Free internet marketing strategies & tips. Learn how to utilize the web to promote your business online.
Getting Your Site into the Yahoo and Directory Mozilla (DMOZ) Directories
Considering how the major search engines, like Google and Yahoo, are always evolving the way they view websites and how they rank them, and that they’re now starting to pay attention to who is actually linking to your site, it’s a good idea to list your site within the directories like Yahoo and the Open Directory. When these search engines crawl for information on particular keywords, finding your site within these directories is going to cause these engines to deem your site as an information authority for whatever topic you’re focusing on.
Yahoo, for instance, will list you like any regular search engine based on your links to and from other websites that are contained already in their directory. It’s free and millions of people use the function, so this is going to offer some exposure for your site. To actually get into the directory there are fees involved and last I checked it was $299 per year. For an adult site to be listed in the directory it’s $600 per year. These fees are for commercial sites. Non-commercial sites can be listed in the directory without paying the fee, supposedly, but I am not aware of it happening these days. Yahoo gets tons of pages on a daily basis and it might take forever to get things taken care of. It might be in your best interest to look into paying, if you can afford it, rather than sitting idly, wondering if anything is happening.
The $299 only will guarantee that your website will be reviewed and does not guarantee hat your website will be listed in the directory. If your site does get declined, then you do not receive a refund for the money spent. Yahoo does offer the option to appeal in a thirty day period if your website is rejected for the directory. Most of the sites that are submitted for directory listings will get listed. Two-hundred and ninety-nine dollars is a decent amount of money to spend on something without being certain that your site will be listed in the directory.
It is important to understand that that paying this fee to get you listed in the directory does not mean that you are bumping yourself up to the head of the line. According to Yahoo, being listed in the directory does not give you any advantage over other websites that are not listed. So, what does being listed in the directory do? It gives you a high-quality link to and from your site that will help add legitimacy to your website when being crawled by the other major search engines. Most likely, this isn’t going to rank you at the very top, but it will definitely help.
The submission process is pretty self explanatory. It is important to select the proper categories that fit your site and not to attempt to label your site as a non-commercial site just to avoid paying the fee. That will result in your website being decline. Use the actual title of your page and when you are asked for a short description of your site, keep it as informative as possible and do not being over-promotional.
The Directory Mozilla, or DMOZ, is another directory that you will want to be a part of. It’s also referred to as the Open Directory Project because it is maintained by people who are considered authorities in the particular fields. The major difference that separates DMOZ from the other directories is that it is maintained by volunteered time. Another major difference that makes DMOZ stand apart is that it’s completely free to have your site listed in their directory. All websites are not accepted but the general consensus is that they are a bit easier on submissions then, say, Yahoo. They will still be looking for finely-tuned sites, though, and this does not mean that just any site will be added to their directory. The DMOZ will eventually effect how your site is listed on the major players, like Google.
Submitting to DMOZ is about the same process as with Yahoo. You’ll be required to pick your category and sub category. If you’re already involved in online marketing, then you realize the importance of nailing a niche market and customer base. This is the same idea you need to keep in mind when figuring out your category and sub category. The more specific you can list yourself, then the more likely of a chance you’ll find yourself ranked higher, simply because you’ll be narrowing down the competition vying with you for the top spots within the search engines.
Another idea to keep in mind that you should already be keeping in mind is to go easy on the promotional language. Be informational and not pushy with the sales talk. You want to be an authority on your subject, even if your ultimate goal is to sell. The way that you’re perceived is going to determine the amount of success you have. Along with making sales and generating traffic, being more informational when trying to submit your site to directories, as opposed to trying to promote your products, is going to give you a much better chance at being accepted to the directory.
DMOZ is also on the forefront of customer service and help when it comes to their directory submissions. If you have questions about things or perhaps your site was rejected, the people at Mozilla can be contacted and they will be helpful with you and give you the reasons why so that you can modify or totally transform your site if needed.
With that being said, it’s important that you do not go overboard when contacting them. Keep in mind that these are volunteers who do have the power to lose your website among the piles and piles of things within their to-do lists. Each category has an editor, usually, so ask them as simply and specifically as possible about your issue and expect to get a response. Before you submit your site, go through it yourself with an objective eye and try to see if there are any things that you would change or fix. Look for the obvious errors, like spelling and layout flaws, then get deeper into the content and if you’re accomplishing your goals.
