[skysnap]

In past prior to lack of google, there used to be a lot of directories which used to have links for websites. And that used to drive the traffic. I wonder if some of such directories are still out there and active.

Have you added your website to directories?

[Fergal]

I remember a few years ago that directories were very popular, lots of webmasters paid for their sites to be listed in directories, in an effort to improve their search engine rankings. Directories focused on achieving high Google Page Rank (PR) and a directory would a decent PR could charge a good price for a listing. Webmasters hoped that by having their site listed there, some of the PR benefits passed onto their sites. Like you, I haven't seen much of directories recently and they are not so popular now. Even http://www.dmoz.org/ which was the most popular directory of all has now closed.

[Yugocean]

Since I come actively to the internet in 2005, I wasn't aware of directories, slowly I understood it, but it was vanishing faster than I understood what that all was. Now nobody cares about them.

[skysnap]

DMOZ used to be non profit and it got shut down. No idea how and why but yeah I suppose some things are meant to end eventually as well.