Setting Up A Directory: My Adventures

[Simon]

Hiya Kristian

I didn't know you before, but it's nice to have you here now.

This thread is one that I hope will be with us a long time. Like you, I've tried almost every part of the adult online biz over the years. For me it was TGPs and LLs that I hadn't really done much with until now.

I recently took an old domain (www.xratedtv.com) and converted it into what will become a site that lists both free movie sites and movie galleries. I agree that using an older domain can give you a little jump on things. You can see these two Google searches for direct evidence that it's worth using old domains when you can. The new site was at #2 for both of these searches when I posted this:
x-rated porn movies and x-rated porn videos

Right now my XRT site only has sponsor movie galleries, as I practice learning some of the back end, so it's easy to call it a general MGP. I'm not sure exactly what the correct term for it will be when it has both free movie sites and movie galleries in its listings. I don't guess the surfers will care much though, as long as they find things they like there every time they visit.

I'm about ready to begin the LL additions for my XRT site, and I'm adding a blog there too, which is also something new for me. So this thread could not come at at better time as far as I'm concerned. I know I'll learn a lot from the more experienced posters here, and I'll be happy to contribute any interesting, corroborating, or contradictory evidence I uncover in my own site development as you move along with your project.

All good wishes for much success!


Simon

P.S. I have a few other old domains that I'm looking at for a TGP (photos+movies) and for some pure LL+blog combinations. I wouldn't be surprised if this thread inspires me to move a little faster on at least one of those.

[kristian]

Originally Posted by Simon

Hiya Kristian

I didn't know you before, but it's nice to have you here now.

This thread is one that I hope will be with us a long time. Like you, I've tried almost every part of the adult online biz over the years. For me it was TGPs and LLs that I hadn't really done much with until now.

I recently took an old domain (www.xratedtv.com) and converted it into what will become a site that lists both free movie sites and movie galleries. I agree that using an older domain can give you a little jump on things. You can see these two Google searches for direct evidence that it's worth using old domains when you can. The new site was at #2 for both of these searches when I posted this:
x-rated porn movies and x-rated porn videos

Right now my XRT site only has sponsor movie galleries, as I practice learning some of the back end, so it's easy to call it a general MGP. I'm not sure exactly what the correct term for it will be when it has both free movie sites and movie galleries in its listings. I don't guess the surfers will care much though, as long as they find things they like there every time they visit.

I'm about ready to begin the LL additions for my XRT site, and I'm adding a blog there too, which is also something new for me. So this thread could not come at at better time as far as I'm concerned. I know I'll learn a lot from the more experienced posters here, and I'll be happy to contribute any interesting, corroborating, or contradictory evidence I uncover in my own site development as you move along with your project.

All good wishes for much success!


Simon

P.S. I have a few other old domains that I'm looking at for a TGP (photos+movies) and for some pure LL+blog combinations. I wouldn't be surprised if this thread inspires me to move a little faster on at least one of those.

Hey Simon

Great post and great to know you dude!

That example is certainly helping to make up my mind. And about the blog. I'm a firm believer in that being an excellent seo strategy. It doesn't matter what I do (well, almost), I like to put a blog on a subdomain. A few minutes a day is well worth it. If you get too many blogs you can also outsource it to labor for about 4 bucks an article, although I know purists hate that approach.

Since we're in similar boats this should be good. A bit like an exam revision club back in school, comparing answers, asking questions. Oh yes, I was one of those geeks. |shocking|

[MrYum]

Another vote for movielinklist.com here...sweet domain name

The other domain...mrsmovies.com definitely has a nice ring to it too. Perhaps a secondary project as a for women movies only link list. The for women market is still under developed...could be a sweet and profitable niche site

I'd also suggest not going cheap on hosting. I've tried it twice over the years...it ended up sucking both times. About the last thing you want to be dealing with when trying to launch and grow a site is hosting problems.

[kristian]

Originally Posted by MrYum

Another vote for movielinklist.com here...sweet domain name

The other domain...mrsmovies.com definitely has a nice ring to it too. Perhaps a secondary project as a for women movies only link list. The for women market is still under developed...could be a sweet and profitable niche site

I'd also suggest not going cheap on hosting. I've tried it twice over the years...it ended up sucking both times. About the last thing you want to be dealing with when trying to launch and grow a site is hosting problems.

I think MovieLinkList.com is going to be the winner. Ye I love MrsMovies and the idea for women-only niche is killer. I'd considered it for a mature niche but am far more excited at the porn for women niche now you mention it. Something for the future!

I've hosted with http://www.atcihosting.com/ for a while now. Never had any problems or downtime and the owner, Chris, always makes himself available on icq.

[kristian]

The Niche

So the niche will be movies. I feel there's still enough of a gap in the market to make entry feasible. The possibility of a niche movie site was brought up by Greenguy. I decided last night I will definitely setup a niche movie list, but not with this project. I'm worried about content and I know, by the time I'm ready to do a niche movie list, there will be more than enough movie free sites in every niche.

Domain Name Choice

Choosing a domain is always what slows up my projects. There are just so many questions. SEO questions alone number dozens and no one can ever agree on the right answers.

The agreement in seo is that the google algorithm places less emphasis on keywords and can, for some time now, parse keywords in domains. Branding and brandable domains are becoming the choice. Of course it would be nice to own keyword(dot)com or even keywordkeyword(dot)com but these usually aren't available. Far more important (correct me if I'm wrong) than keywords in domains are title tags, keyword density, and relevant backlinks, among other things.

In choosing my domain for this project, I'm looking for something brandable (therefore, easy to remember) and containing at least one of my keywords / phrases: movies, movie, porn movie, porn movies, free movies, free porn movies, so on.

The Domain

My top choice right now is MovieLinkList.com. I own the variations on this one and have owned it for 2 years come this August.

It has movie in the title which is ok and I'm thinking it's a fairly easy to remember, descriptive name. My only reservation is that it has nothing to denote it being adult in the name. However, this isn't really that important. TimsMovies(dot)com doesn't exactly scream hardcore mpegs.

The shortlisted domains are :

MrsMovies.com
MovieFreeSites.com
MoviePornSites.com
PornMovieEngine.com
PornMoviesEngine.com
PlayMyPorn.com
PornMovieDirectory.com
PornMoviesDirectory.com

Summary

Will go with a general movie link list, probably using the domain MovieLinkList.com.

Now why couldn't I have just written that??? lol

[kristian]

I'm going to post all my domain costs as soon as I finish buying them. I plan to use the domains I don't use for this project as feeders for the main site. One or two might even be fit for a future niche link list.

Here are the registrars I would recommend:

Name Cheap

This is where I've been registering most my domains lately. Only $8.88 per (dot)com and they have a solid rep.

Direct Nic

15 bucks per (dot)com but perhaps the most solid rep around.

I wont recommend this one to you :

Godaddy

A lot of webmaster on this forum have had major problems with this registrar. This is why I wont recommend them. Personally, I've never had a problem, but this doesn't mean one isn't around the corner. I have MovieLinkList.com with Godaddy and I'm considering transfering it to name cheap or direct nic. Advice appreciated.