Why google penalizes web directories?

gabrielle

New member
Joined
Feb 9, 2015
Messages
14
Points
0
Why does Google penalize web directories? I own a web directory and it was penalized by google. I don't know why it happened. Is it maybe because Google thinks it has too many links like link spam?
My directory is almost all auto approved and some special categories are manually moderated.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

SEOPub

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 15, 2015
Messages
1,656
Points
83
Why google penalizes web directories. I owned a web directory and it was penalized by google, I don't know why happened that does google consider it too many links like link spam?
My directory is almost auto approved and some special categories are manually moderated.
This is the most likely reason.

Without seeing the directory though, nobody is going to be able to do anything other than guess.
 

karmadir

New member
Joined
Feb 1, 2013
Messages
92
Points
0
Actually, directory links do not count any more.
 

PTTed

New member
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Messages
392
Points
0
PTTed
Yes they do count, at least some of them do. It depends on the directory. Most/many of them don't count (at least not meaningfully) because most of them are spammy in some way either with their inbound or outbound links. And many of them are targets for Google Panda because the content is too thin.

If you find/create a directory that has information useful enough on it that an actual human would want to visit it and use it, and if the directory is incredibly selective about where it links out to and where it gets inbound links from, then the directory will still be ranked in Google's search results and its regular dofollow links will likely still count. And the directory would want to take steps to avoid getting demoted by Panda.
 

Hugop

New member
Joined
Feb 7, 2016
Messages
2
Points
0
A directory needs to look like a blog. If your directory has only links or 10-30words of description(mostly duplicates), it is going to get penalized. Some directories allow you to submit articles which is a recommended feature because you won't look the same as the other directories. With DMOZ as an example, they have their own blog and own content (documentation) to stay unique.
 

Tshepo

Member
Joined
May 18, 2013
Messages
137
Points
18
Tshepo
This is a great idea that more directories should apply and do this way. Why you think a directory need long description on each link and their own blog with unique content? Is all about SEO aspects?

I don't suppose Google will ban directories unless they have too many spam sites/links on their categories.
 

denvercardonations

New member
Joined
Mar 1, 2016
Messages
117
Points
0
I think they wouldn't penalize a directory if all of the categories were solid and maintained with an iron fist. Isn't this why Google has such high trust for DMOZ so long ago, and places like Yahoo Directory were very beneficial to be in? What fly-by-night spammer would have the patience to get into either one of those? One of my older websites that I got to PR6 and localized incoming traffic fluctuating between 3-4000 uniques per day, had an entire core backlink structure hand submitted to directories, and when I would check Google to see where most of my backlinks were, it was from these directories that had been around for years.
 

Lee06

Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2016
Messages
51
Points
8
Directories with unique content and not duplicate, are not penalized. And most of auto approve directories are penalized for these reasons. And IMAO you should avoid directories with porn categories. If possible, find thematical directories.
 

Hawker

Active member
Joined
Dec 22, 2015
Messages
504
Points
43
Why does Google penalize web directories? I own a web directory and it was penalized by google. I don't know why it happened. Is it maybe because Google thinks it has too many links like link spam?
My directory is almost all auto approved and some special categories are manually moderated.
Well, the same reason it penalizes any site. For some specific reason. If you use Google Webmaster Tools, it would tell you the reason.

Regards.
 

Dewlance

Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2014
Messages
91
Points
8
Very simple reason, Most of directory was selling paid link with do-follow, etc so I think Google count this as a bad tactic and penalize most of directory.

Other reason is:
- Most of directory put at lest 10 to 20 link on same or each page.
- Some of add 100+ links.
- Content is king, Why Google will not penalize a page which contain only link and nothing else?
 
Older threads
Newer threads
Latest threads

Referral contests

Referral link for :

Sponsors

Popular tags

You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.

Top