Aviva Directories Blog

Many webmasters out there are fighting to pull pages of their websites out of Google’s supplemental index.  So, I got a good chuckle when I saw this song:

Well since my rankings left me,
I found a new place to dwell.
It’s out of the real index
in supplemental hell.

This is part of Search Engine People’s new SEO Lyric Contest.  If you think you can write better SEO lyrics than that, give the contest a whirl, and you could end up winning $1,000.  I thought that this was a fresh and innovative SEO contest and I look forward to seeing the entries.

Do a great job, as you might have some stiff competition from Jim Boykin’s crew, whose SEO company has an official Internet Marketing song.

Thanks to everyone for voting. The remaining contest winners are:

Best Free Template Trinity TemplateBest Content

Ewebpages Directory

Congratulations to the winners! Please contact me about collecting your prizes.

There was one of the most interesting votes that I have ever seen for winner of the February 2007 Directory Contest.

There is a clear winner for the best designed directory – and that is Forplex Directory. 

There was a pretty stiff competition in the mods category between the Link Forever Sponsor Mod and the Directory Spy Pagerank Update Tool. But the Pagerank Update Tool won.

Congratulations to the winners!  To claim your prizes, you can contact me.  Please send me your paypal address as well as information for the directory listings and contextual links.  Given the large number of directory listings, I suggest include several alternate titles and descriptions.  Same goes for the contextual links.

In the other two categories, there was a tie.  In the templates category it was a 4-way tie!  I think that the best way of dealing with this is to hold a run off vote.  Having 4 people share a prize seemed a bit much to me.

Similarly, in the category for directory with the best content, there was also a tie.  There will also be a run off vote for this.

The 4 top free templates are:
Trinity Temple Template
Swirlmix Template
Pakistan Template
Black Carroty Template

The 2 top directories with the best content are:
Ask Directory – custom description service (example) + unique category structure + unique descriptions for all listings (copyscape tested).
Ewebpages Directory – unique category structure and editor added authoritative sites (example).

I will start a run off vote for both categories at the phplinkdirectory forum immediately:  here.

Voting will close Monday, March 5, 2007 at noon EST (= GMT – 5 hours).

For voting on the free templates, you can indicate a first and second choice.  If there is a tie, the second choices will be used to break the tie.

Good luck to the remaining contestants!

Yesterday I reported that a corrupt DMOZ editor was buying votes in order to win the February 2007 Phpld Directory of the Month competition.  As a result, I disqualified his entries.  He responded, and I quote:

“Lol show me the rule where it says ” No buying votes ” , i will let you go with that, do you how politics really operates ? You think politicians campaign most of the time ? Nope they buy voters too, its the truth but since you cannot realize that its cool good luck with competition.

Next time IMHO right better rules for contests and votes.”

The rules clearly state:

“All decisions made by me are final and not subject to appeal.”

So doing this is well within the ambit of the rules. For instance, I also didn’t make a rule: “you can’t kill off your competitors” but certain things are understood in a civilized society.

I’ll pass on commenting about this editor’s command of the English language.

More importantly, I note that DMOZ’ rules do not state that you are forbidden from bribing an editor.  According to this DMOZ editor’s logic, therefore bribing editors is permitted.  Now you have it from the horse’s mouth.

I have had to disqualify two directories and two templates from the February PhpLD Directory of the Month Contest.  The disqualified entries are:

From best designed directory:
1. H-log
2. Sbclansite

From best free template:
1. City Theme
2. Soothing Blue

The grounds for this is that the owner of these directories and templates has offered a 3 months featured listing in his directories for anyone who votes for him.  This is vote buying at its most basic, crass level and not something I can tolerate.

Ironically, the owner of these directories and templates is a DMOZ editor.  And one of these directories is actually listed in DMOZ (quaere whether this has anything to do with the fact that it is owned by a DMOZ editor when lots of quality directories just do not get listed there).

In a further twist of irony, the owner of these directories has cast himself into a role of a reformer to DMOZ.  He has set up alternative forums in this regard.

Corruption at DMOZ must run deep if the reformers themselves are this corrupt.

The winners of the Official February 2006 PhpLD Directory Contest have a number of new prizes to look forward to!  In addition to all the prizes previously listed, the winner of each category will also get:

1.  A featured link on each of Biz Giant‘s network of 28 directories.  I know the name of about 20 of them, but I lost track after that…

2.  A featured link on Richie’s Lively Web Directory.

3.  A featured link on Best Free Web Directory.

In short, as of now, the winner of each category will get 43 quality links to their website + $100 cash.  That’s a heck of a good prize!

Update:  Matthew has generously donated $50 to the winner of the best designed directory, as well as a featured link at Magx Directory to the winner of all categories.

Is your directory the coolest on the web? How about the free template you designed? Well, then enter the Official February 2007 PhpLD Directories of the Month Contest for a chance to win $1,500 in prizes.

At the end of the month, there will be voting to select the winners in each of the following 4 categories:

1. Best designed directory;

2. Best designed free template;

3. Best mod on a directory; and

4. Best content on a directory.

Prizes 

Each category winner receives $375 worth of prizes, including:

1. $100 cash via paypal.

2. A featured listing in Aviva Directory (worth $75).

3. A featured listing in Sevenseek (worth $100).

4. $100 worth of contextual blog links from V7n Contextual Links.

