UK Directory

offer's galore

[tigger]

Just had UK Directory on the phone offering a once only available deal to be included in the printed directory & website for £4000 p/a well don't know about you but I'm grabbing my credit card as I type this

I've never even come across one of there directories in my news agents not unless it's hid on the top shelf and like all good little boys my eye's never look above the internet section ;)

[vis]

Haven't looked at it for a while but it used to be quite prominent in the newsies. I thought that everyone who was in the website directory was included in the print directory, I presume you're talking advertising but I don't imagine that their ABC figures are amazing.

I'll expect a call from them this afternoon (I always get the loons pushing their once only, last-minute ad deals- esp towards the end of the month.)

[oldtimer]

I saw a copy yesterday in WH Smith.

I too thought it was an automatic entry for those in the net directory. I wonder if that means the free submit is not going to be for long.

[Videoman]

My initial reaction was not to laugh too loud and wake my BT Internet connection up ;) but then I stopped, thought and reflected on this sensational offer.

Spare a thought for those who take up this offer and part with their £4000. A Sunday night appeal or perhaps a charity concert - either way life in Britain has never been the same since the introduction of care in the community. I blame Virginia Bottomley!

[sugarkane]

On a similar subject, I've just had a meeting with a rep from a fairly prominent local directory. The traffic they might generate would be negligible, but I'm wondering if the £1000 a year they charge for a 60 word text ad (my text) + link would be worth doing just for linkpop / pagerank reasons?

Any thoughts?

[tigger]

£1000 far too rich IMHO. even more so for local directory

If I was looking to spend that amount of money I would spend it the following way

1 yahoo
2 looksmart
3 inktomi pages (pt)
4 what's left over put the balance into uk.goto bids

[georged]

Interesting. Just got an e-mail off them, part of it reads thus:
"As a member of our online directory search engine, we would like to inform you that our printed monthly magazine is now in colour for classified advertising.
We are currently running some special offers which will guarantee you a presence for 12 months for as little as £4 a month."
Seems they have large price discrepancies. I don't recall seeing the magazine either.

[sugarkane]

>I would spend it the following way

Good ideas, but I've already done them :)

It's the ability to put my own content in the ad text / anchor text that interests me - I can basically make it a very relevant incoming link from a site with reasonable 'authority'.

[tigger]

it would be interesting to see what readership the magizine get's, but my own gut feeling would be low, as let's face it why pay for a magazine when you can surf and look for free.

sugarkane

>site with reasonable 'authority'

How many people in the UK use this directory, ask some of your friends that surf if they have ever heard of it, I'm pretty sure not many would have.

[sugarkane]

tigger,
I'm not really interested in how much traffic I get from the listing in itself.

What effect might a quality listing (ie keyword loaded) in a UK directory have on ranking in the UK engines that take link quality into account?

This is of particular interest to me now, with the trend towards forcing UK users to the UK versions of international engines.

[Videoman]

The email says
"The Magazine is distributed nationally through stores such as WHSmith, J Sainsbury, PC World, Safeways, Menzies, Asda and most good newsagents."
"Guaranteeing a presence in the magazine costs as little as £48.00 a year."
Might phone them next week to see what you get for the other £3952.00

Sugarkane, I would question the wisdom of parting with a grand for a local directory....toooooo many paper ones came and went. In Essex there are at least a dozen B2B general and wedding directories and they are all ZTG's (Zero traffic generators)

For a thousand pounds I'd want top billing in Yahoo and a makeover on Richard and Judy ;)

[engine]

FYI, according their figures, the circulation of the directory is 55,000 nationally.

[tigger]

I would say nationally that's quite low, certainly doesn't make me think the 4k fee is a good value for money

[engine]

Actually, 55,000 is quite reasonable volume in relation to other high street magazines like the PC press. It's low in relation to the national daily papers.

I'm going to clarify the details of the offer mentioned and will report back.

[engine]

Sounds like there may be a misunderstanding.
I have the advertising rates here and I suspect the £4000 being quoted is for full page, full colour display advertising.
A highlighted listing in the printed publication is £ 12.00 per issue. For 12-issues that's only £144

Hope that's clarifed the situation.

If anyone wants a copy of the rates, send me a StickyMail.

[vis]

I had two e-mails in one day from UK Directory- almost split my sides.

One offering advertising from:
'as little as £4 a month'

Another offering for:
'as little as £48.00 a year'

Which do you think is the best deal?

[engine]

hehe - neither!

[oldtimer]

I've had those too, have you got a coin?! They must be getting desparate.

I'm glad to notice - after several months, they've had a major update of their database in the last few weeks - I didn't notice exactly when.