Google Devaluing DMOZ and Yahoo! Links?

Google is no longer suggesting that you should be listed in relevant directories. In fact, they’ve even removed the suggestion from their webmaster guidelines, as Brian Ussery noticed. The page used to have bullet points for:

- Have other relevant sites link to yours.

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

Those points are now gone in what would appear to be a slap in the face of directories, but SEO folks are the ones really irritated. Google doesn’t appear to see it as a slap in the face so much, but more of simply a non-needed guideline.

Barry Schwartz points to a quote from Google’s John Mueller in a Google Groups thread:

"I wouldn’t necessarily assume that we’re devaluing Yahoo’s links, I just think it’s not one of the things we really need to recommend," said Mueller. "If people think that a directory is going to bring them lots of visitors (I had a visitor from the DMOZ once), then it’s obviously fine to get listed there. It’s not something that people have to do though ."

Mueller also asks for feedback, "What do you think – does it make sense? What else should we change / add / remove?"

Regardless of what guidelines are on the page, a relevant link is a relevant link. There are still directories like our own eBusiness Directory that don’t offer paid links, and keep the listings quality without getting flooded by spammy and irrelevant ones by using a strict human-edited approval process (call it a shameless plug if you want, but it’s the truth).

There is going to be a lot of outrage over this, but is it really necessary? Perhaps too much focus has been put on directories like DMOZ anyway.

There are 82 Comments. Add Yours.

Colour Photocopiers
January 20, 2009 at 11:09 pm

I just don’t understand how so many apllications can be denied. Why not accept the good ones and have moderators monitor and correct them as they learn.

Why would businesses not take on apprentices if they didn’t expect a return in productivity in the long run. And that’s what DMOZ needs more than anything if it’s to lose the contempt by us all with regards to Google and others continuing to use it as their first stop and ‘cherry garden’ for the www.

Get Rid or Get On with it!
Sydney
January 23, 2009 at 8:46 am

I dont think google has put any effort into building its own directory and has hence relied on dmoz to biuld a directory for them as google lists dmoz’s listings. If google devalues dmoz then its devaluing what it once held to be good. Its obviously a stance against directories as most directories have lost pr. Directories are good because they humanly reveiw a site which google doesnt do, so it does a job for google. Some sites cannot get links without directories because their products are un linkworhty such as lawn mower sales sites. I hope google doesnt devalue directories any more than it has.
Tom
January 26, 2009 at 12:04 pm

What’s stopping a corrupt DMOZ volunteer editor from denying his competition from being listed in the directory?
The Retractable Clothesline Shop
January 29, 2009 at 7:06 am

I had one of our sites listed in the directory and then one day it was just gone!! Who decides what stays and what goes?? I thyink it is in the best interest of all for these links to be devalued!
- The real retractable clothesline shop
  February 15, 2009 at 5:56 am
  
  Gary, thats because u changed your domain geo and u didnt get reincluded this time and i did. U didnt have a problem when u were included and i wasnt. Just face it, your site doesnt contain anything unique, which is probably y it was rejected.
Seebreeze
February 2, 2009 at 11:33 am

Thanks goodness Google is doing away with DMOZ! I realized that Google was using DMOZ record for the company description several years ago. The description of our company on DMOZ was way off from our business. It was very frustrating to see no matter how I changed the meta tags or the content, the wrong description of our company on Google never changed! I tried to update the description again and again in the past 3-4 years on DMOZ but never succeeded. I finally had to include a meta tag to tell Google specifically NOT to use DMOZ data for the description. And it worked.
I don’t think the open directory has any value anyway.
Hemroid treatment
February 5, 2009 at 10:33 am

I donot know why google is taking this action, listing of a site in a good directory is an indication of the great value of this site, But I agree that google is not giving value to open directory or yahoo directory
hemroids
February 19, 2009 at 6:12 am

Yes, they contain old and spammy sites, they do not review their sites on a regular basis, so their index is a big collection of crap. that’s why!
online affiliate marketing
February 23, 2009 at 12:39 pm

Directories have no real use. DMOZ was alright until strange stuff started to surface between webmasters buying listings from editors or the opposite editors charging for listings.
Rajesh
March 2, 2009 at 12:36 am

Google may not recommend dmoz and yahoo directory anymore but truth is that sites listed in dmoz and yahoo directory are still ranking high in google. I would say these directories still have value.
Clothes lines
March 29, 2009 at 6:39 am

I sell clothes lines on my website and i am included on dmoz. I dont like googles devaluing of dmoz because i think it serves a great purpose to google in that it humanly reveiws a site. Human reveiwing at dmoz might have its faults but some directories dont even reveiw at all.
Eric from SEO Link Directories
April 13, 2009 at 1:42 pm

By the way DMOZ also keep the listings quality and free just like you guys do, so Google could have removed Yahoo directory only from its webmaster guidelines and let DMOZ be there. Now, let me tell you something, I submitted my site to around 500 directories last month and now I can see my 2 year old site vanish from Google SERPs, while my less than 10 days old site is on the first page for its keywords.
So, is it harmful to submit your site to directories now? Will Google penalize you? And how can they do this all of a sudden. huh!
Child Care Staff Training
May 14, 2009 at 9:23 pm

I see that DMOZ is a great resource for the web but at times I have wonder who actually edits the listings as they seem to come and go with no real set pattern….Ive alwasy wondered if people are able to game it for their own benefit somehow.
Greg Guillen
November 18, 2009 at 5:01 pm

I was paying $299/year for the dirctory and recieved about 20 hits a month from the service. Obviously, the value would be in getting ranked higher in the search engines as opposed to people actually using the directory. I have since stopped paying for the directory but they still have me paying $9/month for their local listing. Should I cancel that plan as well?
Guest
August 5, 2010 at 9:17 pm

wow great article
Arnie
March 4, 2011 at 2:54 pm

Not sure Google is devaluing Yahoo and Dmoz links. I still think they have some value no matter what is written.
web marketing cosenza
April 13, 2011 at 11:51 am

Finally Google got away from DMOZ! yeah did you know some employees get caught for money tips! the used to get money behind to speed up or ensure inclusion. Shame on DMOZ!