Is It Possible To Outrank Yelp and Patch?

[Planet13]

Hi there, Everyone:

I am thinking of starting a directory for some local businesses, but before I start, am wondering about the likelihood of being able to outrank sites like Yelp and Patch?

I intend to bring more value to both the business owner and the end user, but that won't happen unless there is significant user input. Hence, will need to be able to outrank those two major directories.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to do this?

One major question I have is whether I can have a general domain name such as "widget-resources.tld" or whether to be able to compete, I am going to need a very precise location-based name (such as "widget-resources-los-angeles.tld") in order to compete against them.

Would a state-wide domain name such as "widget-resources-california.tld" versus "widget-resources-los-angeles.tld"

Or would a more encompassing name like just "widget-resources.tld" be a viable option? I do plan to have listings for several major cities across the US.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you might have.

[tedster]

I think you need to use brandname.com if you hope to compete in this space against the big boys. Why? because the SEO will be mostly about user signals. If you are starting with only a few sities, go with subdomains (a la Craigslist).

Your challenge will be building and preserving value from the start - and that means you cannot be open to exploitation of any kind, positive or negative. Technically sound site construction from the get-go will be important, yes, but traditional technical SEO alone will not win this kind of battle, IMO.

But with the right business model, yes I do think you can outrank Yelp and Patch... eventually. (Patch probably a lot sooner than Yelp).

[Planet13]

Thanks for the reply, tedster.

"Your challenge will be building and preserving value from the start..."

Ahh... that's the rub. It is easy to provide more value for the business owners (the sites that will be listed in the directory), but finding value for the end users might be the main challenge...