- Impact
- 7
Interview with the owner of Umdum Directory
Interview with the owner of Umdum Directory
Interview done by Directory-Owners.Com
Q. Are you able to give us a short insight into your background?
Sure, I've been involved off and on in SEO and web marketing since 1998, when I was a University student interning for a local Internet marketing company. After years of agency work, I began blogging about the search engine industry, and built the Search Engine Journal from scratch. Search Engine Journal is read by an average of 7,000 people each day and covers everything from SEO to MySpace to YPN to ISEDN.
I'd say that my online marketing strengths are in the foundations of online PR, blog marketing, quality link building and basic SEO.
Q. How did the idea of Umdum Directory come to you?
I had wanted to build my own directory for sometime and finally got up the nerve to get something together. I'd have to say that our designer, Brian (http://www.juggopop.com) really put together one heck of a template which breathed life into the project.
Q. What was your biggest challenge getting the Umdum Directory to where it is now?
Getting past that initial directory hump. If you follow some of the forums, web directories can be a dime a dozen, especially with all of the php powered instant directories out there. With Umdum, the goal is to harness the power of a trusted directory, but since I was a bit late to the market, the challenge was to stand out a bit.
Q. In your view what makes Umdum Directory unique and special?
The design is top notch, very fluid, mean & green; without being super Web 2.0.
Q. What are the main points that make Umdum Directory stand out from all the rest?
Well, I guess that we try to bring in traffic to the site and position it as a valuable resource for not only the sites submitting, but the people searching on it. I think that a lot of directories tend to ignore or not do enough to attract the end user. Your directory is only as important as the amount of people who actually use it.
Q. Have you got any future plan to expand Umdum Directory features?
I'd like to expand the directory itself and add site profiles along with an enhanced blog section. But one day at a time.
Q. In the history of Umdum Directory which days stand out most?
Day one. We received an incredible response not only from users and sites which listed themselves, but an open armed welcome from the directory community.
Q. With a PageRank 6 and over 157,000 sites linking to Umdum Directory, What can you say are the main factors in you getting these ranks?
A strong group of trusted friends & colleagues in the search engine and publisher world.
Q. With many website owners now placing high level's of attention to SEO, do you think that directories will have to evolve to keep up with the changes on the internet?
I think that with directory submittals the question is now 'which directories'? And not 'how many'? The evolution will be one of quality and value to the end user - not just a bunch of links.
Q. What promotion methods do you use?
Right now we do a bit of paid advertising on Search Engine Colossus and Search Engine Journal. I've also run some specific promotions at certain web forums and communities. I think the key is brand building and not just PageRank or incoming links.
I feel as a directory owner, the more people like your directory and remember your name, the more important you become in the directory marketing mix.
There are also some rather important lists of directories floating around out there that we strive to be listed on.
Q. Who do you think is your direct rival in the directory sector?
I'm not sure if we have a direct rival, as most online directory marketing campaigns use numerous directories. I'd like to think that we're in the same league as Aviva, Alive, SevenSeek, WOW and v7n.
Ideally, if one were to rank directory tier; Yahoo, bCentral, Best of the Web and DMOZ would be top tier... with Umdum and out before mentioned rivals as second. Of course, it would be nice to knock one of those dudes out of the top tier and replace them with Umdum!
Q. What do you think are the main key points to a successful directory?
Don't cheese out and let anyone list their site. Put together some guidelines and stick to your guns.
Q. What do you find most annoying when running a directory?
Directory spam, directory bots, and publishers ignoring directory guidelines when submitting. I think the ignoring the guidelines part irks me the most, especially when keywords are entered in as a business title. I reckon that marketers are hoping that they'll maybe slip past the editorial process and get those anchor text links listed in the directory, but doing so just adds another step in the process on our side.
Q Are you able to run a very successful directory and still have a personal life?
Sure. I manage a successful blog, some other sites, the Umdum Directory, have a part time job which gets me around people, and still find time to stop and smell the roses. If I were working 10 hours a day in an office setting, I don't think I'd have the time and attitude to appreciate the smaller things in life. Working 'online' gives me the freedom to do so, while also being mobile enough to travel - my true passion.
Q. How do you relax at the end of the day?
I like to turn off the mobile phone, close the laptop, sit down with a hot tasty beverage, stretch and vegetate. I guess one would call this meditation, I'm the kind of person who tends to zone out all of the time, so perhaps the correct term would be transcendental vegetation.
Q. What are your top 5 SEO tips for directory owners?
1) Start a blog on your directory domain and blog about your experiences as an owner.
2) Make friends, network and do interviews.
3) Don't be afraid to contact bloggers or search engine oriented site owners about your directory, especially if you have something newsworthy.
4) And if you do have something newsworthy, send out some press releases via PRweb and MarketWire.
5) Promote your directory on search oriented blogs, portals and tutorial sites.
6) Get on every directory list that you can.
Oops, that's 6.
Q. Do you own any other sites or scripts?
Search Engine Journal and Blog Search Engine. I also have an SEO oriented directory at SEOdex.com (anyone reading this should submit there)!
