Hotfrog Directory - any views?

SEO Lady

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  • Business Listing
    Aug 28, 2009
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    Weston-super-Mare
    www.seolady.co.uk
    Been using Reed Business's Hotfrog, and had just 1 visitor from it in months - HF's a very attractive directory indeed, but with few visitors am seeking more options.

    Anyone use HF at all and what sort of results do you get?

    Do we all stand together http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0auCDOERZyE

    Have you got 100% business profile on HF?
    What industry are you advertising?

    I've been a big fan from years and can definitely vouch for sales as a direct results of their referrals.
    Have around 25-35 visits per month from one client, and around 20/month from 1weekSEO
     
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    SEO Lady

    Free Member
  • Business Listing
    Aug 28, 2009
    2,184
    1
    413
    54
    Weston-super-Mare
    www.seolady.co.uk
    Tried several times, and like most similar directories, found it mostly a waste of time and effort. Could probably get more customers with a half-dozen group posts or answers on LinkedIn ;)

    I think that depends on which industry .. I use LinkedIn and have had good response yet still to convert, whereas Hotfrog (and similar - Freeindex, iSomerset) are proven converters over time.
     
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    SEO Lady

    Free Member
  • Business Listing
    Aug 28, 2009
    2,184
    1
    413
    54
    Weston-super-Mare
    www.seolady.co.uk
    Hasn't it recently had a refresh ? never had much from it in all the years I've been listed in it.

    Login and update your services to create new pages in Google
    Use keywords as much as possible
    Complete your profile 100%
    Encourage reviews from past customers
    Add the page or reviews to your Facebook page to encourage trust

    .... & Check out your competitors!
     
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    Yup, got the Hotfrog Report email today. My profile is 62% complete.

    I thought Reed, yipee, the biggest web publisher in Europe, would send me floods of extra traffic-flow

    Am I the only one who feels this way, Yell, Thomson etc, all have deep pockets, so how can these guys fail to deliver traffic from millions of page requests?
     
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    I thought Reed, yipee, the biggest web publisher in Europe, would send me floods of extra traffic-flow

    Your attitude is terribly naive. It matters not one jot who is the owner of a web directory. The majority of them are not advertised and known to very few. Ergo, a waste of time filling out a listing.

    Am I the only one who feels this way, Yell, Thomson etc, all have deep pockets, so how can these guys fail to deliver traffic from millions of page requests?
    People aren't after more traffic, they want more sales.

    Yell and the like do deliver a return for many, but there are just as many that it doesn't deliver return for.

    Ranking high on google is the best sales pitch you could ever wish for. No directory can compare to that sort of traffic.
     
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    Ranking high on google is the best sales pitch you could ever wish for. No directory can compare to that sort of traffic.

    Sure, but no search engine can compete with the accuracy/speed of what niche websites deliver. I'd rather have a few links on something fast and targeted that converts than 20 long-tail keywords that cost me £2'000 :rolleyes:

    and it woudnt cost £2k to get those industry niche links - know what I'm saying......
     
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    I think for £2k you will be getting a little bit more than 20 long-tail keywords, and I'm sure any search engine, especially G, can compete with any niche directory in terms of converting traffic. You just need to get above them in the search engines in the first place :)
     
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    Sure, but no search engine can compete with the accuracy/speed of what niche websites deliver.

    Speed? How long does it take google to return results once you hit enter...

    I'd rather have a few links on something fast and targeted that converts than 20 long-tail keywords that cost me £2'000 :rolleyes:

    You want the truth? Buying listing in directories is more expensive than niche SEO.
     
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    You want the truth? Buying listing in directories is more expensive than niche SEO.

    You do know that web presence is an important factor when it comes to sales don't you? And the best websites aint going to come to you, you got to invest time looking for them - again, the web is a vast place and the best advertising platforms won't sit on page one. I know some great industry sites who are on page 2 or 3 and beyond that, and they are HUGE players, which drive traffic you'll never see unless you advertise on them.

    I can deliver more converting visitors for £50 (upto/beyond 500 a year per client), than some keyword stuffed article ever will. And that is fact, a giant stats driven reality.

    I deal in this information, so know the rough quantity of whats available, at least in my industry... and there's so many options, but my theory is people dont explore whats out there enough, so dont reap the benefits. I figure in my industry alone, there's probably a good 600 sites offering good value links from a few pounds to £100 a time. Now, if you had an extra 600 quality links, what's that worth..
     
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    I figure in my industry alone, there's probably a good 600 sites offering good value links from a few pounds to £100 a time. Now, if you had an extra 600 quality links, what's that worth..

    Doesn't read like the ED I've seen here before. :|


    Chris, do you use the same password for LinkedIn, Hotfrog, and UKBF?




    Karl Limpert
     
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    I can deliver more converting visitors for £50 (upto/beyond 500 a year per client), than some keyword stuffed article ever will. And that is fact, a giant stats driven reality.

    You can't deliver more converting visitors than someone ranking well on google... I don't know why you would bring up keyword articles...


    I deal in this information, so know the rough quantity of whats available, at least in my industry... and there's so many options, but my theory is people dont explore whats out there enough, so dont reap the benefits. I figure in my industry alone, there's probably a good 600 sites offering good value links from a few pounds to £100 a time. Now, if you had an extra 600 quality links, what's that worth..

    Quality links? Links from directories aren't quality links. They are overpriced if you are getting the link for SEO value.
     
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    I think when he talks about quality links, they are links that send traffic not for ranking purposes.

    Yes, exactly, I was referring to direct visitors - sorry should have made my post clearer. I know people talk in SEO speak, but might be better talking in terms of actual visitors, as this is what websites are supposed to be attracting. I can decipher what SEO's are on about, but others might not be as savvy with the banter on here.

    Websites need the right traffic, and a bunch of inaccurate visitors won't convert. There are certain types of web visitor, they do different things when hitting a website, but only a fraction of that overall amount will purchase, you'll lose 70% of that straight away, leaves you with 30% right! -- so this just reduced the chance of a sale dramatically - and Google sent you all that traffic, but you lost 70% - what good is that? That 70% won't be back necessarily, no guarantees - so it hasn't done you any favours, it didnt convert - so what's the point, you guys are running IT biz's, consultancies, retail sites etc - not info-based sites where most of what Google sends has an advantage/meaning for you.

    So in reality, most traffic doesn't work, that audience is wrong, non-converting and thus useless - you can tell by the amount of time they spend on your website. If the majority leave within that 30 seconds, the traffic you are getting has just failed guys.


    And he'll do that from page 2 or page 3 where next to nobody goes? :p

    I think you need to do some research.
     
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