DMOZ SUBMISSION TIPS
Open Directory Project Tips
Believe it or not, the 10
minutes it takes to make your submission
will probably the most important thing you
do this week. Here are some tips to improve your
chances of success. |
Start by reading the DMOZ
guidelines. Don't do like me and submit
a dozen sites without really paying close
attention to the guidelines. I didn't take
the submission process seriously enough since
I couldn't see any clear gain in the near future.
I suggest that you research the Open Directory Project
(DMOZ) and have everything written before starting the online process. Then, choose
a category (see below) from the directory and click "Suggest
URL".
Let's look at some of the most
important entries. |
| Title |
According to the guidelines, the
"title should identify the site, not describe
it". The title should be informative
and concise. If the site belongs to a
business then
the official name of the business should be
used as the title. See the guidelines for more
specific Here are some examples
of titles from the website.
- not all caps
- the first letter of each word should be
in capital, except for articles,
prepositions and conjunctions
- do not use the URL as the title
- no punctuation marks or unnecessary symbols
|
| Description |
The
description should give specific information
about the content and/or subject matter of
the site.
The description should be written for the benefit
of the directory user, to give them an idea
of
what they will find on the website.
The description:
- should be informative
- should be concise
- should not try to sell the site
- should not be stuffed with keywords
- should not repeat the title of the
site
- should not use superlatives like "best"
or "cheapest"
- Information that could change, such as
prices, should not be included.
|
| Category |
Choose your category carefully.
Find the appropriate category and drill down to the
appropriate sub-category. Once there, take a
look at some of the existing listings to ensure
that your site fits. Submitting to the
wrong category can delay your application. If your site has a regional flavor then
make sure you submit it to a regional category as well. Regional submissions often
make it into the directory quicker.
|
When faced with hundreds of submissions, editors tend to pick out submissions
that they can process quickly. They often will add submissions that are obviously well written
and follow the guidelines. If your title, description, grammar and category are wrong your
application has a better chance of being put aside. Don't worry, someone will look at it,
eventually.
A Public
Abuse Report form is available if you feel that this measure is appropriate.
I hope that our
tips have been helpful,
Good Luck with your DMOZ submission.
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