Penalised directory - start afresh or repair?

[OldWelshGuy]

A Directory owners best friend at the moment is Copyscape

Now lets debate why

[temi]

Originally Posted by OldWelshGuy

A Directory owners best friend at the moment is Copyscape

Now lets debate why

Why do you think copyscape is so important?

[OldWelshGuy]

Because it will pick up how many other directories are using the same listings and descriptions as you, so you can change yours to make it unique.

[temi]

Ummm,
That is almost mission impossible, except you have a very high quality and very selective directory, and you need to have quality editors who are on the ball, people tend to create submission info and submit it to many directories.

[OldWelshGuy]

if you want your directory to be taken seriously, then you have to edit every single entry that comes in. It is fairly easy, andot that time consuming NOT

SERIOUSLY though, tops directories DO have unique content. I have edited on ODP, & Skaffe (I am the editor on Skaffe for the who of the UK)and you DO NOT copy and paste the titles or descriptions of sites, you write them 100% personally. I rewrite ALL submissions that come in and write those I submit personally.

[smeagain]

Link:
Link text with an absolute minimum of descriptive text about where that link will take you and what you will find when you get there.
A collection of thexe either paid or free is nothing short of a "Link Farm"

Directory Listing:
Just look at Yaho and ODP to see what they require, complete with manual review prior to inclusion.

[temi]

Originally Posted by smeagain

Directory Listing:
Just look at Yaho and ODP to see what they require, complete with manual review prior to inclusion.

Not sure ODP is a good example, they hardly require any text.

[arora]

Just an update on Aviva Directory - it is showing PR 0 on the toolbar & datacentres!

[temi]

I doubt the success of the so called "fixing" applied to Aviva, I have seen a few web directories gone down that route over the years, they never recovered but Aviva could be different.
But the only think that could really help complete the recovery is to change listing policy to listing sites and adding nofollow to the links.

[arora]

Temi,
Won't that make the Directory dead - I mean why will people want to pay for a listing if they are no follow and they are not giving any traffic!
I thought people submit to directories for either PR juice or for traffic?