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 What is the Open Directory?
The Open Directory, sometimes referred to as DMOZ because of its Web address, is a categorized directory of Web sites maintained by thousands of volunteer editors, like myself. Editors have a lot of discretion in handling submitted sites and adding sites on their own initiative. Editors usually are fairly knowledgeable about their categories, or at least are very interested in them. The Open Directory is open in that anyone can put it on their site without needing to get prior permission or pay anything.
Why is it important to get my site in the Open Directory?
Although not many people search by going to the Open Directory Web site, the Open Directory is nevertheless of immense importance. Major search engines such as AOL Search, Google, HotBot, Lycos and Netscape use its results. Also, many search engines determine ranking in part by number and quality of links. Open Directory links are considered of the highest quality. Therefore, it is usually worth it to go through the trouble to submit to it. Prepare for some frustration as their servers tend to be overloaded and it can be difficult to get pages to come up.
When should I submit my site to the Open Directory?
You should submit your site only when it contains a good amount of quality content and looks professional. Directories are selective. Open Directory editors seek only to have sites that users will find quite useful. Submitting your site too soon can jeopardize getting into the Open Directory. Also, because editors can add sites at your own initiative, you may not even need to submit your site. Before submitting, check whether your site has already been added by putting the middle term of your Web address (e.g., I put in "quakerinfo" because my site is www.quakerinfo.com) in the search box at the Open Directory.
How do I submit my site to the Open Directory?
Go to the Open Directory site and carefully search through the categories to find the one which best fits your site. On the page for that category, use the add URL link at the top of the page (if there is no such link at the category, it means you must go to a category lower in the hierarchy to submit). The form is simple and self-explanatory. Be sure to follow the directions on it. I suggest you copy the form before you submit it. This will show the exact name of the category as well as what you submitted. Submit your main page to only one category and gnerally do not submit it again.
When can I expect to hear back about my submission?
The Open Directory does not advise its editors to respond to people submitting sites, and there is no automatic notification. While some editors do respond to submitters, don't count on hearing back. You will need to check back from time to time using the search feature explained above to see if your site has been added. Don't simply go to the category to which you submitted, as editors can refer a sites to another category when they feel their category is not the best one for it.
How long should I wait before following up, and how do I follow up?
Open Directory suggest you wait at least three weeks. You may annoy an editor and decrease your chances for acceptance if you do not follow this guideline. And before you follow up, make sure the site has not been added anywhere in the Directory by doing a search for it.
The Open Directory gives you two possible ways to follow up - re-submitting or e-mailing the editor of the category. I do not recommend re-submitting, because the most likely reason for your site not being added is that the editor hasn't checked for new sites since you submited. When the editor does, seeing the same site there more than once will likely annoy him or her.
I recommend e-mailing the editor. At the bottom of the category page will be a link to the editor (if there is more than one editor listed, follow up with all listed). That will take you to the editor's profile page. Near the top of that page you will find a link to a form to e-mail the editor. It has a place where you can check whether to CC the staff. I recommend you leave that at the default of No, as copying the staff may be perceived as a belligerent step and you do not yet know at this point if you have a disagreement with the editor.
In the Comments box, put in a brief, very polite message. Give the URL and title of your site. Explain that it has been more than three weeks since you submitted. Ask the editor to let you know the reason if they have decided not to add your site. Ask the editor to try to get to the site soon if they haven't had time to do that yet. Don't sound impatient or annoyed. Try to keep in mind that the editor gets no compensation for this work, and there may be legitimate reasons why your site has languished - illness, computer or Internet connectivity problems, much overtime at work, vacation, being called up for the reserves, etc.
If your category has a "This category needs an editor" box at its bottom, you need to move up the Open Directory category hierarchy until you find one which does have an editor. Editors at higher levels have editing privileges at lower levels, even if they haven't signed up for the lower level categories. Send a brief, polite e-mail to that editor which specifies the exact category to which you submitted, as well as your site URL and title. Your alternative course is to apply to be the editor of the category. It is not permissible to do that just to get your site in, but it is acceptable to enter a site of your own as long as you are fulfilling all your editor responsibilities and treating other sites equally.
If a polite e-mail to the category editor, if there is one, gets no response in three weeks and a search shows your site is still not in the Directory, take further action. There are a couple of options. One is to send another brief, polite e-mail to the category editor, this time sending a CC to the staff. The other is to move up in the hierarchy and send an e-mail to a higher level editor, as explained in the prior paragraph. Choose one option, but do not use both simultaneously as that will annoy people if they discover you have done it.
Should I submit individual articles as well as my main page?
The Open Directory seeks to limit deeplinking, which is their term for including URLs for a site besides the main one, but recognizes that there are times when it is appropriate. Editors will also vary in their approaches to deeplinking. Generally, the more popular the category, the less likely it is that deeplinking will be allowed. At a minimum, you should consider for submitting only articles that contribute something significant to a subject area standing on their own. Submitting articles when there is not much of a chance of their being added will more likely hurt you than help you.
I suggest following these guidelines:
- If the article fits in the exact same category as your main page, this will be the most difficult situation in which to get it listed. Carefully review the category and see if there is any deeplinking in the current listings. Only submit an article if there is, and if it contributes something really important.
- If the article fits best in a sub-category of the category of your main page, there is a little better chance of its being listed. Again, carefully review the category and its sub-categories to determine whether the editor accepts deeplinking in sub-categories before deciding whether to submit.
- If the article fits best in a totally different category from your main page, this is a reason for deeplinking which the Open Directory acknowledges as valid. You should feel free to submit an article in this circumstance. However, do this only if the other category is truly a better fit for the article than your main category. If not, you may be seen as a spammer and be blacklisted.
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