ken_b - 9:06 pm on Dec 6, 2004 (gmt 0)

In the "User Reviews and Local Search Optimization" thread I asked...

how large a role do you see for niche directories?

Chicago responded with

...my short answer is there is a role, especially for geo-vertical specialists that can aggregate rich meta data. this is something that the majors will be seeking over time and in many cases buying.

As a casual observation it seems to me that this is a two way street, if I am even close to a modest understanding of the issues.

Going one way, from the niche directory user review to the local search results, there may be a significant opportunity for the local serps to be influenced by the user reviews found in a finely tuned, widely used, well respected, niche directory.

If that's the case, then maybe the finer the tuning (the narrower the niche) the better. By narrowing the niche, it seems reasonable to think that there is greater likelyhood of being considered an authority, because of the limited scope.

From the other direction, local serps to niche directory, the more often you manage to be cited as a reference, the more likely the niche directory will be accepted as an authority.

This sounds like a win/win deal to me.

But then I'm just beginning to explore the possibilties.