In other words they must represent a sum of whole value of web site.

My unaffected sites consist of 5 to 20 pages of original content, a CD article directory, two blogs (one on-site and one off-site) and dreaded DG directory of resource links.

The generated portion of site was not dominant, (a few hundred pages and not several thousand) and was a logical part of whole site concept.

These sites also took more time and effort to build and that was why I built less of them. This whole saga turned out to be a Tortoise and Hare type story, and just like that story, this one also has a moral.

… I did learn a painful yet valuable lesson.

If you expect to get value from your web sites, you must make sure that they first “GIVE” value to your visitors.

So in my limited 60 or so day study it appears that use of directory-generated pages is acceptable. It is ‘Abuse” of directory-generated pages, that will get you in trouble.

This quote could have been made about SEO…

“Success isn't permanent, and failure isn't fatal”. Mike Ditka (1939 - )

And even if your product phrase does return a link to 'Low Prices on eBay', you'll want to check to see how many other items are listed in eBay within that category. If it is more than 100 - it may not be worth doing.

But, if you do offer products within niches and subniches that return 'Low Prices on eBay' link on a Google search, and if those niches are not crowded with lots of items for sale, it is probably worth your while to place an auction listing on eBay for your product - just so you show up on Google/eBay Link.

This may not sound like much of a strategy . . . but look again at how it works.

Search Google for 'Flute', click 'low prices at eBay' link, and look at products you found. Those companies who are offering those products got your attention with just two or three clicks - and they are offering exactly what you searched for (in this case 'flute').

Is that target marketing or what?

Then consider all those companies that also offer Flutes, but don't have auction listings on eBay. You didn't see them did you? Because after you got to eBay listings, there was really no reason to return to Google.com.

So companies that had auction listings on eBay for product you searched for on Google probably got your business (if you were interested in flutes). Even if they don't have a web site - they win.

Leverage is everything - paying attention overlooked and underutilized can make you a fortune.