Is the directory business profitable? + Share some really good directories
Over the past year, I've noticed how makers have taken to creating directories on a large scale.
Since I am also thinking of creating one, I would like to know from owners or people who have experience:
Do directories bring any significant profit? (approximate numbers would help)
How do you monetise them?
Can you share good examples?
I know it can be good for many reasons (SEO, affiliates, visibility, thriftiness—everything in one place, etc.) and I am considering it, but I also keep in mind that it can be a bubble, that I can be late, and that it may not be as profitable as it seems.
Do not want to end up burning money and time on administration so much. 😀
@rohanrecommends What is a maintenance? TBH, I have many ideas for directories but there is a risk that I will pay for a domain, web hosting and it will take me only time without a significant result. Who is a benchmark I could inspire from? :)
@busmark_w_nika I think since you must be connecting to many makers on PH, onboarding new products on the directory shouldn't be a challenge for you. You're probably the most popular PH user in the forum. :)
Having said that, domain, hosting and website SEO, design and dev might incur you expenses which can be covered if you sell sponsorship.
Perhaps you can combine the offering with your existing media — newsletter, Youtube, social, etc.
You may already know, There's An AI For That continues to be setting benchmarks for other directories to aspire too. Do you know any other that have successfully monetized and offered results to their clients?
@rohanrecommends I interviewed Janu and he mentioned some revenue but it is not his main source of income. He builds MVPs. :) https://x.com/JanuBuilds And John Rush is an advocate for directories. I can see many people creating directories but it is hard to say which are profitable :)
Hey Nika!
Yes, directories can indeed be profitable; however, their profitability is contingent upon a multitude of parameters.
These include the sector in which they operate, the extent of their outreach, their positioning on platforms such as Google, and their domain authority ranking.
To determine whether directories are profitable, it is essential to consider what the paying clients are seeking. The answer to this inquiry inherently elucidates many of the factors that underpin the performance of directories.
Me and my friend curate some open-source directories lists:
Best AI Directories: An awesome list of best top AI directories
Directory of Directories : a list of directory lists
@dariubs I can see that these are open-source and you currate them. But suppose that you didn't monetise them. Or?
@busmark_w_nika They are free resources for community, not for profit.
anyone can add their directory and its accessible for everyone for free!
It is still relevant, as long as there is a great SEO in place, quality backlinks, and drives millions of impressions from search engines. The directories are the fundamental network of links or resources of the internet and are influenced by the same users. I see a growing trend of these directories in various domains.
I recently met a guy who creates some trending graphs and his site had a few hundred pages in some form of directory and it was getting him 25-30M impressions and 1-2M organic clicks per month.
i reckon pretty much anything can be made into a money making and profitable biz. though it depends how much effort you're willing to put into getting traction.
there are a lot of directories out there but many are pretty useless - they're around for a short period of time and then stop being maintained. so I think the path is pretty clear and it's a question of how much you're willing to put into making it into something that's profitable
Hey Nika! :)
Yes, directories can be profitable — think $1K-$10K/month.
Monetize via paid listings ($50-$500/year), ads, subscriptions, or affiliates. Pick a tight niche, nail SEO, and be the most comprehensive + curated.