Tips for getting site listed in Google Directory

Google Directory (which uses listings of Dmoz the largest Human Edited web directory on the internet). Open Directory Project is basically from the Netscape. Google Directory uses Dmoz’s listings and then refines through its own technology. You would be in benefit if you have your site listed in Google Directory not because of Page Rank or Traffic jump but your site would also have a higher status in the web. Infact everyday thousands of bloggers submit their site. Getting into dmoz is not easy but also not impossible.

What I have learnt from my 10 day experience is that Due to large volume of applications everyday, dmoz editors review your site in a hurry. They might not be visiting your site in that depth. Here are few tips that will definitely increase your chances of getting into dmoz.

As said in dmoz guidelines, submit to the deepest sub category you know where your site suits. For eg, My site should be listed at Computers/Internet/On_the_Web/Weblogs/FAQs,_Help_and_Tutorials/
This will make your reviewing process quick. Although editors have an option to transfer a site to another sub category, but they generally don’t do that.

Editors visit your site’s front page only (in most cases). What they will be observing is your layout and content.

I am not permitted to disclose a blog which was deserving a place in my category but it wasn’t listed because it was not well organized. Basically all blogger and wordpress blogs have good layouts, so you shouldn’t be experimenting much. I’ll prefer you force your visitors to scroll vertically instead forcing them to scroll horizontally. Its not that your theme is attractive, it should be that your links are well built up and tested.

Suppose you own a blog. Don’t put rubbish items in your posts totally off topic. They may be like that I am planning to shift or anything else. Post only what your visitors want to read.
P.S. you can have a status box like mine for such things [see left sidebar]

You can have a look on other sites listed where you think your site should be listed and then compare

Do not flood your page with affiliate links. Editors take this very seriously.

While giving your site’s description, do not use short forms of words like info, tech etc. Editors generally do not accept such applications because it makes it different for users of other tongues to get them translated.

A dmoz listing update takes time. It may vary from one minute to one year depending on editor. So if you want to check the status of your application { whether still under review, accepted or rejected }, you can visit dmoz resource zone.