The Directories
The Open Directory - DMOZ
The Open Directory is also referred to as ODP or DMOZ. It
is a vast directory updated and maintained by thousands of
volunteer editors.
To get your website listed in the directory, simply find
the most appropriate category for your website and click the
“add url” link. Follow the instructions carefully. Not only
are there standard instructions for each category, but also
some editors have their own quirky set of guidelines.
Do not be tempted to write a description that is full of
dozens of keywords. Pick 3-4 of your most important keywords
and write a 20-30-word description that includes these terms.
DMOZ editors are known for changing the descriptions submitted
by website owners, so make sure yours is well written so that
you reduce the chance of it being edited; it could be your
keywords that are edited out. Remember, editors are unpaid
at DMOZ, so don’t expect to see your website listed after
just a few days. It could take weeks or even months. You can
read further instructions at the DMOZ site.
Looksmart
Looksmart used to ask for a simple $299 fee to have your
site reviewed by editors and then listed in the directory.
That is long gone, and now they use their own unique combination
of paid-inclusion and editorial review. Pay the $29 to have
your site reviewed and listed in the Looksmart directory.
Once listed, you will pay $0.15 per click for the first 5,000
visitors that Looksmart generates to your website. After that,
your click-thru rate is adjusted depending on the type of
business you operate (rates range from $0.23 to $0.75 per
click).
The good news is that you can set your monthly budget to
ensure that you do not overspend (minimum spend is $15 a month).
(Note that these are basic instructions for getting listed
in Looksmart - you can view further information on their website).
Google – 29.5% of searches
Google is everyone’s favorite search engine, but how do you
get your website listed? First there is the submission form,
located on their website.
Yahoo – 28.9% of searches
Up until about 18 months ago, the best way to get listed in
Yahoo was by paying the annual $299 fee to be listed in their
directory.
MSN – 27.6% of searches
There are two effective ways to get your website listed in
the MSN results (sponsored listings aside).
AOL – 18.4% of searches
The submission process for AOL, is well, non-existent.
The Directories
The Crawlers
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