Website Review and Suggestions

**udelojf** · 03-03-2007, 11:27 PM

Hi All,

Please review my new Free Directory http://www.9Searches.org I have tried to optimize it as much as I can. See categories like REAL ESTATE and stuff under COMPUTERS. Those categories are most visited.

Can you suggest what is the best way to get the most submissions? I have posted around some forums and have gotten quite a bit but since the last few days it has slowed down. I am already listed in Google, Yahoo, MSN, All the web etc. (only 7 days after launching it)

Feel free to post your quality site while you are at it. Please understand that inclusion is based on consideration and directory terms.

Thank you for your help

Jovanky

**ForrestCroce** · 03-04-2007, 12:46 AM

Your site comes up under http://9searches.org/index.asp and http://www.9searches.org/index.asp; I would throw up some redirects to force one or the other. There's some likelihood people will hype your directory ( or their page on it ) after submitting a link, to help you give them more link juice. Some will use one address, some will use the other, so, if that turns out to be the case, some 301s will consolidate your in-pointing links. Create an entry on AboutUs.

If you've mentioned it on several forums, try emailling some SEO-related blog or site owners. Tell them how you're unusual among directories because ... you have a .org domain? You have only the highest quality sites? A nice clean design? Tell them you would be honored to have such a fine site as theirs in your directory ... and then when they submit, make a point of approving them as quickly as possible, and send a thank you note with the URL to their listing. You want them to make a post about how you're an interesting, unique directory, and to recommend you to their readers, so you're trying to make a good impression.

**udelojf** · 03-05-2007, 01:35 PM

My MAN ForrestCroce

That was a GRREAT input. I appreciate your time and expertise and believe me, I will follow EVERY suggestion included in your reply.

I am assumming you send your listing already. Most of what you are sayin I am already doing, especially with the 'approval' email and thanking them for their submission. The rest is more to build upon.

I am having a hard time getting the URL (query string with the ? and & and ID=) rewrited to be more SE friendly. I want to do it by code because in the end, I want to offer my directory code for sale or exchange, and I dont want the buyers to have to get dedicated hosting in order to support the server side rewrite.

I am using ASP, if you know if any alternative that can be installed on shared hostings (with no need to update system server files) please let me know.

Thanks again,

Jovanky

**Learning Newbie** · 03-05-2007, 02:47 PM

Are you using ASP or ASP.NET?

How many query string parameters do you have?

**jyoz22** · 03-06-2007, 12:05 AM

site looks nice, one thing i would change is on the subcategories page the image next to the things has a white background and the area has a peach type background i would edit the image so it too would have the same background as the area. I think you might need to have the google logo next to the search box their (terms of use).

**ADAM Web Design** · 03-06-2007, 12:44 AM

Classic ASP, John. (Sitemap ends in .asp).

Looks like he's using a custom 404 too. That might be a selling point all by itself.

http://www.9searches.org/Computers_4.html <-- got something weird going on with the subcategories on this page (probably because you're using tables and the cells aren't vertically aligned to the top. Divs are your friend. Use your friend!)

Submission process was relatively straightforward, although I'm not sure whether I picked the right category for the SEFL site.

Your biggest issue is one that plagues 99.99% of directory sites: quality. Some of your listings are clearly "SEOed" listings and, while you'd like to make that a selling feature, consider that users would be more likely to use your site if the descriptions actually contained company names rather than something like this:

Quote:

Internet Marketing Ireland
Redfly Marketing is a search engine marketing company based in Dublin offering search engine optimisation and internet marketing strategy services (http://www.redflymarketing.com)

Why not call it Redfly Marketing? That's the name of the company...use it.

There are a number of listings like that in there, particularly in the Computers/Internet category. Let people submit something that looks human, not SEOed. And be picky about who gets in (or doesn't).

That alone would get you much closer to what ForrestCroce touched on: what makes you unique? What makes your site stand out from the thousands of other directories out there (besides no phpLD with skin?)

**Chris56** · 03-06-2007, 04:37 AM

Hello

A very nice clean design. I like the color combination and the design /layout. Everything on your home page is well organised. In addition to this, the subcategories page is good too. Just the thing i didnot like is image next to the things, also the subcategories page is not well organised.

**udelojf** · 03-12-2007, 06:15 PM

You guys are the best, I will be working on each of your suggestions pretty soon. It is worth to submit here, lots of knowledge.

Thank you

Jovanky

**udelojf** · 03-12-2007, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADAM Web Design

Classic ASP, John. (Sitemap ends in .asp).

