Success with Dmoz directory listing

It's hit-or-miss at DMOZ. In some instances websites submitted were included in the directory rather quickly, other times they need to be re-submitted over a course of a few months.

Years ago they used to have a forum where you could ask for a status on the submission, but I see they've done away with it.

Heh - I was actually writing a short pdf report on how to get listed in DMOZ but never finished it.

Here's a quick summary:

1) No affiliate links - cloak them with pretty URL or just post them after you get accepted.

2) At least 10 pages of real content (unique - I ran it through Copyscape - I've seen some posts from DMOZ editors that say they look for unique content so it makes sense that they run it through Copyscape).

3) Nothing too salesy (pop-ups, pop-unders, page blockers etc...)

4) Everything is SEO friendly

5) My sites have contact info, privacy policies & disclosures about links and products I promote clearly stated. This is helpful not only with DMOZ but with Google AdWords.

This has helped me get my sites into DMOZ. Even when I do this - it is still hit or miss. Some of the editors at DMOZ are obviously lazy slackers or marketers themselves - but I think most of them are just dealing with a lot of submissions and making the best of it.

The DMOZ listing did help with my Google rankings.

I have a checklist for each new site I launch to make sure it complies with Google AdWords, DMOZ etc. - this way I follow the same steps to make the big boys happy.

What turns me off is the fact that your payment is non-refundable if your site is denied listing.

How sure then is listing?

Just read the guidelines from DMOZ ! this will surely get you in ! . just stick to the rules and submit.

DMOZ can take forever, it is the last human edited directory online. Guys your going to have to be patient unless you get someone who reviews your site and just does not like it or has a friend in a similar business.

First is to know if your website pass the rules of dmoz, like it is not a mirror site, affliate link or if it is underconstruction. And like other directories, you should submit in the right category.

Not yet success waiting from past 4 months...Let's hope for the best..

I submitted to dmoz over 12 months ago and still no luck. I recently re-submitted which they suggest you not do but after 12 mos? Sheesh..

Yeah, so be prepared to wait a very long time..

How to get listed in DMOZ:

1. Have a site that is listable. It has to be better and have more content or something that sites already listed do not have. Does not matter if your competitors are there or not - you have to offer something they do not.
2. Submit ONCE to the ONE best category.
3. Write a perfect guideline complinat description and title. When editors scan the pool of suggested sites, the good ones stand out. Any signs of marketing hype or keyword stuffing, there is a good chance you will be ignored or be in for a very long wait.
4. Move on. Get on with your life. There is nothing more you can do.

The role of an editor is to build a category of unique sites. When they decide to work on a category and when the decide to look for new sites to add, they look where ever they want to (search Google; follow links on other sites; personal knowledge, etc) - they use many and any sources. To assist the editors in finding new sites, DMOZ allows the public to make suggestions. Unfortunatly the pool of suggested sites is so full of crap its is an inefficient way for an editor to find new sites to add - their time is better spent using other sources. Some editors do not look at the submitted sites; some browse them for gems that stand out (hence the comment above about getting the title and description perfect); others who are feeling masochistic may actually use the pool of suggested sites.

So far this year DMOZ has added between 3000 and 6000 new sites a month, making it the fastest growing directory on the web.

More than 50% of the sites that get listed were not submitted in the first place.

IMHO ... most of those who complain the loudest in forums about DMOZ no listing them, generally have a site that is not listable.

dmoz is like throwing a Hail Mary pass your never know what you'll get but its not what you would hope for usually.

Hi Chaim,

The problem of DMOZ is really on the editors. I should know because I have been one before. I am not trying to ruin their name but their editors can be a bit lazy (Yes, that includes me) because they are marketers like you and me who also have their own businesses to attend to. This will explain the low number of sites they list.

But is it worthwhile? Yes. But I think it is more worthwhile if you will try to be an editor yourself. The downside is that it will take your time.

I use DMOZ.org to search an profitable niche and dig dig dig in order to find the sub sub sub niche for a starter.
what you need to know is before you set up a campaign this is a must do......

DMOZ was one of the directories I submitted my site to some time ago. I don't think I ever heard back from them and that was almost 2 months ago. My site qualifies for all those pointers above and still nothing. It's the one in my sig. I dunno what they are looking for really...

I still get emails from them giving approval to various sites of mine, some have been approved in a few months others I swear its been over 2 years or more....

Regardless I have done a Shi#load of testing with the DMOZ link over the last few years and bottom line is that it means less and less everyday.

