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Today’s issue is sponsored by Sure Thing. It used to be that if you wanted to grow your company, it meant growing your team, your system and your expenses. Now, you can run your entire company with agents and a small team. It’s important to pick the right tool. I like SureThing.io. It has all kinds of automations for content, marketing, landing pages, sales, and more. That’s how you more than double you and/or your team’s productivity while only spending $30-$200 extra per month. What a time to be alive. Sign up here: https://surething.io/ When ChatGPT was launched, everyone told me that my directory business was finished. I will admit, I did not know what was going to happen. But even through all that uncertainty, I had a feeling that people would still want third party resources for local businesses. AI is not going to stop people from walking through the doors of shops, car mechanics, dentists, mental health facilities, and every other brick and mortar business. I am happy to report that my directories are doing better than ever. Today, I will break down some of the numbers and try to convince you why you should start your own directory as well. LFG. 🔥 How To Build A Great Business Directory That Generates TrafficGenerating traffic to a directory through SEO is actually quite simple. Keep in mind, simple and easy are not the same thing, but the concept is straightforward. The trick is to ask yourself a simple question. If I were a person looking for “insert business type here”, what kind of information would I be looking for? For example, if I were looking for the best local ice cream shops, I would probably want to see:
If you want Google to rank your directory for search terms like “best ice cream shops in Denver,” you simply have to provide that exact information. Google wants to send traffic to the websites that best answer the search query. Google’s entire business depends on giving people appropriate answers to their problems. It really is that simple. Create a directory that solves problems, and the organic traffic will follow. Why Directories Are Monetizing More Than EverThis is not speculation, this is data. I will be the first person to tell you that AI overviews, ChatGPT search, and Perplexity have impacted search. Media websites like news outlets, blogs, and affiliate sites are getting crushed. General web queries like “how does an engine work?” or “top 10 travel tips” are getting rekk’d from “Zero-Click Search” and high organic traffic loss. AI Overviews synthesize these answers inline, so users no longer click through to blogs or information sites. Local directories do not see the same trend lines or have the same vulnerabilities. Here is why local directories are thriving:
AI answer engines have actually made directories more valuable. When someone uses AI to find a local provider, that engine is pulling its answers directly from directory databases. Directories win on both fronts: direct user search and AI sourcing. Take my niche directory, Sober Nation, as an example. Below is our growth chart.
Traffic has only continued to climb. Featured listing sales have doubled, as have standard listings, claim listings, and sponsored posts. How To Start Your Own DirectorySign up for directorly.app. With our platform, you can categorize your site by location or by industry. You can use our AI agents to scrape the web and curate the exact data required to make your directory the authority in your niche. After that, you just keep building. The beautiful thing about directories is that the product and the marketing are the same thing. The product solves a problem for local searchers, and local businesses pay for exposure to those same active searchers. If you focus on making your directory the best resource available, you automatically expand your audience while increasing the value of your listings. The platform monetizes itself. Conclusion: I Am So Happy I Committed To ThisEntrepreneurship is an emotional journey, often much more than a logical one. I felt plenty of anxiety when AI first broke into the mainstream. Knowing my directories relied on search traffic filled me with fear and anxiety. But I held on to one core truth: people will always need local services, and local businesses will always need leads. AI does not change that reality. I chose to stick to the fundamentals and double down on the boring business models that have always worked for me. I’m not trying to build Facebook, I’m trying to generate cash in my bank account. Now, business is doing better than ever, even while people keep telling me the model is obsolete. lol. I am long on directories. I am long on boring businesses. I am long on building a personal brand and providing genuine value. Love you guys. Talk to you next week. Tim I Invite You To Join The Academy: My Personal VIP Business MembershipTo build a profitable online business, you don’t need a massive “personal brand” or to be the founder of a tech company. You simply need to solve a specific problem for a specific avatar. You need an Agency First model. By joining The Academy, I will hand you the exact, step-by-step blueprint I used to build multiple seven-figure businesses. No hacks. No fluff. Just real insights, community, accountability, and cash flow. Why The “Agency First” Model Is Bulletproof:
If you are ready to stop guessing, commit to a framework, and finally start building with clarity and support, then The Tim Stodz Academy is for you. Invite your friends and earn rewards
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