Directory submissions, unlike search engine submissions, are reviewed by human beings and undergo a great deal of scrutiny by the editors reviewing them. It is important that your website is submitted correctly in order to obtain the listings you need. Listings in DMOZ (Open Directory Project) and theYahoo! Directory can be very helpful for boosting your site in the search engines. Google, Yahoo and MSN view websites listed in these directories as more important than those which are not. Being well acquainted with the specifics of the Yahoo Directory (pay directory) and DMOZ (free directory), we are able to submit correctly the first time and obtain the best listings possible in the least amount of time. If you are interested in submitting your website yourself, there is much to consider. The problem for most webmasters is that getting a good listing in a reasonable amount of time rarely occurs. In fact, some webmasters find it impossible to get a directory listing in DMOZ at all. One of the biggest mistakes webmasters make is submitting their site to directories too soon. There is an excitement and urgency associated with getting your site “out there” for the world to see, that is understandable, but it simply doesn't work. The solution is understanding the expectations these directories have when it comes to submissions. Once you understand how to submit correctly, you can obtain the best directory listings in the least amount of time possible. Get your site in shape. Never submit a site that appears to be under construction. Of course, you are going to be adding to your site's content for years to come, but don't submit if you have any pages that are BLANK or any words on your site such as “Coming Soon” or “Under Construction.” Make sure your site loads properly and quickly. If there is difficulty with the loading or error messages pop up, the editor who is trying to review your site won't stick around. Check all your links. Having broken links is a real sign of a site that is poorly managed. Yahoo and DMOZ directories, and many others, simply will not list your site if it does not appear to be complete, is difficult to bring up, or has broken links, even if you have paid a submission fee. To prevent these problems, thoroughly check every page of your site for any sign of the appearance of it being incomplete, double check every link on every page and present clean code. We use the CSE HTML validator to validate our code AND check our links. We recommend it because it performs beautifully, is user friendly and does more than the expensive validators we have used in the past. A grueling but necessary task in submitting to any directory is finding the most appropriate category. All directories expect you to find the perfect category (and sub-category) for your site before you submit. You must drill down to the category and sub-category (or multiple sub-categories) where your site fits BEST in each directory. If you have a bricks and mortar company website, or offer locally specific services, always opt for the Regional category first. Depending on the circumstances, your site may qualify for 2 listings, one regional and one product or service specific category. Once you find the perfect category for your site, having drilled down to the last sub-category possible, you will click the “add site” button FROM that PAGE. If you add to the wrong category 1 of 2 things will occur, depending on the directory. Scenario 1: Your site will be tossed to the appropriate category where it will go to the back of a long line for a long wait to be reviewed by a 2nd editor. Scenario 2: Your submission will be denied. In this instance, you may or may not be notified, depending on the directory. You will then have the option of re-submitting. Obviously, it is worth taking the time to find the appropriate category to start with. There are very few circumstances in which these directories will accept a sub domain listing. Always submit the top-level domain of your site and use the most direct form of the url. For example: The correct url to submit for this site is Submit the correct URL or you will not get an editor to give your site the time of day. Writing a description for your site is the trickiest part of getting listed in DMOZ and Yahoo. Your meta description will not suffice for directory submissions. These directories want an objective description of your site in no more than 2 sentences. Basically you are required to write a fairly dull and very objective sentence or 2 that describes your site. A few rules of thumb: If you have written a short boring description that generically describes your site, you have probably written an acceptable description for DMOZ and Yahoo. I suggest going to your appropriate category in each directory and studying the descriptions that are given to the sites that are listed there. Even if you write the perfect description, it may get changed by the editor who reviews your site. However, the closer your description is to "acceptable" according to their guidelines, the quicker your site will get listed and the better your chances of not having the description re-written (destroyed basically) by the editor. When DMOZ directory or the Yahoo directory refers to your site “title” they want the REAL title of your site. They do not want your title tag (the one that shows in your browser's title bar). For example: The title of this site as supplied by the title tag (main page) shows as: That title is not acceptable to Yahoo or DMOZ (though some directories give more leave way). The "official" title must be submitted. In this case the official and correct title is Increase Ranking. The Yahoo directory charges a non-refundable 299.00 to review your site. If you have submitted correctly, Yahoo should list your site within a day or 2 and charge 299.00 per year to maintain the listing. If your submission is declined, they will inform you by e-mail. “Submit and Forget” is the theme! This free directory is run by 2 employees and a host of volunteer editors. It may take anywhere from 2 days to more than a year for your site to be reviewed. DMOZ does not inform you of the status of your submission. I highly recommend that you do not give any thought to your dmoz submission status. It's best to submit correctly and forget it forever. However, once 6 months have passed, you can check the status by posting in their forum at resource-zone.com. They will need to know your url and the exact category of the submission. They won't give you much information but an editor will tell you whether your site is still waiting for review or if it was declined.How to Submit Correctly
Prepare before you Submit
Find the Appropriate Category
Submit the Correct URL
www.increaseranking.com/
No other url is acceptable. Do not add index.html or any sub domains.Write an Acceptable Site Description
Use the Official Title
“IR Internet Marketing Consultant- Strategic Marketing and SEO Services”What to Expect
Yahoo!
