The Startup Ideas Podcast
The blueprint for building cash flowing online directories
Mon, 21 Oct 2024
Join me as I chat with John Rush, a serial entrepreneur, as we dive deep into how to build and scale directories. John shares his strategies and frameworks to for how to use AI and SEO to build and scale cash flowing directories.Episode Timestamps: 00:00 Intro01:12 Why directories02:59 How to find directory ideas08:43 Building your directory19:47 Promoting your new directory:23:27 SEO for Directory29:53 Data/Content for Directory 34:25 How to monetize Directory 42:29 What are the multiples for Directory 45:20 How large can a directory became1) Why directories are hot right now:• More content online = higher need for curation• People trust well-curated directories• Less SEO competition than other niches2) How to find directory ideas:• Use Google Keyword Planner• Look for high search volume, low competition keywords• Find available domain names that match or are close to target keywords3) Building your directory:• Use no-code tools (like Unicorn Platform) for speed• Start simple - focus on listing items, not features• Use AI to generate initial content and structure4) Promoting your new directory:• Share on relevant Reddit threads (carefully!)• List your directory in other directories• Engage on social media, especially Twitter• Focus on SEO after initial validation5) SEO strategy for directories:• Start with ~10 high-quality articles• Use tools or AI to generate SEO-optimized content• Focus on internal linking and site structure• Add trending items quickly to capture search traffic6) Monetization strategies:• B2B sponsorships and featured listings• Affiliate links (especially for high-ticket items)• Sell anonymized data or insights• Charge for premium listings or access• Brand sponsorships for established directories7) The power of directories for SaaS:• Easier to win SEO traffic than direct SaaS marketing• Use directories to funnel traffic to your main product• Consider buying relevant directories for instant traffic8) Realistic expectations:• $5K MRR achievable as a side project• Up to $20K MRR with focused effort• Million-dollar potential exists (but rare)9) Why start with directories:• Lower failure rate than SaaS• Faster dopamine hits (traffic, first sale)• Great way to learn digital product developmentPro Tip: Don't fall in love with one idea. Launch multiple directories, see what sticks after 30 days, then double down on winners!Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas Work with me and my team: LCA — world’s best product design firm to build apps, websites and brands people love. https://latecheckout.agencyBoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers [BoringMarketing.com](http://boringmarketing.com/)Community Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses http://communityempire.co/FIND ME ON SOCIALX/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenbergInstagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/FIND JOHN ON SOCIALX/Twitter: https://x.com/johnrushxLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrushx/John’s directory guide: https://johnrush.me/directory-guide/
Full Episode
In this episode, John Rush breaks down how you should start an online directory, how to ideate for an online directory, how to build an online directory using AI, and how to grow an online directory using AI and SEO. And he just walks through the entire process. People are making 5K, 10K, 15K, 20K a month with these online directories. They're super easy to create.
He thinks it's one of the lowest risk ways to start a startup. I'll let you decide. Enjoy the episode. We got John Rush, king of directories, on the pod. You've heard him here before, but today is a special episode because what are we learning today, John?
Well, we'll learn how to come up with ideas for directories, how to validate them before you build them, how to build them, and how to work on SEO once you build them. So basically, all three important steps you have to build successful directories.
And why you should care about this is we're kind of entering this golden era of directories. We're starting to see them be more and more popular. People want curation and directories provide that. So if you're looking for your next startup idea, directories is a great place to start. And I'm excited to get in with this. Just dive deep in directories. I haven't done this with you.
I figured we might as well do it publicly. Yeah, that's smart.
That's 100% correct. So just to add on that, the reason directories are so big now and they will be much bigger in the future is that as there's more content on the internet, the quality of the content becomes more important. And I think directories are solving this pretty well because people trust directories. If it's a good directory, they trust it that...
It's a well-curated content, and it has some reviews, ratings, and the quality is high. And the person running it understands the space and picks the right things there. So I think people will be outsourcing the decision-making for the content to the directories from Google, because now they ask Google, and that's...
That's becoming more and more relevant as we see that the top search results of the Google are mostly dominated by all the hacks.
All right, well, let's start with step one. How do we find a directory idea that is worthwhile to go after?
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