Of course submit for it but just work on everything else, it never will help with individual keyword rankings it's going to help with overall domain trust and authority, but its up to your internal linking strategy to put the rest of the page juice in motion.

I've given up on trying to submit to DMOZ. I think it's over rated and as soon as possible realise that the better.

I just got a PM re DMOZ (have replied to the private bit), but thought I would reply to this bit publicaly: Three comments:
1) Because of the antiquated software, the search database is only updated every few weeks or so, so a site that is listed in a category MAY not show up in the search.
2) search for a site without the http:// - if that not work try it without the www.
3) The search at DMOZ is set up to find categories associated with keywords and not really find sites. Search engines are for searching and Directories were supposed to be for browsing, hence the importance of categories and not sites in the DMOZ search results. So some sites will not show up. Its not really an issue as no one actually searches at directories for sites, they search for keywords.

From reading some of the posts concerning DMOZ, it appears as though some people believe DMOZ is the Holy Grail of obtaining website traffic?

The bottom line, if you submit your site according to their TOS and nothing happens, you've essentially got three choices.

(a). Altogether forget about having a DMOZ listing
(b). Create a network in which ALL participants become DMOZ editors and show DMOZ what true inclusion means. I'm not advocating such a stealthy tactic, I'm just saying... there are people/groups who have did just that.
(c). Find equal or better traffic/SEO sources!

Giles, the Crew Chief

Just pay an editor to include your site :-)

Stupid? Irresponsible? :-)

If we must assume everyone on this forum is a newbie then sure, I'll give you that a tongue in cheek reply like mine without any sort of context could be taken wrong.

But is link buying really the vile evil immoral thing Google makes it out to be?

Take a stroll through the "Viagra" and "web hosting" markets. (or any moderately to highly competitive market for that matter) for the answer.

Is it possible to be banned for buying a link? sure anything is possible. But how likely?

Seriously, I think more people really need to think on this one.

If the simple act of paying for a link could blacklist a site how easy would it be to go to any well known link broker. Purchase a link on a completely unrelated site pointing to your competitor then file a paid link report with Google and watch them disappear from the index?

Google spends a HUGE amount of time and effort scaring people about the horrors and dangers of paid links.

But why?

Because if done properly outside of well known link networks there is no way Google can algorithmically tell that a link on a relevant site to a related site has been purchased. It is simply not possible...and Google knows this.

The majority of things Google scares people about are the things that work and the things that they have trouble detecting or simply cannot detect with a computer algorithm

Human reviewers you say...they could ban a site right?

Sure, they could but they could also ban it if they think it doesn't have enough content, is too commercial in nature, has too many affiliate links, promotes the wrong kind of products, isn't unique enough, has way too much adsense on it, the list is endless for the completely subjective possibilities a site could get on the wrong side of a quality rating for.

Is it more responsible to say that people should be be scared? Run from paid links because they don't work and everything Google says is true because Google has ours and not their best interests in mind with the FUD they put out there?

That's EXACTLY what every one of us must decide ourselves by not just taking what you read on a forum as gospel truth and take action and test for ourselves whether something works or not.

DMOZ can be a great link to have. It typically drives lots of traffic. But getting accepted can take years. Many categories don't have editors. Those that do are often people who applied to be an editor only so they can get their own site accepted.

Best advice: Submit your site, and forget about it.

Spamming them with submissions is not going to get you accepted.

Permanent ban from DMOZ? What is the downside?

Essentially this is stating concern about being banned from a site that a person is currently not listed in that could very well take years to be listed in but probably more than likely will never be listed in.

So if a site is banned from being in DMOZ without ever having been listed in DMOZ then I don't see too much risk involved here.

We'll never agree on the issue which is completely cool and I'm not even sure why I keep posting other than I feel like I was kind of made out to be a bad guy or something.

If a handful of people read these comments and take away from it that is is not wise to take Google's word about something as gospel and to do your due diligence before acting on anything posted in a forum then our disagreement is definitely worth it.

Wait Wait Wait! Dmoz has 85,618 editors???

Again, I'm supposed to be happy that the directory grows by 30,000/month???

If those numbers are correct, how are you still defending this? lol. I think 85,000 people in Internet marketing can probably come up with more than half of the sites being added every month!

So why does the most powerful search engine have any interest in using this directory?

I have seen results take up to 11 months to finally show up on DMOZ. Be patient.

I wish...!

Dmoz is very Strong back link and will give you Good traffic but the thing is very tuff to get approved site by it's moderator

Sometimes it takes years to get accepted into DMOZ