This blog post is about the various methods to monetize a free web directory. We all know that setting up a free web directory is really simple. But managing & approving the tons of submissions that you will be getting is really not easy. Listed below are few of the techniques that I have come across to make money with free web directories.
1. Featured Links : This is really the most important & has become the defacto standard to make money with free web directories. Featured Links allow your links to be placed above all the links in that category and also offer highlighted listing. So that you get the maximum link exposure and traffic. The price of the featured link can vary a lot with the directories popularity & the PR of the directory.
2. Adsense on Free Web Directories : One more popular monetization methods employed by most of the free directories is displaying Adsense ads. Adsense blocks are usually placed on homepage of the directory, submit pages & also on link detail page’s to make money. Some directory owners have reported high CTR (Click Through Rate) when the ads are placed on the link detail pages & blending Adsense Ads with the theme of the site.
3. Sponsored Links : Since free web directories receive huge amount of traffic, You can also sell site wide sponsor links & make good money with it. One of the recommended method also is to implement Text-Link-Ads on your site, so that you can get some more advertisers wanting to buy link on your site. More money can be made from sponsored links, If you have a niche directory rather than a general web directory.
4. Selling your directory : Many free web directories are sold as soon as they are made. Well this is how the theory goes, Some webmasters don’t like to buy domain, install the directory script, then setup the categories, install the template & then optimize the directory and are actually willing to buy a ready-made directory. So you can also actually give it a try and make some quick money.
If you wish that some more methods should be added to this post, then please post your feedback in the comments & I will update the same here.
Amit.
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7 Comments Received
October 26th, 2007 @1:30 am
Another way is to add your own links to other sites that you own to your directory - even a few as featured.
October 26th, 2007 @7:54 am
Nice article. It will help all the newbies.
October 26th, 2007 @1:57 pm
Hey!! All the points are damn good. One more thing is you have to remember that while making some money from those sites, dont forget to keep up the quality of the directory.
October 26th, 2007 @2:45 pm
Hi,
Regarding the use of Text-Links-Ads, I just want to point that since they are penalized by Google, keep in mind to not put any link to them only their advertisers and that to - always check if they’re not penalized by googeling their url name of main keywords.
October 27th, 2007 @10:25 am
I don’t think adsense works very well on a directory. A lot of directory views are people submitting and SE bots passing through. To run adsense you need targetted,human, traffic and good content.
I tried it on our elinkdirectory-co-uk but it didn’t generate any clicks in 1 month. So I took it off.
November 11th, 2007 @2:46 pm
Nice article. I’ll be using it as a reference for some future projects. Also, I was thinking, instead of using Google Adsense or any PPC, why not use programs that pay per impression or view. Do you think it will generate more income?
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