Local Newsletter Insider Leveraging Local Directories With Your Newsletter
Jun 18, 2025
Frey Chu, an online directory builder and SEO expert, shares insights on transforming niche directories into streams of passive income. He explains the art of data scraping, optimizing for Google, and various monetization strategies like sponsored listings. Frey discusses how local media, particularly newsletters, can leverage directories to enhance advertiser engagement. The conversation dives into the importance of SEO and social media, and how directories can serve as valuable lead generation tools, opening doors to new business opportunities.
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How He Started And Early Results
- Frey started building directories after exiting e-commerce and learning SEO on YouTube.
- His first directory reached 1,000 daily visitors and made $1,200–$1,500/month within eight months.
Directories Are Curated Decision Tools
- A directory is simply a curated list of data that helps people make decisions.
- This format fits thousands of niches where information is hard to find.
Five-Step Directory Playbook
- Follow a five-step process: vet idea, scrape and clean data, publish, SEO optimize, then monetize.
- Treat the first build as learning; iterate and scale after mastering fundamentals.