How do I optimize my online directory website?

[JazSimmons]

I am starting a directory website. The biggest issue that I am having is trying to figure out which keywords to use and how to optimize for them.

I am using Wordpress and we have overall category pages, such as Hair & Beauty. And then we have filters for users to reach subcategories such as, Skincare.

My problem is that these subcategories are not actual pages, when the filter is used it just returns businesses within that category that have been marked to show for that filter. The URL doesn't change or it doesn't take you to a new page.

So, I am trying to determine how do I optimize for my subcategory keywords if these aren't technically pages?

[Vanderlindemedia]

I'm not sure, but wordpress from a technical standpoint, is not what you really want. It's slow. It comes with too much of plugins in order to get something running right. It needs a beefy server in order to keep that TTFB low, and you gotta find a way to deal with alot of noise in relation of traffic since wordpress (and the more populair yours is) is getting attacked on 24 hours basis pretty much.

A plugin now could be leak, and your website could be sensitive to hacks, which means malware could be server, hidden backlinks could be planted on your domain pointing to vague sites, lets say if you have a payment processor running there malware could be injected to fetch credit card details and so on. No wordpress is'nt on my favorites list really.

[JazSimmons]

Hi Jeroen, thanks for your advice! Do you have any recommendations on the best platforms to build directories?

[Vanderlindemedia]

If i'm correct these are category's, and you can actually put content per category inside of wordpress. But building a directory website with wordpress in the first place is not a recommendation. it's awefully slow, it eats resources whenever you start to have some to serious traffic, and overall it takes alot of work to 'optimize' it apart from the one-click plugins.