Transcription
In this episode, John Rush explains how to start, validate, build, and grow an online directory using AI and SEO. People are making $5,000–$20,000 a month with these, and he considers them a low-risk startup option. Enjoy!
[Music]
We have John Rush, the "king of directories," on the podcast. He's been here before, but today's special. What are we learning, John?
We'll learn how to generate directory ideas, validate them, build them, and improve their SEO—the three crucial steps to success. We're entering a golden age for directories; they're becoming increasingly popular because people want curated content, and directories provide that. If you're searching for a startup idea, directories are a great place to start. I love diving deep into directories, and since I hadn't done this with you before, I figured we might as well do it publicly.
That’s smart; that’s 100% correct. The reason directories are so big now, and will be even bigger in the future, is that with more online content, content quality becomes paramount. Directories solve this; people trust well-curated content with reviews and ratings, especially when run by someone who understands the space. People are outsourcing content decision-making to directories instead of relying solely on Google. Top Google search results are increasingly dominated by hacks.
Let's start with step one: finding a worthwhile directory idea.
There are many ways, but the best is keyword research. This reveals what people search for. Even a great idea might not resonate with others; keyword research shows you if Google confirms its viability. The Keyword Planner tool (used for ad planning) shows directory keyword traffic. I spend hours daily inputting random ideas to see if there's traffic. I'll even show you a real-time example of an idea I'm testing today.
This episode's a live cooking session—we'll find and build an idea. If you're listening on audio, check out the YouTube video. My podcast has grown, focusing on startup ideas, and that's the hardest part of the startup journey for many. People search for ideas on Google, which I validated. Searching "business ideas" on Google shows almost 1 million monthly searches, with low ad competition. However, finding a matching domain name is tough.
I aim for keyword-matching domain names. My "Next.js Starters" directory, an exact keyword match, gained significant traffic in three months. "businessideas.com" is taken, so I checked similar keywords: "small business ideas," "little business ideas," "online business ideas," etc. Before the podcast, I found "mini business ideas" available, and I bought it for $9. I never buy expensive domains—get creative and find something available.
Now I have the domain "mini business ideas" and the idea: a directory of ideas. I have 30+ startup ideas that could make millions, and I'm giving them away for free! These are validated concepts from entrepreneurs who built hundred-million-dollar businesses. They're compiled in a database from hundreds of podcast conversations. Most don't require investors and some cost nothing to start. It's a cheat sheet, a startup shortcut.
Next is building the directory. Coding is the worst way. While I'm a developer (a fact many doubt!), I recommend no-code for faster starts using templates. More importantly, post-launch marketing (marketing pages, experiments, A/B tests, blogging, programmatic SEO) is usually built-in to modern CMS or web builders. Next.js or PHP hardcoding lacks this future-proofing. You'll face problems later; everything becomes manual. Finding someone on Upwork to write and publish pages becomes impossible if it’s all in code. It’s a huge hassle. Even if you’re a great coder, no-code is better. I use my own tool, the Unicorn Platform.
The Unicorn Platform is a simple website builder I pivoted into a directory builder. Most sites built on it are now directories. People overcomplicate things. In my "Directory Makers" Discord group, someone wanted a lawyer directory with 20 features. For a new directory's first launch, only the items (names, etc.) matter. Ratings and other features are empty initially. Simple pages with names and items are enough; other features come later. I use the simplest template, and I can ask AI to generate the directory for me: a directory of mini business ideas (insane!). I use AI for everything, but I moderate the output. It's for people starting small site projects, students, hackers, and other founders.
The AI suggests a directory and "featured ideas." More text and items mean better SEO chances. Featured ideas allow for longer pages, improving SEO compared to just listing ideas. It's almost done the work. It’s also creating an FAQ. FAQs are important; each title is a potential Google search question. Search Google for "how do I..." to see related questions, then add them to your FAQ with answers. It's simple but effective; few people do this. People think complicated things are valuable, but easy things are surprisingly valuable too.
Here's how to start: the AI suggests "how to start a business with no money" and "how to start a business as a teenager," which are good, unserved keywords. I research these questions, write them down, and use AI to generate content. I create a page with this title and full description. I don't recommend creating pages immediately because it's faster to make fake items first. Watch search console queries and create pages only for keywords with traffic. My approach prioritizes minimal work to validate assumptions; successful assumptions get more time and effort. AI is good for initial experiments, then humans make it better.
This is my website—it's essentially the same as the AI-generated version, but with data. I have ideas, and every keyword is traffic-validated. The FAQ questions are also validated. If it takes more than an evening, you're doing it wrong. Move fast; there’s a high chance of failure. I bet on 5-10 ideas simultaneously to mitigate disappointment. Don’t do just one.
