup an article directory site like ezinearticles still?
To make money? IMO, no. For other purposes, maybe.

Does google like these sites?
If Panda was an indicator, the answer would be no.

When monetizing them, do they have a decent CTR?
CTR would depend on the theme - position and color of the ads, the type of visitors, the time of day, whether its cloudy or sunny, etc.

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Always-A-Warrior

11 years ago

I agree with that guy above me. No! I've seen alot of people trying to clone article sites such as Ezinearticles and have failed because basically they have no traffic or don't have that authority push to even ride the coat tails of those big names.

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Rob Whisonant

11 years ago

I set my own network of article sites up that I use for my own backlinking. Works great. These are not designed to make money or drive traffic. They are just for getting backlinks to my money sites over a wide variety of IP's and hosting companies.

I do some guest posting trades with others that also have similar networks.

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sscot

11 years ago

After panda updates, there's a risk with your idea. Sometimes, I feel that article directories are slowly becoming an old trend.

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E. Brian Rose

11 years ago

Originally Posted by sscot

After panda updates, there's a risk with your idea. Sometimes, I feel that article directories are slowly becoming an old trend.

Slowly? Nothing is slow with the Internet. One day you're hot, the next you're not. Trends are always emerging and it is up to you to stay on top of what is on the uptick and not the opposite.

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sscot

11 years ago

Originally Posted by E. Brian Rose

Slowly? Nothing is slow with the Internet. One day you're hot, the next you're not. Trends are always emerging and it is up to you to stay on top of what is on the uptick and not the opposite.

The thing what I wanted to say is; since long time, as main traffic and backlinks strategy, we always trend to article directories. But in the future? I'm little doubtful.

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Rob Whisonant

11 years ago

Originally Posted by sscot

After panda updates, there's a risk with your idea. Sometimes, I feel that article directories are slowly becoming an old trend.

It's not article directories. It sites that where considered content farms that got hit by Panda. Yes a lot of article directories got hit because they where seen as content farms. Not all of them.

The key is to not put 60,000 plr articles on your private network of article directories. Put good quality content on the directories that Google likes.

Don't put up 60,000 articles on each site. Put up a few hundred or so and move on.

Use common sense and you will be fine.

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PatriciaJ

11 years ago

Originally Posted by Rob Whisonant

It's not article directories. It sites that where considered content farms that got hit by Panda. Yes a lot of article directories got hit because they where seen as content farms. Not all of them.

The key is to not put 60,000 plr articles on your private network of article directories. Put good quality content on the directories that Google likes.

Don't put up 60,000 articles on each site. Put up a few hundred or so and move on.

Use common sense and you will be fine.

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Rob Whisonant

I mostly agree with that. Not all article directories were hit by Panda and one of mine gained from last weeks new update.

But like a lot of things involving internet marketing I wouldn't believe the hype. No they are not an easy way to make money and I honestly wouldn't recommend setting one up to anybody right now unless perhaps a small niche directory that you can also use to promote your own sites or products.

What has harmed article directories the most as far as I am concerned is the large amount of people who think that it's ok to submit rubbish to other people's sites in an effort to gain from them. It's very disheartening declining up to 80% of the articles submitted day after day and it's no wonder that many abandon their article directories.

But would there be as many trying to abuse other people's sites with their crap if there wasn't so many directories blindly accepting anything that comes along whether legible or not? I doubt it and it's that poor content that Google doesn't like.

So hopefully the Panda updates will bring more common sense and higher quality to a form of marketing that still works as part of an overall strategy.

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C Rebecca

11 years ago

At this point of time article marketing is experiencing a downfall , people are leaning away... So, In my opinion pause this idea for few time. Getting decent traffic would be little difficult.
But you can try it in other way... In blogging way. Blogging is still one of the favorite ways of getting traffic for website. You can start your own blog and invite guest bloggers on large scale.
Create a quality blog and promote it. People will definitely contribute their posts (things can get better if you pay them for each post)

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umrbd

11 years ago

Traditional article directory is something very old and I don't think their is a place for new article directory. But, if you can introduce an article directory with a new idea or something additional can help for the cause to make money. I guess you should approach something like hubpages and add some more exciting features in it to make it more unique.

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simonbuzz

Banned 11 years ago

my answer will be also no...

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tomsyler

11 years ago

Yes article directories does not really have generic traffic anymore. say it ezinearticle or any other. Now they are just a medium of getting backlinks for webmaster of link building services.

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PatriciaJ

11 years ago

Originally Posted by tomsyler

Yes article directories does not really have generic traffic anymore. say it ezinearticle or any other. Now they are just a medium of getting backlinks for webmaster of link building services.

That might be true about some but not all article directories have suffered because of the Panda updates.

Also don't forget that the purpose of article directories initially was for syndication to other sites and ezines not for backlinks.

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Britt Malka

11 years ago

You must be prepared to do a lot of work, unless you approve everything that is submitted to your site.

I've had a Danish article directory, and it made me a little bit of AdSense income. However, I started out with a free script that wasn't that great after all (it was from Article Dashboard), so I switched to another script, and I didn't succeed in important all the existing articles. So back to square one.

Next task was to set up all the categories. It took forever and was far too boring, so I just gave it up and let it die.

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avatar9812

11 years ago

Not the generic article directory, there are just too many out there.

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Matt Bard

11 years ago

I agree with the others when it comes to a generic directory, but how about a niche specific directory?

Set up a niche directory for specific topics within one niche only.

Call it a "content exchange center" for those bloggers within the specific niche. Rather than having to wade through big sites like EzineArticles, they could come and browse through the writings of other bloggers and writers within their niche.

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AmoooorLin

11 years ago

A lot of great and real advice I got from here. I am about the start and article directory that I will put all of my effort and time onto it.

This thread helps me think a lot! Thx

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Targeted Traffic

11 years ago

I know someone who actually did that already using WordPress and free themes and plugins…and in the end said he'll probably never do it again...also considering to flip the site now...

But hey...everybody has a different story to tell...it might just work for you, what's critical is to build back links to the articles on your site that have the potential to rank in Google… That's how Ezine makes its money...

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Make sense to setup article directory site?

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