Can the Average Site Compete with the Directories?
Its a question that was brought up at HighRankings Forum, "If most of the sites competing to be in the top 20 google listings for my keyword are directories, do I need bigger guns than if they were not directories?" The thread gets into PageRank, link building and normal optimization. But let's really think about it.
A directory is a "hub". Hubs are important, and search engines know that - and rank them well. Authorities are possibly more important then hubs and tend to rank above hubs, on many occasions. For this individual to rank above a hub (directory) for a search term that is very hub centric, he would have to become an authority. Becoming an authority can happen a dozen of ways, right now links are fairly important.
I question the search term this individual is trying to rank well for. If the first 20 results are all directories, maybe he is trying to rank well for the wrong keyword phrase. Just a hunch, without knowing the specific keyword or site in question.
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rustybrick in Search Theory at January 12, 2005 12:55 PM
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Hmm. I would tell you how much I love your site/feed and that I’m also a Met's fan but that would be "off topic".
Instead, I will say that I work for a real estate software company - hence I'll use real estate websites as an example to show that the client may not be targeting "the wrong keyword phrase".
Let's say we're not using even a simple 3 word phrase, but using a multiple keywords use as "Xcity Xstate XCounty Real Estate". You are competing against many directories (I use "directories" to mean lead generating websites for realtors/brokers such as homegain and wiechart(sp), as well as yahoo real estate).
But it's real estate, there are few other target terms that don't include the city and/or state as well as the defining term such as real estate, realtor, yadda, yadda. And these are the terms that the directories are also targeting.
That's not to say that there aren't additional key phases and you'll probably get a better return for a less used key phrase as that user using that phrase knows precisely what he/she is looking for.
BUT until the day comes that most people go beyond using 2/3 which is still beat by 1 term key phrases, as the New Yorker in me who would take the #7 to Shea would say "Ya, gotta do what ya gotta do!" Which means ya gotta compete as well as convince people to target key phrases that don’t necessarily generate many searches.
Look forward to your reply.
Have a great day!
Natasha Robinson
Posted by Natasha Robinson at January 12, 2005 13:26