A second look at blog directories
I have to admit that when I wrote yesterday’s Alltop.com blog post that I hadn’t checked these three blog directories all that recently:
I got thinking about this a bit and decided that I should check these three out again to ensure that I hadn’t missed anything new.
My opinion of MyBlogLog and Technorati hasn’t changed much. Yes, you can do keyword searches, but I don’t care for the way that they lay out the results. It would be great if everything for a search could somehow fit on one page, but they limit the number of visible searches per page and then you have to wade through some busy screens. By contrast, Alltop gives you all blogs per category on a single screen, then you just scroll through them. I like that better.
I acknowledge that Technorati does give you some useful functions for search by post as well as by blog, plus it does try to select and publish top posts in various subject areas at any given point in time, but that’s why I would normally use my Google Reader feed or perhaps Google Blog Search for finding stuff.
I hadn’t looked at Blog Catalog recently and was pleased to find the following directory – I can’t remember if it has always been there. You’ll need to click on the image to see it, sorry.
This structure is better than I remembered. However, you still run into the problem that I mentioned before: once you refine your search results further you still have to click, click, click through various screens to see everything.
The main reason I’m writing this is to say that these blog directories are not bad, but there are aspects of the interface that I don’t care for.
The other limiting factor to consider about blog directories, of course, is that if a blog owner doesn’t choose to list their blog in the directory, you won’t find it there. Nor is it a sure thing that your blog will get listed in any of these directories.
At least we do have multiple options for finding blogs!
Daniel J. Pritchett:
My favorite blog directories right now are FriendFeed and Toluu.
Find some interesting bloggers who are already on FriendFeed. Flip through their newsreader shares. Pick up the good stuff. Compare your profile to theirs on Toluu and find potential interest overlaps within their feeds.
I know all-encompassing directories have their own use but I prefer a people-based approach.
14 October 2008, 8:38 amMark Dykeman:
I've never thought of either FriendFeed or Toluu as blog directories, but they are certainly a means to a similar end.
14 October 2008, 8:49 amAdamSinger:
I am surprised Technorati hasn't do some new things with their site to build interest/traffic/subscribers. They have the biggest opportunity of everyone.
14 October 2008, 6:39 pmMark Dykeman:
I think they tried a number of months ago but I don't think it worked very well.
14 October 2008, 7:28 pmAri Herzog:
I never heard of Toluu; will have to check it out. Thanks, Daniel!
18 October 2008, 1:57 amBlog Traffic:
You should combine the backlinks from blog directories with the backlinks from the articles you submit (on topics closely related to your blog's most important keywords).
A properly developed backlink program will deliver far more targeted traffic to your blog due to its impact on the search engines than due to the actual directory links themselves.
Try to submit to 3-5 directories PER DAY. This discipline will pay big dividends over the long run.
I maintain a list of The Top 101 Blog Directories & RSS Submission Sites on my blog at:
Blog Directories
Since I update this list weekly there are now 331 entries listed with NO DEAD LINKS.)
Best of success,
Robert A. Kearse
4 November 2008, 2:14 pm