DMOZ a.k.a Open Directory

DMOZ, also known as the Open Directory Project, is one of the three most important website directories on the Internet (the others being Yahoo and Looksmart). Unlike search engines, these directories have editors who pick the sites that are accepted to them. Getting into Yahoo, Looksmart or Open Directory is hard, since they all have pretty high standards for sites. However, they both provide significant traffic and are worth the pain of trying to get in.

Before submitting to DMOZ, you should read the general instructions on how to submit to directories from the "Directories" section of this site.

Why is getting into Open Directory an important part of site promotion? It's because many big search engines (for example AOL, Hotbot and Lycos) are using ODP data, either in their search results or by adding the entire directory or parts of it on their front pages for users to browse. This means that the directory gets used by millions every month. It should however be remembered that there is a delay between getting into ODP and appearing in the engines that use ODP data. It may often take several months before the engines update their databases with the most current ODP information. So don't panic if you don't show up at AOL the day after ODP accepted your submission!

This directory's main difference to its biggest rivals, Yahoo and Looksmart, is that volunteer editors run it, compared to Yahoo & Looksmart who have a staff of editors who get paid for doing what they do. This is both an asset and a problem to ODP. The plus side is that because nobody has to be paid, ODP can afford to keep a huge number of editors in service and thus speed up the processing time of new submissions. The tail side of the coin is that some volunteer editors get bored after working for a while and quit.

There aren't very many special tricks you can use to get listed at DMOZ. After you've read trough the "Directories" section of this site and made sure your site obeys the basic principles, there's very little you can do except to submit your site and hope for the best. However, if you're serious about getting your site into DMOZ, you should probably take a look DMOZ's editor guidelines page. Like the name says, it is actually directed at the volunteer DMOZ editors, but at the same time it gives submitters valuable insight on how the editors think, what can get you on their good side and what gets them really pissed.

What to do if you just cannot seem to get in? If you have submitted, given the editor three weeks to process your application, then submitted again and waited for another three weeks and still can't get in, don't lose hope. If you haven't been told why you didn't get listed and you have followed the rules, you should contact the editor of the category you're submitting to at this point. A link to contact the editor is found at the bottom of each page. Send him a polite E-mail wondering why you haven't gotten listed and include the title, address and description of your site in it. Also mention the date of your original submission and the date of the second submission.

If you don't get a reply in a couple weeks, contact the editor of the category above you (ie. people submitting to /Computers/Internet/WWW/Website Promotion/Tips and Tricks should contact the editor of /Computers/Internet/WWW/Website Promotion/). Give him the same information you gave the editor of your own category and say that you haven't gotten a reply from him despite waiting a couple weeks for one.

Another (perhaps faster) method is to visit the Search Engine Discussion's DMOZ forum. Several editors hang out there and they seem to be a friendly and helpful bunch. You can ask them questions about your submission or get some tips on how to submit properly if the ODP rules didn't feel clear enough. When visiting and posting there, please remember that these people are helping you out for free. Don't abuse their goodwill by flaming or nagging.