Source http://www.directory-owners.com/showthread.php?p=6329#post6329
Interview with the owner of Umdum Directory
Interview done by Directory-Owners.Com
Q. Are you able to give us a short insight into your background?
Sure, I've been involved off and on in SEO and web marketing since 1998, when I was a University student interning for a local Internet marketing company. After years of agency work, I began blogging about the search engine industry, and built the Search Engine Journal from scratch. Search Engine Journal is read by an average of 7,000 people each day and covers everything from SEO to MySpace to YPN to ISEDN.
I'd say that my online marketing strengths are in the foundations of online PR, blog marketing, quality link building and basic SEO.
Q. How did the idea of Umdum Directory come to you?
I had wanted to build my own directory for sometime and finally got up the nerve to get something together. I'd have to say that our designer, Brian (http://www.juggopop.com) really put together one heck of a template which breathed life into the project.
Q. What was your biggest challenge getting the Umdum Directory to where it is now?
Getting past that initial directory hump. If you follow some of the forums, web directories can be a dime a dozen, especially with all of the php powered instant directories out there. With Umdum, the goal is to harness the power of a trusted directory, but since I was a bit late to the market, the challenge was to stand out a bit.
Q. In your view what makes Umdum Directory unique and special?
The design is top notch, very fluid, mean & green; without being super Web 2.0.
Q. What are the main points that make Umdum Directory stand out from all the rest?
Well, I guess that we try to bring in traffic to the site and position it as a valuable resource for not only the sites submitting, but the people searching on it. I think that a lot of directories tend to ignore or not do enough to attract the end user. Your directory is only as important as the amount of people who actually use it.
Q. Have you got any future plan to expand Umdum Directory features?
I'd like to expand the directory itself and add site profiles along with an enhanced blog section. But one day at a time.
Q. In the history of Umdum Directory which days stand out most?
Day one. We received an incredible response not only from users and sites which listed themselves, but an open armed welcome from the directory community.
Q. With a PageRank 6 and over 157,000 sites linking to Umdum Directory, What can you say are the main factors in you getting these ranks?
A strong group of trusted friends & colleagues in the search engine and publisher world.
Q. With many website owners now placing high level's of attention to SEO, do you think that directories will have to evolve to keep up with the changes on the internet?
I think that with directory submittals the question is now 'which directories'? And not 'how many'? The evolution will be one of quality and value to the end user - not just a bunch of links.
Q. What promotion methods do you use?
Right now we do a bit of paid advertising on Search Engine Colossus and Search Engine Journal. I've also run some specific promotions at certain web forums and communities. I think the key is brand building and not just PageRank or incoming links.
I feel as a directory owner, the more people like your directory and remember your name, the more important you become in the directory marketing mix.
There are also some rather important lists of directories floating around out there that we strive to be listed on.
Q. Who do you think is your direct rival in the directory sector?
I'm not sure if we have a direct rival, as most online directory marketing campaigns use numerous directories. I'd like to think that we're in the same league as Aviva, Alive, SevenSeek, WOW and v7n.
Ideally, if one were to rank directory tier; Yahoo, bCentral, Best of the Web and DMOZ would be top tier... with Umdum and out before mentioned rivals as second. Of course, it would be nice to knock one of those dudes out of the top tier and replace them with Umdum!
Q. What do you think are the main key points to a successful directory?
Don't cheese out and let anyone list their site. Put together some guidelines and stick to your guns.
Q. What do you find most annoying when running a directory?
Directory spam, directory bots, and publishers ignoring directory guidelines when submitting. I think the ignoring the guidelines part irks me the most, especially when keywords are entered in as a business title. I reckon that marketers are hoping that they'll maybe slip past the editorial process and get those anchor text links listed in the directory, but doing so just adds another step in the process on our side.
Q Are you able to run a very successful directory and still have a personal life?
Sure. I manage a successful blog, some other sites, the Umdum Directory, have a part time job which gets me around people, and still find time to stop and smell the roses. If I were working 10 hours a day in an office setting, I don't think I'd have the time and attitude to appreciate the smaller things in life. Working 'online' gives me the freedom to do so, while also being mobile enough to travel - my true passion.
Q. How do you relax at the end of the day?
I like to turn off the mobile phone, close the laptop, sit down with a hot tasty beverage, stretch and vegetate. I guess one would call this meditation, I'm the kind of person who tends to zone out all of the time, so perhaps the correct term would be transcendental vegetation.
Q. What are your top 5 SEO tips for directory owners?
1) Start a blog on your directory domain and blog about your experiences as an owner.
2) Make friends, network and do interviews.
3) Don't be afraid to contact bloggers or search engine oriented site owners about your directory, especially if you have something newsworthy.
4) And if you do have something newsworthy, send out some press releases via PRweb and MarketWire.
5) Promote your directory on search oriented blogs, portals and tutorial sites.
6) Get on every directory list that you can.
Oops, that's 6.
Q. Do you own any other sites or scripts?
Search Engine Journal and Blog Search Engine. I also have an SEO oriented directory at SEOdex.com (anyone reading this should submit there)!
Source http://www.directory-owners.com/showthread.php?p=6329#post6329