Here are the official rules and regulations:

1. All directories, templates, mods and content must be for a phpLD directory.

2. The definition of a mod is at my sole discretion.

3. Normal editorial standards apply for listings in Aviva Directory and Sevenseek.

4. Normal acceptance standards apply for obtaining links from V7n Contextual Links.

5. All decisions made by me are final and not subject to appeal.

6. Contest void where prohibited by law.

7. Liability is limited to providing the prizes announced.

8. If prize winners cannot be reached in 30 days, the prize is forfeited.

9. Any taxes are the sole responsibility of the winner.

10. Previous phpld directory of the month winners are not permitted to enter.

Nominations and Voting 

Nominations for the contest open immediately and close at 5.00 p.m. EST (= GMT – 5 hours) on Friday, February 23, 2007. Nominations must be made in the official thread at phpLD forums. You can nominate as many directories and templates as you wish, and may nominate your own directories or templates.

There won’t be a bunch of stuffy judges choosing the winners – but the community will vote.

Voting for the contest opens at 10.00 a.m. EST on Monday, February 26, 2007 and closes at noon EST on Wednesday, February 28, 2007. Voters must be members of the phpLD forums prior to February 26, 2007.  The official voting thread will be announced.

Update:  Just an updated: smub has generously donated a featured listing to all 4 winners at Genuine Paid Directory.

Further Update:  There are more prizes to be won!

The goal of Directory Contest is to find out which directories are the best by offering them a chance to prove it in search engine rankings.

Directories can enter the contest just by linking to the official website with directorycontest.com as the link title. The first 10 directories that show up in Google for directorycontest.com search term on February 6th 2007 will win prizes. Simple as that!

If you want to find out more visit official tread on Digital Point. Also check out sponsors and prizes. You can track live results on Google.

Update: Prize for winner of contest increased. Forplex Directory added 500$, so now first prize is 2000$, second 400$ and third 200$.

Top sponsors are:  Aviva Directory – 1000$, Forplex Directory – 500$ and Bloggeries – 350$

With a total of 228 votes case, the winners of best designed directories contest are:

1. Wow Directory – 76 of 228 votes(33%)

2. Eonte Directory – 67 of 228 votes(29%)

3. Abifind – 29 of 228 votes(13%)

Congratulations to winners!

After many hours of investigation and with the help of many webmaster forums members, we have a list of nominations for the Best Designed Directory Ever. Choosing directories for this competition was very hard, but we gave it our best shot, hoping to get the best possible candidates.

Rules:

1. This is competition based only on looks, and all other factors are ignored. Please vote based on design only.

2. You are allowed to vote only ones per ip address and for one directory only.

3. Voting will end in 10 days from time of this post.

Nominations (sorted by alphabetical order):

1. Abifind

2. All media

3. Bay engine

4. Best dirs

5. Edge level

6. Eonte

7. Umdum

8. v7n

9. Webtopia

10. Wow directory

Edit: Voting is now over.

I decided to start a competition for the top 10 directory designs ever. Getting the right picture about this is not easy to do but I want you to help me get as best as possible one.

Here are some basic competition rules:

1. Ten directories will be chosen.

2. All of them will be listed in public poll.

3. Everybody is allowed to vote ones in public poll. One vote is one point.

You are invited to suggest nominations here in comments or in public forums treads at:

Digital Point forums

Vilesilencer forums

PHP Link Directory forums

If you are not member on any of these forums, you should be.

P.S. I would like to say thanks to the creator of Dirten – directory showcase gallery, for his effort that helps this topic.

Update

After I read many treads on this topic at Digitalpoint forums, I saw many people suggesting their own directories which use free templates (this is not a best template competition), directories that are popular and have high Google pagerank (this is also not a most popular directory competition) and directories owned by their friends.

The point of this competition is not about getting popularity, links or raising profits of some directory owners. It is just about looks and I want to see the real picture.

I decided to do some deeper research and come up with 10 nominated designs myself. I don’t consider myself some kind of expert or something, but I want this to work and there is no other possible way to do it.  I will not nominate any of designs I made (I made a few) because I think that wouldn’t be fair.

I already have a few directories in mind and will let you know when I come up with the top 10. After that it is up to you to decide who the winner is.

First, thanks to all Digitalpoint and PHP Link Directory Forums members for suggesting directories for my top 10 designs list. Congratulations to all who made it to this list. I am sorry for not including other good looking directories but hey it is top 10 only.

Ok, enough talk. Let’s see the list.

1. BayEngine.com – Great look and feel, number one with no doubt.

2. AllMediaDirectory.com – Outstanding icons and simplicity lauched this directory to place number 2.

3.  UrlShack.com – simple and pleasant design with a very cool color scheme

4. AllTheLink.com – Nice liquid layout with tabbed navigation

5. iPage.info – Very nice organisation of elements, but a little too orange. Anyway, the owner promised to put more colors, so let’s believe him and give him place number 5.

6. AliveDirectory.com – one of most famous directories couldn’t avoid this list. If this list was made 6 months ago I am sure it would be number 1, but with new competition and considering the age of this design I had to place it at number 6.

7. SubmitUrlHere.com – an interesting blue design, which could be much better with some very small modifications.

8. ActiveWebLinks.com – lots of mods integrated into the design.

9. Enono.net – nice liquid design with 3 columns of categories and good adsense implementation.

10. WebSortings.com – cool looking but “punished” for implementing free template with no categories decoration.

This list was made based on my personal opinion influenced by few other people, so it shouldn’t be considered the ultimate truth. If you have anything to say – go for it.