Looks like he's using a custom 404 too. That might be a selling point all by itself.

http://www.9searches.org/Computers_4.html <-- got something weird going on with the subcategories on this page (probably because you're using tables and the cells aren't vertically aligned to the top. Divs are your friend. Use your friend!)

Submission process was relatively straightforward, although I'm not sure whether I picked the right category for the SEFL site.

Your biggest issue is one that plagues 99.99% of directory sites: quality. Some of your listings are clearly "SEOed" listings and, while you'd like to make that a selling feature, consider that users would be more likely to use your site if the descriptions actually contained company names rather than something like this:

Why not call it Redfly Marketing? That's the name of the company...use it.

There are a number of listings like that in there, particularly in the Computers/Internet category. Let people submit something that looks human, not SEOed. And be picky about who gets in (or doesn't).

That alone would get you much closer to what ForrestCroce touched on: what makes you unique? What makes your site stand out from the thousands of other directories out there (besides no phpLD with skin?)

I appreciate your comments in particular and will follow eveything, you are very knowleagable. However, I don't agree with your SEOed statement based on the anchor text. It is hard to make webmasters submit with your suggested title guidelines. It would take you 7 years to accept 100 listings.

I really dont think that will become a problem in any way for my directory, my quality assesment are based on content, navigation and relevance.

Thanks

**cutiger95** · 03-12-2007, 09:33 PM

Overall I like the site. Great site and easy submission process.

**fishinpv** · 10:53 PM

Hey great directory I submitted my site www.puertovallartafish.com in recreational sports

great site!!!!!!!!!!

**haasta** · 03-13-2007, 12:42 AM

add link gives error on any page;

Microsoft VBScript runtime error '800a0009'
Subscript out of range: '[number: 1]'
/rewrite.asp, line 14

**globalvidia** · 03-13-2007, 02:11 AM

great site. Good luck!

**Kay G** · 03-13-2007, 03:30 AM

Good site and good luck with it. Hitch - some of the sub-category titles get lost below the space for them and so may not be seen.

**udelojf** · 03-13-2007, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kay G

Good site and good luck with it. Hitch - some of the sub-category titles get lost below the space for them and so may not be seen.

I had an issue with the <DIVs> last night, that looks ok now. Thanks all for submitting.

**Angelosanto** · 03-13-2007, 10:17 AM

From a design POV, I like this site - very simple but effective layout

**udelojf** · 03-13-2007, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angelosanto

From a design POV, I like this site - very simple but effective layout

Thank you, that was my intention. The purpose is to offe a viable inbound link resource to webmasters, and mostly aiming to be as SEO Friendly as possible. I respect how everyone want to design their directories but I think a directory should look like such "A directory" and that is what I aimed for. Navigation and simplicity is extremely important so I focus more on that. Of course I the website should look good, but I prefer spending time making it more beneficial than trying to make it look like an overly designed visual layout.

Thanks

**udelojf** · 03-13-2007, 09:10 PM

All, thank you again.

I followed most of your suggestions.

Fixed background of image so it matches the general background
Realigned the categories to not appear inconsistent on position, they are all top to bottom now
Created the 301 redirect to avoid duplicate content
No longer have a problem with the 404 redirect, so URLs are friendly now
Now I indicate what category you are submitting into right on the submission form

The way I aligned the sub categories is by using three-column table. I am not too smart with the <DIVs> and now I notice that Firefox separates the horizontal spacing more than IE. No biggie but you always want them both showing the same. If anyone can give me input to replicate the below using DIV I would appreciate it.

Here is what I am doing with the table

<table>
<tr>
<td width=33%>Category</td>
<td width=33%>Category</td>
<td width=33%>Category</td>
</tr>.....

</table>

**udelojf** · 03-15-2007, 03:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by udelojf

All, thank you again.

I followed most of your suggestions.

Fixed background of image so it matches the general background
Realigned the categories to not appear inconsistent on position, they are all top to bottom now
Created the 301 redirect to avoid duplicate content
No longer have a problem with the 404 redirect, so URLs are friendly now
Now I indicate what category you are submitting into right on the submission form

The way I aligned the sub categories is by using three-column table. I am not too smart with the <DIVs> and now I notice that Firefox separates the horizontal spacing more than IE. No biggie but you always want them both showing the same. If anyone can give me input to replicate the below using DIV I would appreciate it.

Here is what I am doing with the table

<table>
<tr>
<td width=33%>Category</td>
<td width=33%>Category</td>
<td width=33%>Category</td>
</tr>.....

</table>

Nevermind, fixed it, it was the <UL> Tag

Thanks

**BruceWayne** · 03-15-2007, 03:42 AM

Could you make the font size a little larger.