Increase Exposure | Submit to Site Directories!

Increase Your Site’s Traffic by Submitting to Directories!

Not to mistaken Article Directory Submission Sites, website directories offer a way of collecting and categorizing links to other web sites. They are not search engines and behave nothing like search engines.

For example, whereas a search engine collects entries using a search crawler or robot, search directories are populated by people. You enter your web site in a directory, and then the entry is reviewed by a real person before the site is included in the directory listings.

You must complete a submission process in order to have your site included in most directories. When you submit the information about your site, there is an art to doing it. How you list your site can mean the difference between the site being included in the directory or not.

Before you even begin to create your listing, it’s usually a good idea to navigate through the directory to which you’re submitting your site. Look at other listings and take note of what works in them.

Keywords are of little importance when you’re creating your directory listing. Instead, what will make the difference is the content on your web site. Therefore, if you’re faced with listing in a directory that’s strict about reviewing sites before they are listed, make sure you have fresh content on your site.

Links can also be important when your site is being reviewed for inclusion in a directory, so be sure you keep your links updated. Broken links are typically detrimental to your site, and links that lead to unrelated pages won’t reflect well either.

Other elements that editors evaluate include the following:

• Appropriate categorization
• Accurate titles and descriptions
• Title and descriptions relevant to the subject of the web site
• Domain names that match site titles
• Contact information that’s easily accessible
• Links to privacy policies, return policies, and product or service guarantees
• Working and appropriate links to other sites and resources

Increasingly, both search engines and directories are taking the actual code used to build the site into consideration when determining search results. It’s always a good idea to run your code through an HTML validator to ensure that it is free of errors and unnecessary elements.

Clean code simply renders better and makes it easier for crawlers to navigate your web site. For more information about site validation, read my recent article HTML Site Validation!

In addition to these requirements, most directories have a long list of criteria that are reviewed before a site is actually added to the directory. That’s why it can sometimes take weeks or months for your site to be listed. Depending on the volume of submissions to the directory, it can be a slow process for editors to review each web site.

When you’re ready to submit your web site to a directory, take the time to completely read the directions provided by the directory. If you don’t follow these directions closely, it’s far more likely that your site will be rejected from the listings.

One other important submission guideline to remember is to submit only your site’s main page. When directories include sites that have been reviewed, they usually list the whole site as a single entry, rather than list each page separately, as search engines do.

Major Online Directories

One of the most well-known directories on the Internet is the Open Directory Project (ODP) managed by DMOZ.org. This general directory is edited by a team of volunteers. It is a representative of the various types of directories that are available for you to list your site with. Although there might be some slight differences, the directions of listing your site with ODP are very similar to those you would find when listing with other directories.

To list your Web site in the ODP directory, take these steps:

1. Navigate to the Open Directory Project web site at: http://www.dmoz.org/

2. Navigate to the category and subcategory where it would be appropriate for your site to appear. Then, in the top-right corner of the page, click Suggest URL.

3. You are taken to the submission site. Read all the instructions carefully and fill in the submission form completely.

4. When you’re finished filling out the form, click the Submit button. You’re taken to a thank-you page, and your submission process is complete.

5. Now you just have to wait for the editorial committee to complete its review. When the review is complete, you should receive notification indicating whether or not the site has been accepted and listed.

Like search engines, there are hundreds of different directories online. Some are general directories, whereas others are very specific and associated with only one industry or organization. When you’re selecting the directories to which you’d like to submit your site, be choosy. Don’t try to list your site in a directory that’s inappropriate, it will be a waste of your time and will most likely be rejected.

Here are some of the most well-known directories on the Web:

GoGuides.org at: http://www.goguides.org/addurl.html. This directory’s purpose is to be completely spam-free. It’s comprehensive search directory that even has image-searching capabilities. This directory has a one-time process fee of $69.95 and comes with a money back guarantee if your submission is declined.

SearchSight located at: http://searchsight.com/submit.htm is another general directory. SearchSight is one of the lesser-known directories, but it’s quickly gaining traction in the search market.

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Do You Have any Thoughts or Opinions About Directories Submissions? What Directories Can You Add Here to Increase Site Exposure… Is Your Site Listed in the DMOZ Directory?

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