Bid Directory

Introduction

Bid Directory: A bid directory is like any other type of online directory, except that it enables the webmasters who submit their domain information to bid up their link information to the top of the directory results by making a payment to do so... Also known as link bid directories, bid for position directories and bidding directories.

Bid Directories started arriving on the internet scene around the year of 2005. At first, a few of them were custom made and were conceptually created by a few different web developers. In 2007, the phpLinkBid script made this concept available to the common webmaster. Since the script was released it is estimated that over one thousand phpLinkBid powered bid directories have been launched. The real number is unknown.

The main argument that surrounds the bid directory concept is the fact that you must pay to have your website listed. Some webmasters do not think that they should pay to have their sites listed, and many fear that Google will penalize the buying of links. In fact, human edited bid directories do not sell links, even though they may charge a small fee to review your website for inclusion. The webmasters can option to bid up their domain information for more exposure by paying another fee for added exposure while competing with other webmasters trying to do the same. This fee is for position and not for inclusion. In the end, the power rests in the hands of the webmaster after their link has been approved.

Most bid directories offer permanent links, but this is not always true. If you plan on placing your link on a bid directory make sure to read all the "terms of use" and "faq" pages before submitting your link. All in all, every bid directory can be ran differently and it's policies are at the directory owners discretion.

The Bid Directory

The layout of a bid directory is usually consists of a main page, catagory pages, add a link page, contact page, terms of use page and a frequently asked questions page. Depending upon the directory, the main page will hold a certian number of links (Usually between ten and twenty) that have been bidded up by the webmasters who have submitted their links.

The catagory pages usually will hold between five and ten links per webpage. Some webmasters have gone a step further and have search engine optimized their catagory pages to help the webmasters who place their links there. A few examples of this are: myseolink.com and  BidDirectory1.com. This means that every catagory page has a meta-description and keyword tags, <h1> tags, ect.

The terms of service page is an important page to review, as it will hold any information about what is allowed and what is not allowed. Some bid directories allow adult, casino or other questionable sites, while most do not allow it. The terms page will also let you know what languages are accepted. Some prefer english only sites, or spanish only sites, ect.

The Benefits of the Bid Directory

1. The bid directory is a good provider of links because bid directories usually limit the amount of links that are displayed on a page. The smaller number of links on a page, give those links more weight, in the eyes of the search engines.
2. Bid Directories are many times more search engine friendly than other directories, because of the link weight, and because every link is usually created on it's own page, not just in the catagory pages. This page is usually picked up by the search engines.
3. Deep links are sometimes offered, but do raise the link weight. However, if you are trying to index and achieve a pagerank for some pages deeper within your site, this is the way to do it.
4. Human-edited and spam free! Again not all bid directories are human-edited, but a lot of them are. It would be worth finding the ones that are trying to create a good user friendly bid directory.
5. Bid directories offer better promotion than other directories, mainly because the small review fee that is paid is usually used to promote the directory itself, and will in turn create more traffic and a higher pagerank.
   
6. You have the control. With other directories you do not. For example, lets say you notice that you are recieving a modest amout of visitors from a bid directory, but your on a page five catagory page. You can decide to give your link a boost by bidding up (paying a the amount you wish to pay and no more than that).
7. Permanent links are usually offered on most bid directories. The only reason a website might be removed is if its content has changed and no longer meets the standards of the bid directory, or if your website no longer exists.
8. Another lesser known fact about bid directories is that once your link is placed you can find the link details page (available on most bid directories) and you can click on small icons to automatically submit your link details to Digg, Stumble Upon, Del.icio.us, and many more.
9. Usually the cost of a bid directory is measured by pagerank or traffic, but is usually very affordable. You just have to shop around for the good deals.
10.  Debunking the myth, no you will not be penalized by a search engine for placing your link on a bid directory.