The indexing dividend is over: template-generated directory pages now risk spam penalties
sujingshen · x · 2026-09-09
Part three warns directory-site operators that the indexing dividend is over. Sites running on template-generated category pages, copy-pasted tool descriptions and SEO reliance face risk in the content itself — scaled content abuse, thin affiliation, low-value programmatic pages — and this spam update hit exactly those, even without officially targeting links. The viable shape is narrow: vertical to a specific audience, selective inclusion, pages that help decisions rather than pile links, search traffic optional. Big new catch-all directories are just one more ignorable list page for search engines.
Related event: Directory Links and Navigation Sites Reassessed: From Votes to Evidence(5 posts)→
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