Yahoo Directory Not That Helpful In Google

[Catfish]

Hello everyone. As a general rule, I have always recommended to clients that they submit to Yahoo as I felt it was the most recogizable directory, gave some decent PR based on authority and back in the day, actually generated a little traffic...lol (how times have changed). Anyway, I was doing some research for a client today who wanted to submit to Yahoo and I noticed that only the first page of each category is indexed in Google. So for example, this page exists in Google:

http://dir.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Software/Open_Source/

it is cached and has PR (please hold off on any page rank doesn't mean anything rants cause that isn't the point of this conversation). All I am saying is, Google can see this page.

However, when I go to page two of the same category:
http://dir.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Software/Open_Source/?b=20

This page cannot be found. And neither can any of the second, third, forth pages etc for any category. Therefore, the only way a link in Yahoo contributes to your link popularity is if you are on the front page of the category your submitting to. At least that is how it appears to me. I would love to hear some other thoughts on this but if you look at the source of the links that point to pages 2, 3 etc., it is not suprising that Google doesn't follow them. The page links to:

http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dir/catpg/bp1/*http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Marketing_and_Advertising/Organizations/?b=0

but the link resolves to http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Marketing_and_Advertising/Organizations/?b=0

Seems like $300 a year is a lot for nothing unless you happen to be on the first page of your category.

[Bernard]

I just did a quick site:dir.yahoo.com mydomain search on Google and see that my site (for which I'm paying $300/year) has 9 listings in the Yahoo directory cached in Google (8 are supplemental) - the main category page which I am paying for, 7 regional category listings (area, city, county, state, etc.) and 1 listing that looks like a copy of the main category page with some dynamic variable attached (?o=a) which I assume means the category is sorted alphabetically.

[ihelpyou]

Default "sort" for each cat in the yahoo directory is by "popularity" first with links for "alpha" second.

I've not seen your concern Catfish with ANY clients in the directory at all. I actually see quite the different take. I recommend all get into the directory and have for along time. Just because you may do a backlink check in Google and do not see the directory link, does not mean Google does not know about it. I can attest as fact that sites start doing better in google when they get a yahoo directory listing. Of course, this is what I see from my end only. :)

I have one client who is on page 8 or so in the directory listing, but doing a search on their main term in the yahoo directory shows them as the number one site in the SERPS. :) The same client is #2 in the Google search on the same term.

[SEFL]

Catfish: does the link show up as a backlink in Webmaster Tools? That would give you a bit more of an acid test.

[Catfish]

Originally posted by ihelpyou
Default "sort" for each cat in the yahoo directory is by "popularity" first with links for "alpha" second.

I've not seen your concern Catfish with ANY clients in the directory at all. I actually see quite the different take. I recommend all get into the directory and have for along time. Just because you may do a backlink check in Google and do not see the directory link, does not mean Google does not know about it. I can attest as fact that sites start doing better in google when they get a yahoo directory listing. Of course, this is what I see from my end only. :)

I have one client who is on page 8 or so in the directory listing, but doing a search on their main term in the yahoo directory shows them as the number one site in the SERPS. :) The same client is #2 in the Google search on the same term.

Yeah I totally agree with you Doug and as I said, up until today that was my recommendation as well. I just found it odd that the secondary pages wouldn't be cached. Although I can see how they are found through the alpha search which I didn't see at first look. So I will be at peace with myself now with the recommendation having consulted the wisdom of the tribe...lol. Thanks guys.

[Dave Hawley]

Considering Google have always maintained that PageRank cannot be bought I doubt any pages in Yahoo pass PR in the traditional sense.

Why would Google favor sites that pay US300.00 over those who don't?

Why would Google favor sites in Yahoo categories that have more PR and less outbound links over those in the same directory, different category with more outbound links but less PR?

IMO, Yahoo directory submission is a sure way to be indexed by Google and MAY help a new site homepage to get to about PR2-3.

[Bernard]

Originally posted by Dave Hawley
Why would Google favor sites that pay US300.00 over those who don't?

Much like an expensive restaurant, the high price tag separates the players from the pretenders.

Google themselves recommend the Yahoo! directory:Submit your site to relevant directories such as the Open Directory Project and Yahoo!, as well as to other industry-specific expert sites.

Webmaster Guidelines (http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=35769)

[Dave Hawley]

Google's organic results are ALL about relevancy and NOT selling out to the highest bidder. Their algorithms are desingned to be objective.

Google themselves recommend the Yahoo! directory:I have already addressed that point directly above and earlier.IMO, Yahoo directory submission is a sure way to be indexed by Google and MAY help a new site homepage to get to about PR2-3.

[Sambit]

Yahoo is a Human Edited Directory. The amount they are taking from you is not the fee for listing rather that is the review fee.
When you submit the site in Yahoo directory, your site will be reviewed by their editor and their is no guarantee that they will list your site.

And a link from the Yahoo directory will definitely considered as a relevant link by Google.

[Dave Hawley]

Relevant yes, helps in the Google SERPs is not known for a fact.

[Sambit]

Dave, I agree with you.

As we know for Google Inbound links and Relevancy of links are important factors, so we can say link from Yahoo directory is always helpful in this regard.