Getting Listed in DMOZ

What is DMOZ?

DMOZ is short for Directory Mozilla which is the same as the Open Directory Project. It is a good idea to get your site listed on this directory. They are very discerning and your site has to meet certain criteria to be approved. They want sites that are useful to users. This is a great way to help your search engine ranking and help your site succeed. Best of all it is free.

Why is listing with DMOZ a good thing?

Google relies on this directory. This does not mean that Googlebots won’t find your site but it helps. It is a good link to have going to your site. It isn’t just Google that is relying on DMOZ for search engine information, most major search engines rely on DMOZ.

So what is it that DMOZ likes to see in a listing?

DMOZ reserves the right to reject any site for any reason but they do have criteria that will help you.

  • Content that is unique – they want original websites, not mirror sites or redirected pages. They also like to avoid sites that are strictly full of affiliate links.
  • Submit your site once – just don’t submit twice.
  • Illegal content is unacceptable.
  • Only completely finished sites are looked at. If you site is under construction or appears incomplete they will reject it
  • Categorize your site correctly for best odds. DMOZ actually provides help for putting your site in the right category.
After you choose a category you can go in that category and there is a link to suggest a URL. This will take you to the form that is needed with other instructions for you to follow. You may want to go down to the bottom and read the terms and conditions that you have to agree too first.
While you may find that there is a lot of advice on the Internet about to better your chances of being accepted by DMOZ you will benefit from just following their guidelines and categorizing your site as well as possible. Don’t try to do anything sneaky like slip affiliate sites by them, this is a guaranteed rejection.
DMOZ is different in that if your site is approved or rejected you will not know unless you go looking. Approvals can take weeks to months to show up because the directory is run by volunteers. If you site is rejected there isn’t anyone to contact or any feedback given. You are on your own.
On top of listing your site with DMOZ you need to make sure that you list your site with Google. You can do this whether or not you are accepted by DMOZ and it’s a free resource.

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