Last year around this time, I took the plunge for the Yahoo Directory – paying my $299 review fee. I was reviewed and added here: http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/U_S__States/Illinois/Cities/Aurora/Real_Estate/
Since then, I can honestly say, the amount of traffic I have received from being listed has been minor – likely in the single digits. For many webmasters, the dilema of the Yahoo directory is obvious. $300 is somewhat expensive – one of the highest review fees out there and it’s annual too. Many webmasters measure the benefit of a directory by direct traffic – it’s farily well-known that the SEO aspect of many of them have been reduced over the years. However, there are a few that still generate some benefit – including the Yahoo Directory. However, when it comes down to it, is the benefit worth the cost?
For now, I am fairly content to continue paying the fee. I justify it by thinking of how much I pay every time I send out a mailing – $299 per year is a drop in the bucket compared to some of the costs of print advertising. In the future, I might review this decision and if there are better options out there, I may choose to discontinue my membership – only time will tell.