Google Compliant Web Directories: A Review of Jasmine Directory

Today, the relevance of web directories has been put into question primarily because most people consider that their core function overlaps with the functions of search engines. In consideration of the fact the use of search engines is more widespread than web directories, some people argue that web directories have become obsolete.

I strongly disagree.

Even though search engines succeeded web directories as the primary avenue via which people find information on the internet, web directories are still more efficient platforms in consideration of data categorization and organization. It would, therefore, be wrong to argue that they have become irrelevant. To the contrary, in consideration of the constantly increasing amount of data and therefore more categorization and organization needs, they can act as reliable complimentary tools to search engines.

The question that should be answered to underscore the relevance of web directories today is how a Google compliant web directory should appear and function. An analysis of Jasmine directory should adequately respond to this question since it is one of the leading web directories.

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In my opinion, one of the most important aspects of a Google compliant web directory is its clarity of purpose. It should clearly outline its purpose and perform the same. Jasmine directory explicitly states that its purpose is to help websites attract traffic and build brand awareness. Assessment of the site concerning how efficiently it performs its outlined purpose reveals that it is relatively efficient.

First and foremost, unlike search engines that rely on algorithms to rank websites, the directory lists the listed sites after analysis of the content. Consequently, the website is listed. The respective sites can thus be listed based on content quality instead of how optimized they are according to the search engine’s algorithm.

As a result of all the websites contained in the directory undergoing checks to determine content relevancy before categorization, the websites are bound to attract high-quality traffic because all individuals who use the directories to search for information will be assured of its authenticity. The directory is hence able to deliver high quality targeted clients to the respective websites. By attracting such high-quality traffic and being reputable as a result of having high-quality information, the site’s brand awareness will be built. Its ranking on Google will even increase.

Jasmine’s directory is relatively content rich which is crucial for any Google compliant web directory. The directory has a total of 10,901 websites organized into 14 categories. The content in the directory is specific in subject matter. Some of the categories in Jasmines directory are: Arts and humanities, business and finance, computers and technology, health and fitness, home and garden and internet and marketing. Other categories are kids and teens, leisure and travel, news and politics, people and society, recreation and sports, regional, science and reference and shopping and e-commerce. The specific nature of the content is a clear indication that the directory is not manipulative in consideration of the fact that most general subject matter directories are subject to manipulation since they enable any website to apply. Such directories focus primarily on the maximization of revenue instead of organization and categorization of content.

The categories in the directory are organized based on their alphabetical order. The primary advantage that arises from this is ease of navigation. The directory’s visitors can easily find the location of the relevant category in which the related websites they want is. Jasmine Directory provides sub-categories to the primary categories which are arranged alphabetically as well.

Despite the enormous advantage provided by organizing the categories in alphabetical order, the system has some significant shortcomings. It disregards other criteria of organization that may be relevant to both the website owners and directory visitors especially when the sub-categories are taken into consideration.

Some of the criteria that the directory has overlooked include categorization of the sites based on aspects such as recently added and most visited. Incorporation of these navigational capabilities into the directory can be achieved by adding the relevant navigational tools. These aspects are critical to enabling easy navigation of the directory by the targeted traffic it aims to attract. Despite this shortcoming, from an overall perspective, the directory is easily navigable.

It is critical for any Google compliant directory to have websites that have both domain credibility and page credibility. All the sites in Jasmine directory meet this crucial criterion. In consideration of this, the web directory can be concluded to be sufficiently credible. This is absolutely essential in ensuring the directory attracts high quality targeted traffic which is one of its core functions. The directory also has no broken links. Therefore, the directory can provide unhindered access to all the parent websites whose links it provides.

The credibility of the directory is further enhanced by the fact that it promotes the traffic and not the value of the links to manipulate search engines. Use of such tactics to manipulate search engines is a primary cause of blacklisting of web directories by Google. Since the directory is not involved in such practices, it faces minimal chances of being blacklisted.

Concerning functionality, Jasmine directory is exceptional from an overall perspective. The directory provides a brief description of all listed websites, URL’s of the pages and links to the relevant pages on the site. It also enables visitors to rate the respective sites and shows the corresponding votes of each site before providing the brief description. Additionally, it also provides the business addresses and contact details of the enterprises that own the respective websites. By efficiently categorizing the sites, providing relevant URL’s and page links and other relevant information, the directory is highly functional.

From the Jasmine directory analysis, the crucial aspects of Google compliant web directories are evident.

First, the directory must clearly state its core objectives and efficiently achieve the same. The directory must also be content rich. The content of a Google compliant web directory must be specific in nature for proper organization and categorized. Credibility is another crucial aspect of Google compliant web directories. The domains and pages of the websites of the pages contained in the directory must be credible. Focus on traffic instead of link manipulation is crucial in ensuring the credibility of the directory. Finally, the directory should be functional. It must provide brief yet comprehensive information to all websites as well as the relevant URLs and links.

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