How to Submit Your Site to DMOZ and Get Free Traffic

Paste your parsed code here. Paste your parsed code here. This week, we’re spotlighting DMOZ, a free and trusted web directory. DMOZ stands for The Open Directory Project. This long-standing quality directory stands apart from others for a few reasons. First, DMOZ is a great source for permanent, relevant inbound links, which will help bring improved rankings and traffic in search engines. The full directory is broken down and organized into a huge variety of categories, which help describe and link to useful websites.

Additionally, DMOZ is editorially driven and tightly monitored. Submitted sites are individually reviewed and chosen by volunteer editors, and this increases the directory’s value among other links. Currently, the site is home to more than 97,000 editors, 5.1 million website, and 1 million categories. Another unique feature about the Open Directory is its data partnership with other popular Internet platforms, such as AOL Search, Google, and Netscape Search.

Difficulty of Getting In – Are The Rumors True?

Since DMOZ carries more weight, this authority directory is considered more difficult to earn a spot. Acceptance into DMOZ is determined by the specific editor’s review of the presented content. Follow DMOZ’s detailed and strict guidelines for the site to be accepted. Even if a user follows each guideline exactly as written, the domain is still not guaranteed to make it into the list.

There is a lot of value in the free Open Directory Project, but is it worth the wait? The length of time to get a website listed in any type of directory varies greatly. Some directories take a while for an answer, and unfortunately DMOZ can be counted in that bunch. DMOZ is well known to take a long time. Influencers such as volume of entries at the time of submission and how active an editor participates in reviewing may weigh on the processing time. It can be frustrating to wait several weeks or months for approval, only to finally find out that the site didn’t make it into DMOZ. Nevertheless, do not submit your website more than once to DMOZ! This will not help increase the likelihood of getting accepted. Above all, we encourage you to take time in submitting your website to DMOZ. Then, don’t sit around and wait for approval afterward. Feel free to focus on your next SEO opportunity.

To increase a site’s chances of becoming a DMOZ listing, there are a couple tactics. We’ve found that websites with a longer established registration date are more likely to get into DMOZ than brand new sites. Furthermore, some people ask if it’s worthwhile to become an editor. A DMOZ volunteer job should be considered if you have interest, but the application for reviewing websites is quite lengthy to some pepople. As mentioned above, perhaps one reason why the submission process takes so long is because of how much time a volunteer editor can dedicate to the work. If you become an official Open Directory Project editor, be sure to select a category or two that makes you an expert. You’ll build more authority as an editor, which will increase the likelihood of attaining links in DMOZ. Again, these actions do not guarantee access so it’s probably not worth the effort unless you’re serious about becoming a DMOZ editor.

How to Complete your Submission

Below is a quick summary for how to submit your business to the Open Directory Project. Before you begin, follow these two time saver tips:

1. Click to read more about how to add a DMOZ link. If you are unsure whether your site qualifies, the requirements here will help determine if the directory is a good fit for your website. If your site falls within the guidelines, you’re ready to begin the submission process.

2. Another recommendation is to examine if your website is already listed. There’s no point in sending in an application and waiting for a response if the site is already active in the directory. Run a quick search here.

Now Begin Submitting Your Site

1. After you’ve completed the above two steps and are ready to move forward, start at the DMOZ homepage. Navigate to the most relevant category for your website. The number of categories is very large so don’t just pick a general option or the first category that looks good because these easy missteps could prevent you from being selected for the directory. Click here to view an example list of categories. If for some reason an editor doesn’t like the category you choose, the editor can move it to a more appropriate category during the review process.

2. After selecting the category page that best fits your business, click the “Suggest URL” icon located on the top right hand corner of the page.

3. Next, follow the directions carefully on this page to complete your submission to the Open Directory. When you reach this section, it is crucial that you complete the information about your domain to the greatest extent possible. The more information you can take the time to add, the better your chances are to get into this prestigious directory.

4. Review the site category to make sure you agree with it. If you have questions, you’re able to revert back a few pages and pick another category very easily.

5. Enter the site URL.

6. Enter the title of the site.

7. Enter a site description. Here are a couple key suggestions to enhance your description writing process:

When writing a business description, ensure the content explains more and promotes less. There is a large difference in writing styles between displaying your expertise versus an advertisement. DMOZ is not trying to sell ads to customers so be sure that your content reflects an informational perspective.

This important rule applies to all directories that list your business: Make sure the business information is consistent and correct across all your directory listings, as mentioned above. Try to include your targeted keywords when you can, and be sure to provide a few links back to your website. However, be aware of over-stuffing the profile with keywords.

8. Enter your email address.

9. Enter the text shown in the image to prove you manually filled in this application.

10. Click the “Submit” icon at the bottom of the application after reading the Submission Agreement. A submission confirmation page will appear.