💎 5 profitable directory ideas

Directories are those classic ideas that are easy to build but hard to grow and hard to (seriously) monetize.

To do it right, there are 4 critical factors.

Find a topic with:

1. significant search demand so you have organic traffic

2. low competition so you can rank on top in google search results

3. enough related keywords so you can get more organic traffic

4. B2B focus so it is easier to monetize (bigger budget/bigger affiliate %/lower price sensitivity)

With the help of Build The Keyword, I found 5 B2B directory ideas. Let’s go.

PS: new free Build The Keyword challenge starting next week

• Monthly search volume: 9,900

• Keyword difficulty: 15

• Product idea: Create a directory website that catalogues and compares various alternatives to (gigantic/expensive) DocuSign. The directory would include detailed information on each alternative, such as features, pricing, user reviews, and integration capabilities.

• Monetization: Affiliate links, companies paying for premium listings for enhanced visibility in the directory (top of search results, highlighted, more detailed information) and companies paying for sponsored content (in-depth articles that showcase product more, newsletter boost, …)

• Monthly search volume: 1,600

• Keyword difficulty: 11

• Product idea: Create a directory website showcasing the top fintech companies across various categories such as payments, lending, insurtech, blockchain, and personal finance. The directory should offer detailed company profiles, including founding date, funding rounds, notable investors, core

• Monetization: Offer fintech companies the option to upgrade their listing to a premium profile. This could include features like enhanced visibility in search results, the ability to add videos, more detailed metrics and growth data, and direct contact information for potential partners or investors. Implement a tiered pricing structure based on the level of enhancement and duration of the premium listing.

• Monthly search volume: 22,200

• Keyword difficulty: 7

• Product idea: create a directory of executive summary examples across various industries and document types. The platform could include a smart search function allowing users to filter. Each example comes with annotations highlighting best practices and explaining why certain elements work well.

• Monetization: Offer basic access to a limited number of examples for free and a one-time fee for full acces, offer your writing services or offer customizable templates or an AI-powered tool that helps users craft their own executive summaries based on the best examples in the directory.

• Monthly search volume: 18100

• Keyword difficulty: 14

• Product idea: Create an online directory that helps parents locate gyms, fitness centers, and exercise classes that offer childcare services. The platform allows users to search by location, type of fitness activity and age ranges accommodated. Each listing includes detailed information about the facility.

• Monetization: Allow fitness centers to pay for enhanced visibility and promotional spots in search results.

• Monthly search volume: 8100

• Keyword difficulty: 19

• Product idea: create an online directory of software tools for interior decorators.

• Monetization: Affiliate Partnerships and Commission-based Referrals and Sponsored Listings (for example: Tool of The Month)

So after you found that untapped keyword that ticks all the boxes, it’s rather simple:

1. Build a directory (Tip: Unicorn Platform is great)

2. Optimize it for the keyword (include the keyword in the meta title, meta description, H1, H2, alt text of images, …)

3. Create more pages around the related keywords

4. Setup an analytics tool (Tip: Simple Analytics is great to start for free)

5. Setup Google Search Console

6. Get mentions on other websites (=backlinks) so Google knows your website can be trusted

7. Wait for traffic to flow in

Search your own untapped keyword

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