Joe Ant

has anyone read the fine print

[Hollyana]

I just posted a clients site for $39 to Joe Ant..and just read the fine print...the $39.00 that an orgaization pays to get listed is just for a URL review. It is of no gaurenttee to get listed!..............Read the fine print before you post to joe ant...thats just sooooooooooooooooooooo misleading!

[Philosopher]

That is actually quite common and you will find almost every directory that charges for submissions has a similar policy.

[Dayo_UK]

Yes, it is very very very common.

Stops the spam and other wasters of time a bit.

[martinibuster]

That's not fine print. Nor is there anything misleading there.
The disclosure is printed in normal size, bolded, and red. JoeAnt couldn't make their policy more obvious unless they came over to your house, strapped you down on the floor, and tattooed it on your head.

[edited by: martinibuster at 7:36 pm (utc) on Sep. 12, 2005]

[Frequent]

At least your only risking $39 instead of a few hundred (like Yahoo!) with no guarantees.

Granted if you have a quality, useful site you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

Freq---

[oddsod]

Hollyana, welcome to WW. A few years ago I would have been suspicious of an agreement with those terms. I'd still be suspicious of such an agreement off-line. However, with directories, as others have stated, that's pretty much standard nowadays. I wouldn't worry too much about it if I were you.

[cabowabo]

thats just sooooooooooooooooooooo misleading!

Has anyone here had a site denied a listing from Joe Ant? I never have and would be surprised if a professional SEO/SEM has. I believe directories put that in there to protect themselves legally from the spammers.

Cheers,

CaboWabo

[aratso]

Do you find it useful to be in Joe Ant? Does it drive traffic?

What directories are worth being in, in your opinions?

[graywolf]

Just asking the painfully obvious, why would you submit a site that's even slightly questionable, to a paid hand reviewed directory? Turn the bad stuff off, submit it get it approved, and then put on your sombrero de negro. I even have my adsense turned off when I submit to hand directories.

[larryhatch]

Dumb question here: Lets say joeant lists your site(s).

I can't recall any referrals from joeant, so I looked up my main keywords,
a 2-word phrase (ufo related). No listing, so bingo! no referrals of course.

What I did see was 19 listings (Google provides about 19 kazillion), and most were off topic!
I mean I saw everything from butterflies, to bird-watching, to bigfoot sightings.

The dumb question is: what do you get for your $39 assuming you get listed?
I can't imagine John Q. Public going to JA to look something up or to find anything.

Is it just the paid link? At least its above board if so.
Do the SEs even count openly paid links?
I must be missing something here. What is it? -Larry

(edit: fixed minor typo -LH)

[martinibuster]

>>>I can't recall any referrals from joeant

Who uses DMOZ? I have never met a non-webmaster who had heard of DMOZ, much less use it. Nevertheless, I do receive traffic from DMOZ and JoeAnt, so there are people out there who are using JoeAnt and DMOZ.

Who uses Excite? Imagine my surprise not long ago to see a corporate executive using Excite. I felt like I'd found a missing link. I asked him a bunch of questions probing the reasons why he was using Excite and not Google like the rest of the world.

In a world that defaults to Google without thinking about it, it does seem weird when people search in other places other than Google, so I can understand the reason for your question- as I ask the same thing too when I spot it. But people do use Excite and JoeAnt and DMOZ.

[larryhatch]

Hi Martini: I get a very few DMOZ referrals, don't know how or why.
Even Excite or Looksmart once in a long while. It reminds me of home delivered milk.

What did the biz exec say when you asked him about his use of Excite?
Was it something right out of a Dilbert cartoon? Just curious. -Larry

[pmkpmk]

Become an editor in Joe Ant and list your own site. They even encourage this practice, having the philosophy that some of those editors probably stay longer and list other sites too.

[Angelis]

You can become an editor at Joe Ant fairly easily. Well worth the time you spend for saving $39 everytime you submit. Ive been an editor there for about 3 years now.

In general hardly any sites are disallowed, just make sure you read the TOS before you submit and you will be fine.

[vabtz]

Become an editor.

However beware, some of the senior editors there are very impatient & nasty and the FAQ was flat out wrong last time I read it.

My personal issues with some of the peiople there aside:
- JoeAnt is the only directory I personally have evern gotten traffic from
- They actually will list your site provided its not a pile of spam poo.
- They actually go through the list and review sites submitted. ( Unlike the Directory the Shall not be named )
- They can be very proactive about feedback and listings.

If your site is an affiliate merchant site with little or no content of its own your going to probably have to pay.

[ronin100]

I get referrals from JoeAnt all the time. Not many sales, but most importantly, they show up in my backlinks too! Just a note: be sure you have easily available (easy to find) contact info. Must haves are email, telephone, and address. No subdomains is a no no also, and try for the most targeted page also. They are very good at adding sites otherwise.

[Frequent]

Just curious, but does Joeant serve different content based on IP location or something? I realize the directory is not as old as the big D but it seems to be pretty empty. I would have expected at least some listings in every category. Their search function brings up a good number of listings for any search but I can't seem to find most of them in the actual directory when looking under the appropriate heading.

Freq---

[adeel shahid]

I think these web directories must be give money back garanattee if your site doesn't get approved. What do you guys think.