Once built, I promote it: I go to Reddit, search for relevant threads, and reply with my URL (carefully, to avoid bans). I only reply to threads where people ask for such resources. I found 100+ such threads. Don’t reply to everything at once; avoid being blocked.
Next, I list my directory in other relevant directories—a great marketing strategy. Then, social media: I search for relevant questions and reply with my directory. When Fireship's self-hosting software tweet went viral, I replied with my directory link, generating 30-40k views from his million. Google looks at social media backlinks. A viral tweet is a better backlink than one from a website.
Finally, SEO. I do this *after* initial promotion; if there's no click-through, the idea or domain is bad. If there’s traffic, I focus on SEO. I use a tool I built, which scrapes my directory, performs research, and suggests SEO improvements. Other ways are using Copy.ai or Jasper, but I recommend SEO tools since it involves internal linking and structure. My tool identifies content and keywords and suggests ideas (e.g., "10 low-cost business ideas for 2025").
Don’t start with many articles; if your site is new, lots of articles look like spam. Aim for 10-50 articles in the first month, more later. The tool creates outlines. Learning SEO can involve observing what such tools do.
[Ad Break: Boring Marketing.com]
I quit working on the directory after building and promoting it, returning in 30 days to check the traffic. No traffic is hard to fix; something's fundamentally wrong (domain name, keyword, etc.). I bet on 5-6-10 ideas simultaneously. After 30 days, I focus on the best-performing directory.
The next phase is data; many fail here. Experts quickly identify low-quality data. If an expert finds your directory valuable, they'll share it, leading to organic growth. I created an LLM models directory, initially using a hired data entry person. An expert quickly noticed a missing key open-source project, highlighting my lack of topic understanding. Good data leads to influencer sharing, which ends your work, aside from maintaining data quality and SEO activities. Add hot new items quickly; Google might feature your directory. I check Twitter daily to add relevant new items to my directories.
That's the whole process: idea generation, content creation, website building, growth, and iteration.
My question is: how are people monetizing directories, assuming I'm getting 50,000 unique visitors a month?
There are many ways, depending on your audience. B2B directories are easier; pitch banner ads or sponsorships to businesses with similar audiences. Affiliate links work well if items are expensive (better margins on high-priced items). Selling anonymized data or insights to corporations is another option. A paywall for listings is another. For a nanny directory, access to contact details could be paid. Brand sponsorships are great; big companies pay for brand association (e.g., DevHun with Clerk or Supabase). This is ongoing revenue and less disruptive to users than many ads. You can also channel directory traffic to your SAS tools (it’s much harder to win SEO for SAS than for directories). Finally, you can sell the directory itself to a company with a matching audience.
What are the multiples for directories?
There's no system; it depends on the audience and traffic. Deals range from $2,000 (for small directories) to $20,000 (average) and sometimes up to $100,000 (for large ones).
Where can you find directories to buy?
Smaller marketplaces (not Flippa, which requires revenue) or by researching traffic on SimilarWeb and contacting owners directly. Direct offers often lead to better deals. I just bought selldirectories.com to create a marketplace.
(Final question about MRR omitted, as per instructions)
What sort of scale could these businesses reach? How big could these directories get? If someone starts one, I think 5K is probably achievable without needing luck or exceptional smarts. My average directory makes around 5K. I think with more time, I could bring that to 15-20K. 20K is probably the current market limit unless it's your main project. I don't see directories as main projects; they're side projects. For people with main jobs, I think 5K is realistic, maybe reaching 10K eventually, but I wouldn't expect much more.
I view directories as a way to fund your life outside the US, as that's good money internationally. Directories are a great way to start building digital products. Starting with SaaS is a bad idea—almost guaranteed failure. You'll likely feel bad and quit. With directories, it's hard to fail. If you launch enough and spend six months on them, you'll likely succeed. In SaaS, failure means no revenue growth. But with a B2B directory getting 5K monthly visits, you'll sell 4-5 ads, making $3-4K monthly. Even doing nothing, it'll grow due to SEO. Directories target non-competitive keywords. Start with a directory; it's more fun, faster to get domain, traffic, and sponsors compared to SaaS.
Then decide if you want to go full-time. Starter Story, for example, is a directory making millions. Product Hunt started as a directory; it was just a product list emailed daily. Millions are possible, but the failure risk is low.
Where can people find out more about you? Twitter (@JohnRushX) or my website (johnrush.me). I have a directory guide walking through building, growing, selling, and monetizing. It's a good resource for learning about directories. Directories are criminally underrated. If you liked this, like it on YouTube, comment, and subscribe! Thanks for having me.