For any growing e-Business, link popularity is a surefire way to increase traffic, and the more reputable the site that links to you, the better. Let’s consider Yahoo! as an inbound link. Very impressive. One way to obtain an inbound link from Yahoo! is to submit your site to Yahoo! Directory listings. But with all the fees and lack of guarantees, is it the best bet for everyone?
Here at Hudson Horizons, we were wondering the same thing. We did a little research on the benefits and setbacks of submitting our site to Yahoo! Directory listings. The Yahoo! Directory URL submission site alone seems draped in a futile connotation. Could it be that the silver lining is just hidden beneath the myriad disclaimers?
Despite the initial $299 fee for review, Yahoo! maintains that “Use of the Yahoo! Express program does not ensure that your submission will be accepted for inclusion in the Yahoo! Directory.” Bummer. If it is included, “a listing in the Yahoo! Directory does not guarantee your site will be listed in search results for any particular query,” and that listing would cost $299 annually.
Many experts and webmasters assert that even if your site does not rank high in the Yahoo! Directory listings, having that inbound link is well worth the yearly fee. Others e-Businesses (who have tight budgets as is) are less than impressed by the expensive process that lacks any assurance; they turn instead to reputable directories that offer free submission and listing (such as DMOZ and Jayde).
So are Yahoo! Directory listings really worth it? It all depends on your e-Business objectives, target audience, and if you’re willing to shell out $300 bucks a year if you get accepted for inclusion. (Oh yeah, and if you host an “adult” site, that $300 just became $600!)
Interested in reading more about Yahoo! Directory listings? Check out this forum post for different webmaster’s opinions on the topic.
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