The Actual Process Behind a $10.5K/Month Directory Website
February 12, 2025
AI Summary
5 min readThe Actual Process Behind a $10.5K/Month Directory Website
The Opportunity Nobody's Talking About
Frey Chu built his first directory website in October 2022. It's been monetizing for 18 months straight. He spends about 15 minutes a month maintaining it. Last month it did around $2,300 in revenue. The site is a static, location-based directory—the kind most people would call ugly. And that's exactly the point.
"Most people think of just a simple and modern website," Frey says. "This is way simpler." His approach targets a specific kind of directory: evergreen, location-based, and built around things that don't change often. Once the data is in place, upkeep is minimal. The goal is mailbox money—enough to cover bills and free up time for bigger projects.
Finding the Right Niche
Frey starts with Ahrefs keyword explorer, typing in "near me" to surface local queries with high search volume. His sweet spot is 30,000 to 100,000 monthly searches. He avoids three types of niches: seasonal ones (like pumpkin patches that only monetize one month a year), niches where data is hard to get (like earthquake near me), and big branded keywords (like Taco Bell near me) where the search intent is one-dimensional and the brand already owns the solution.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (01:00) **Frey's Background & Episode Goal** - Frey introduces his first directory, built in October 2022, which has been monetizing for 18 months with minimal maintenance.
- 2 (03:27) **Game: Guess the Traffic of Real Directories** - Frey shows three live directories to demonstrate the earning potential of simple, static sites.
- 3 (12:19) **Finding a Niche: The "Near Me" Keyword Method** - Frey explains his process for discovering profitable directory ideas using Ahrefs.
- 4 (18:18) **Competitive Research & Validation** - Frey shows how to assess existing directories and use Reddit to confirm demand.
- 5 (27:33) **Data Collection & Enrichment** - Frey walks through scraping Google Maps data and enriching it with features users care about.
- 6 (42:14) **Building the Directory: The "Dumb" Static Pillar Page** - Frey demonstrates the simplest, most effective format for a beginner directory.
- 7 (49:26) **Why Directories Are Underrated & Next Steps** - Frey and host discuss the broader opportunity and where to find Frey.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
Get the exact system used to build profitable local directories: https://www.gregisenberg.com/directory
The episode features Frey Chu explaining his methodology for building profitable directory websites, using dog parks as a case study. He demonstrates how to identify opportunities through keyword research, validate ideas through social proof, and implement a basic yet effective directory structure. The discussion emphasizes that even simple directory websites can generate significant passive income through various monetization methods, while also serving as a foundation for larger business opportunities.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
03:40 - Examples of Profitable Directories and their traffic
10:35 - Why Build Directories
12:23 - Finding and validating directory ideas
26:44 - Data collection and enrichment
42:21 - WordPress implementation
46:36 - Monetization strategies
Key Points:
• How to identify profitable directory website opportunities using keyword research and competition analysis
• Step-by-step process for validating directory ideas using Reddit and social listening
• Data collection and enrichment techniques for building comprehensive directories
• Simple implementation strategy using WordPress or other CMS platforms
• Monetization strategies including AdSense, affiliate marketing, and potential SaaS opportunities
1) First, find your niche:
• Use Ahrefs "near me" searches
• Look for 30-100K monthly searches
• Target keyword difficulty under 20
• Avoid seasonal/branded keywords
• Find niches with fragmented search intent
2) Validate your idea:
• Check competition on Google
• Look for basic/outdated directories
• Browse Reddit discussions
• Confirm real user pain points
• Set a "bounty" on weak competitors
3) Data Collection Strategy:
• Use Google Maps scraping tools (like Outscraper)
• Focus on exact category matches
• Collect key data points:
- Name, address, phone
- Reviews & ratings
- Hours & location links
- Street view images
4) Data Enrichment
• Add unique features competitors lack
• Include amenity details (shade, benches, etc)
• Use AI tools to automate enrichment
• Focus on solving specific user problems
• Make data actually USEFUL
5) Building The Directory:
• Start with simple "static pillar pages"
• Target city-specific keywords
• Include:
- Table of contents
- Location details
- Embedded maps
- Reviews
- Internal linking structure
6) Monetization Options
• Display ads (most passive)
• Affiliate partnerships
• Lead generation
• Data collection/email lists
• Potential SaaS upsell
Notable Quotes
"AdSense has been the closest thing that I've ever experienced to passive income." - Frey Chu
"People are monetizing directories wrong. They're just putting AdSense... The opportunity is actually to build software on top
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