Its time has come. Once a staple of the Internet, the Google of its time, the
Yahoo Directory is coming to a close.
Yahoo announced the news today that they will be closing the Yahoo Directory
after a 20-year stint. The directory, which before the dawn of Google was a
hand-compiled list of websites organized into topics, is being sent off with a
meager goodbye.
Yahoo’s post
says this:
Yahoo was started nearly 20 years
ago as a directory of websites that helped users explore the Internet. While we
are still committed to connecting users with the information they’re passionate
about, our business has evolved and at the end of 2014 (December 31), we will
retire the Yahoo Directory. Advertisers will be upgraded to a new service; more
details to be communicated directly.
Some people feel that this send off isn’t living up to the importance of the
directory from which Yahoo takes its name. In reality, the directory has
already been dead for over a decade.
With the closing of this directory, here are some other things your business
can do to ensure the relevancy of your website in the eyes of search engines
like Google:
1. Submit to other big name directories
Listing your business in high quality business directories such as
YellowPages, Merchant Circle, and Yelp is a great way to enhance the visibility
of your business information online. Showing what your business does, where
it’s located, and how to reach you is an important part of establishing your
trustworthiness to search engines like Google and Bing; as well as showing your
customers those things.
2. Check all your citations
We mentioned in a previous post the importance of your business’s citations
being correct across the web. It is important that all of your citations
(anywhere that your business name, address, and phone number are listed) are
correct to give you credibility and ensure there’s no false information out
there to confuse customers or search engines alike. This is especially
important to do if you’ve ever switched locations or business names.
3. Create smart content for customers
Creating content for your website has evolved thanks to Google updates such as
Panda. Websites can no longer get away with posting thin, keyword and link
stuffed content. It is important to create useful and informative content that
users searching for the topic will enjoy reading. Time-on-site is something
that search engines and even social networks, like Facebook, are starting to
look at more. Keeping users on your website with engaging content is one way to
give your business a competitive edge it needs in search.
So, rest in peace Yahoo Directory. May your memories be fond, but for businesses
these days, there are new ways of gaining visibility online. If you’d like to
learn more about ways Sales & Marketing Technologies can unlock your
potential to thrive online, contact us today.