How many links is enough?

In relation to niche directory

[penfold25]

Ive got some a niche search engine directory up and running.
When do you think it is enough to start offering link backs, because you have to remember a directory is a continuous update.

10,000?
1,000?

when each catergory and subdirectory , has at least 10 links? 20 links?

Just an estimate would be a nice because i already know it would depend on some factors , but some feedback would be appreciated.

[jeremy goodrich]

For a niche directory, it really depends on the topic - try to cover every angle on the widgets your directory covers.

If you have all the angles as far as categories & links, then I would say add some 'extras' that will set yours even further apart (and perhaps give you a 'viral edge' with the web savvy crowd):

RSS feed
Widget News
Widget discussion list (email or forum based)

I'm sure other folks could chime in with more, but regarding the above, only tackle those once you have all the angles on your widgets covered. Then, add one feature at a time, taking care to 1) make it exciting 2) make it usable.

Very few directories get it 'so right' that they blow away the competition, take your time in getting all the parts in place, the links, the categories, and the killer features - then, trust me, it may take some time, but you will become the biggest & most trusted source for all the information joe user could want about 'widgets' ;)

[penfold25]

What you mean by RSS feed? N

[jeremy goodrich]

Type of specialized XML output - for site news, etc ;) that you can sydicate to other sites for extra exposure.

[penfold25]

I am getting a mod re write done so www.widget.com/search.php?directory 4 is www.widget.com/widget1/

Its very hard work doing it alone, poor gigablast and searchippo, but i guess its easier having a spider.

[jeremy goodrich]

>>>gigablast & searchhippo

Those are search engines and it sounds like you are creating a directory two totally different beasts ;) with their own sets of unique & fun challenges.

[penfold25]

Yes, but i do not want to be a link directory at all.
I actually intend to be a niche search engine directory because i have given full descriptions, keywords and titles to my links.

how does google take directory links, if it crawls all my directory, will they i got proper PR?

I was hoping maybe one day a search engine could use my data.

[jeremy goodrich]

>>>Ive got some a niche search engine directory up and running.
When do you think it is enough to start offering link backs, because you have to remember a directory is a continuous update.

I guess I must be confused -> your first post, and the description of your post, sounded like you were creating categories, sub categories, and links within those categories to other websites.

That is a directory.

A search engine doesn't necessarily have categories, and links to sub categories that you can browse through - a web search engine is simply an application that crawls the web, builds an index based on the data, and then serves up links to sites based on user query.

Then you said, "I was hoping one day a search engine could use my data..." that sounds like you want to be a directory. Search engines, generally, don't index other search engines databases, unless it happens by accident, and then usually, they filter out the other engines search results over time from their results - because it doesn't really help a surfer, if every time they click a link in one search engine -> they simply get to the result set from another search engine. :) That would make for a very frustrating web experience...