If you try to navigate to the Google Directory, you will be greeted with the following message:

Google Directory is no longer available.

We believe that Web Search is the fastest way to find the information you need on the web.

If you prefer to browse a directory of the web, visit the Open Directory Project at dmoz.org

Again, the viability of directories in relation to marketing is dubious, but if you could get your site into one of these things — the prominent ones, anyway — it was worth a shot. Oh well. There’s always DMOZ, although, I have something of a history with that particular subject.

Over at Csutoras’ post, he states his preference for Best of the Web directory, which offers a similar level of quality as a DMOZ entry. The difference being, the BOTW directory charges for listings. DMOZ, while free, has issues of with the approval process.

Speculation concerning the closing of the Google Directory focuses on lack of use, something Barry Schwartz pointed out in a SearchEngineLand post. He also indicates Google deactivated its directory without much fanfare, and, after a quick glance at the Google Webmasters blog and the official Google blog, you’ll see that there’s no announcement available, which also supports that “lack of use” theory. There’s also nothing on any of the various Twitter accounts for Google employees.

If no one’s using a product, quietly killing it is indeed an option, although, there isn’t much of anything Google can do that will remain quiet for long.

DMOZ is known to be backlogged and highly political. You stand more chance of getting a link on Wikipedia. Now web directory Best of the Web (BOTW.org) says they are going to compete with DMOZ, starting with hiring over 30 of the directory’s top editors.

DMOZ boasts over 79,476 editors but the ones recruited for BOTW were part of the original team that started in the late 90s. BOTW was actually started before DMOZ – in 1994. The names of the new hires are well known in the directory industry. They even have a nickname – “The Nerd Herd.” They’re tasked with improving the site and adding new sites and blogs.

Directories are edited by people who look for quality sites and list them by topic. They’re not only a resource for people to find sites, but it’s a way search engines find new content that is spam-free. And if BOTW can grow into a larger directory, while avoiding a lot of the politics of DMOZ, this is welcomed news.

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