For context you should read my post about decentralized search.
If you are using self hosted WordPress you can have a small links directory running in no time. This uses the “Links” feature in WordPress that was never removed, just papered over.
- Add the “Links Shortcode” plugin from WordPress. What this plugin does is reactivate the Links function in WordPress and lets you display the links categories you add on any page using a short code.
- Once you create a page and place the short code any links you add will appear on that page. Follow the instructions on the plugin site on how to place and configure the short code.
- Create categories and add links in your WP admin under “Links”
It’s really just that simple. And it’s free.
You can use this to make a blogroll and/or a links directory. IMHO every blog should have both even if the “directory” or links page is only 20 links to start it will grow over time. This lets people surf from site to site based upon your recommendation which is a powerful thing.
You can divide things up over several pages. The link listings have the option of Ratings, Title, Description URL and more.
Tips and Advice:
Start out making this for you. This is a great way to keep your permanent bookmarks and share them with visitors.
If your blog is about one topic (ie cooking, hunting) your little links directory should probably match your theme. If your blog is about anything and everything save whatever you want.
My suggestion is to name your links page “Directory” in your navigation menu – we need to get people used to seeing that word.
You can use this for anything: links to sites you like, links to your friend’s site, links to causes or charities that are important to you, links to sites or pages you check all the time.
Consider this part of the guerrilla war against the Google search silo. If a thousand bloggers all do this it starts making a difference. Maybe we will teach people how to surf the web again.
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@bradenslen Roll your own Directory, an excellent idea. Links were the brilliant new idea I discovered when I first started exploring the Internet, before I found WWW. Hypertext was new & wonderful. A directory curated by an expert in an area can be a verrry useful tool.
@Ron I used to love those “Links” pages everyone had. They not only linked to similar websites but recommended things like browsers, email clients, Usenet clients, HTML editors, – stuff they used every day. They were real treasure troves of information in the form of hyperlinks. And coming from someone who had made an especially good website, their recommendation carried weight.
@bradenslen Absolutely right! And in those days it seemed like everyone was putting together their own contribution to this explosion of useful information. It was not a cult of personality and fame, like now. It was try out these cool tools I found. People helping people, not people trying to impress people.
@Ron That’s what I want to bring back. We can, you know, all the tools are right there. We’ve just gotten out of the habit.
@bradenslen I’m in complete agreement with that goal!!