DMOZ
Monday, September 13, 2010
DIRECTORY SUBMISSIONS - UNDERSTANDING DMOZ AND YAHOO!
SOME BASIC HTML TAGS AND HOW TO USE THEM
(Spacing must be exactly like this for the (NOTE: These are comments that you want behind the scenes within the HTML, not to show up on the Web page, such as for instructions or details about the page. Use these judiciously, however.) See the Unordered List example below for how it looks on a Web page. See the Ordered List example below for how it looks on a Web page. Please note the placement and use of the opening and closing tags. Remember to add the closing tags, too. Using the markup designated for its purpose is important, too. See my tutorial on their appropriate use with examples at Semantics, HTML, XHTML, and Structure. Jump to: Remember to use them in order, beginning with You can use CSS to style them how you wish, including colors, fonts, font sizes, margins, padding, and more. For example, the colors, fonts, font sizes, etc. that you see below are all handled with WebsiteTips.com's CSS behind the scenes. This markup: creates this: This markup: creates this: This markup: creates this: This markup: creates this: This markup: creates this: This markup: creates this: Here is a sample of text with HTML for a paragraph. Here is a sample of text with HTML for a paragraph. Here is a sample of text with HTML for a paragraph. Here is a sample of text with HTML for a paragraph. Here is the next paragraph. Here is the next paragraph. Here is the next paragraph. Here is the next paragraph. This markup: As John Doe stated recently, creates this: As John Doe stated recently, “Here is a sample of quoted text, usually a couple of sentences or more. Here is a sample of quoted text, usually a couple of sentences or more. Here is a sample of quoted text, usually a couple of sentences or more.” This markup: creates this: Here is a sample of emphasized text. This sentenceemphasizes these words but not the others. This markup: creates this: Here is a sample of bold text. For this sentence, only these words are in bold text. This markup: creates this: This markup: creates this: This markup: creates this:Name Opening Tag Closing Tag 1st Level Heading Title 2nd Level Heading Title 3rd Level Heading Title 4th Level Heading Title 5th Level Heading Title 6th Level Heading Title Paragraph Blockquote Line Break (none) Non-breaking space (none) Italic, Emphasis Bold Quote "(none) Comment tags comment element, with a space between the beginning and ending tags.)
For Special CharactersName Character HTML Ampersand & &Quote, Inches " "Curly Quote - Opening “ “Curly Quote - Closing ” ”Copyright © ©Trademark TM TMRegistered ® ®
For Unordered ListsName Opening Tag Closing Tag Unordered List Unordered List item Unordered List Example:
List item
Next list item
Another list item
For Ordered ListsName Opening Tag Closing Tag Ordered List Ordered List item Ordered List Example:
Item One
Item Two
Item Three
For Definition ListsName Opening Tag Closing Tag Definition List Definition Term Definition Definition List Example:
Term
Definition of term above
Another Term
Definition of another term aboveExamples: HTML Markup in Action
Heading Examples
h1, and don't skip over any of them (such as from h1 toh3, skipping h2).Example 1.1: 1st Level Heading Title
Heading TitleHeading Title
Example 1.2: 2nd Level Heading Title
Heading TitleHeading Title
Example 1.3: 3rd Level Heading Title
Heading TitleHeading Title
Example 1.4: 4th Level Heading Title
Heading TitleHeading Title
Example 1.5: 5th Level Heading Title
Heading TitleHeading Title
Example 1.6: 6th Level Heading Title
Heading TitleHeading Title
Paragraph Examples
Example 2.1: Two Paragraphs (showing the HTML)
Here is a sample of text with HTML for a paragraph. Here is a sample of text with HTML for a paragraph. Here is a sample of text with HTML for a paragraph. Here is a sample of text with HTML for a paragraph.Here is the next paragraph. Here is the next paragraph. Here is the next paragraph. Here is the next paragraph.Example 2.2: The two paragraphs above as they would appear on a Web page:
Blockquote and Curly Quotes Examples
“
”Example 3.1: Miscellaneous Examples
Text with Emphasis
Here is a sample of emphasized text. This sentence emphasizes these words but not the others.Bold Text
Here is a sample of bold text. For this sentence, only these words are in bold text.Lists, Definition Lists
Unordered List
List item
Next list item
Another list itemOrdered List
Item One
Item Two
Item ThreeDefinition List
Term
Definition of term above
Another Term
Definition of another term above
