There are more than 20,000 volunteers who make-up
Open Directory Project’s indexing core. The criteria for getting listed in Open Directory Project is a little tight and many of pages submitted are not indexed on first try. However, if you use a little common sense and follow some pretty basic rules, getting listed shouldn't be a problem.The following are some guidelines to consider before submitting your site to Open Directory Project.
Your Web Site:
Is site already listed in directory?
Multiple entries within Open Directory are not very hard to get, if your entry offers good content. However, editor will try to find most significant category for listing to insure URL is listed in most appropriate category.
Significantly different and unique content is key to success for multiple listings. Does site or page being submitted actually exist?
This might seem obvious to most, but facts are that many URLs get submitted prior to site being ready. When visited by editor, and they do visit your submitted URL, if it is not found (404 Error), submission may be rejected.
It is at editor’s discretion whether or not to hold your submission for a second or third look, or to look for typos in URL. Most are rejected on spot!Is site under construction? Sites under construction are not acceptable. Again, some editors will hold your submission for a few days to see if this is a temporary problem.
Don’t count on it!
Wait until your site is ready prior to submitting.Does site present a high-quality professional appearance?
Shoddy or disorganized sites are not indexed. Your site must present a well thought out plan. "My Hometown Pictures" personal homepage probably wouldn’t get listed. Open Directory Project only list sites that are of value to general public.Does site contain a lot of typos?
Spell-check, spell-check, SPELL-CHECK! Too many typos will cause your site to be rejected.
Are there any broken links?
Broken links present frustration to visitor. Most editors check for links that are broken.
This could cause your site not to be listed.
Do your graphics load reasonably fast?
If your graphics take a long time to load (say over 20-30 seconds), site will most likely be rejected.
Tip – Don’t simply resize a large graphic on page to reduce its size. Work it out in your graphics program.
Remember it’s size of file that’s problem with slow loading, not size of graphic.Does site content match meta-description and keywords? This can be a tough one for Open Directory Project editor and you. If it’s a judgment call on significance for a category, don’t forget that editor is judge!Is URL being submitted domain’s index or main page?
The thought here is that site’s main page represents most important page. However, some editors will look at submissions of lower pages, if page presents significantly different content for viewer.Don't spam!
Because humans are doing indexing, they get pretty testy whenever you add needless workload. Most editors review directory's Spam List. Once you're on it, list can be seen by editors for any category in directory.
Give editor a break! : - )
If your site conforms to rules, it will probably get listed. Depending on category and number of editors assigned, it can take up to 5 or 6 weeks to get listed. Be patient!
Your Title:
Generally speaking, Open Directory Project accepts title of page or site as title of choice for editor. Remember, editor can change anything in title or description of your submission.
Don’t put any promotional information in title. It will only get edited out.Using AAA or A-1 or 111 in title to gain some sort of listing advantage will not get by editor. Unless of course, your company really is "AAA", as in "American Automobile Association".
Site Description:
Do not repeat title in description! You will just be wasting copy, because it will get edited out.
Describe your site in functional terms, not usual promotional copy used for search engines.
If you don't give your description a lot of thought and be very precise in your wording, editor will re-word it to their liking. Sometimes, this will lose many of your keywords and phrases.
Look around in category you want to be listed in and mimic general phraseology that's already listed. Most editors for a category have a certain style that they like to see.
