Getting your website listed in the DMOZ directory in anything less than geologic time frames is next to impossible. Most SEOs submit their sites and then forget about ever getting listed. However, there is a way to guarantee that your site will be included in the DMOZ directory quickly: become a DMOZ editor for the category in which you have applied to have your website listed.
Applying to become a DMOZ editor is easy. Getting accepted is a little bit harder, but definitely doable. The first step is to find the category that best describes your website. At the bottom of that category you will see a link that says "Volunteer to edit this category." This will take you to the next page which gives you tips and advice on applying to become an editor. Read this page! At the bottom of the page click on the button that says "Proceed" to go to the actual application.
DMOZ will only approve you to edit one category at a time. After you become an editor, you can apply to edit other categories. Whether or not you get accepted to edit other categories depends on your body of work up until that time as an editor. That is why it is a good idea, even after you are approved as an editor, to carefully follow the editorial guidelines on websites you approve to be in the directory. If you have multiple websites waiting to be approved by DMOZ editors, I recommend applying to edit in the category for which your most important site is waiting. Do a good job editing in that category and it will be easy for you to be approved to edit other categories.
It is best to start with a smaller category. Usually less than 100 listings in a category will give you an excellent chance of being accepted.
The actual application is where you need to be careful and do a little homework. Here you will be asked to provide the usual (your name, username, password, email address, etc.).
Further down the application page you will find four boxes to input information. Doing a good job filling out these four boxes is critical to your application. As you fill them out, make sure your punctuation, grammar, and spelling are all correct. I'll list each box one by one and my suggestions for the best way to fill them out.
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What is your internet experience? Enter a laundry list here (CSS, HTML, Drupal, PHP/mySQL, etc.). You don't need to elaborate much. I would not put that you are an SEO. You want to show DMOZ that you actually care about the integrity of the directory. If whoever reviews your application thinks that you are trying to become an editor just to manipulate search results, they may not approve you.
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Why are you interested in becoming an editor for the ODP? You want to be careful here. You need to be honest in your application; however, there may be such a thing here as too much honesty. For example, you would not want to put something like "I'm applying because I want to get my website www.xyz.com listed in the directory." Instead, talk about how important it is to the internet community that only websites with high quality content be listed in the directory. Even though algorithms are getting better all the time, there is still no substitute for human review by a trusted reviewer to identify quality websites, etc.
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Explain your interest in the subject category. Think of all the relevant experience you have had in the category and then paint that experience in the best light possible. For example, if the category is Kobe Bryant (taxonomy: Sports: Basketball: Professional: NBA: Players: B: Bryant, Kobe) you would explain how you follow Kobe's statistics and are familiar with his career and then list some relevant details/examples (his drafting from high school to the Lakers, his NBA championships, Olympic appearances, etc.).
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Sites with which you are associated. It is important to be honest here. Some application reviewers can be very thorough and will often find out if you try to mislead them. There is no conflict of interest for you to edit categories in which you may also have eligible sites. You can even approve your own sites, just as long as you follow the editorial guidelines.
The total time to get this far is probably 1 or 2 hours carefully reading the submission and editorial guidelines, and then about 30 minutes to fill out the four boxes. I recommend copying and pasting all of your responses into a Word document. There is a good chance that you will be rejected on your first application. If you are denied the first time, your initial applications is not saved anywhere and you will have to create a new application from scratch. By saving all of your responses it will be easier to re-do a new application later and cut and paste those responses back in the application (provided it wasn't those responses that kept you from getting accepted in the first place).
The last part of the application is also very important. Here, you need to suggest three sites that are not listed in the directory, but that you would include in the directory if you were an editor for the category for which you are applying to edit. This is where you have to do a little homework. Here are the steps I recommend to finding good sites:
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Do Google/Yahoo searches for relevant sites. Make sure the sites are not affiliate sites or are not duplicate content sites. Also, strictly re-seller sites with little original content will not work. I recommend making a list of 5 or 10 candidate sites and then working down from there. Make sure the sites have original quality content.
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Find the best three and then check the DMOZ directory to make sure they are not already listed. It can be a challenge to find good sites that are not already listed. Always check, because rest assured, your application reviewer will and he/she will deny your application if you have suggested a site that is already listed. Type in the URL without https:// or www prefixes (e.g., google.com) in the DMOZ search box to check if the website is already in the directory.
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After you have found three candidate sites that meet the editorial guidelines and are not already in the directory, write a simple title and description. Do not use words such as "quality" or "best" in the description. The DMOZ editorial guidelines give examples of the best way to write titles and descriptions. Make sure and follow those guidelines carefully or your application will be denied.
This part of the application can take about an hour or more. The hardest part is finding good quality original websites that are not already listed. I would not use your own website as an example of one of the three. While I do not know for sure if this would be cause for denial of your application, I just think it is bad form.
Submit your application and follow the instructions (you have to reply to an email to complete your application).
The DMOZ editors who review applications typically have very fast turnaround times. When I first applied to be an editor (and on subsequent re-applications) and when I have applied for new categories the reviewers usually get back to me within 24 hours with their decision. Plan on your application being denied the first couple of times. Most of the time, the person who reviews your application will give you good feedback as to why your application was denied. It is easy to make the changes and then re-apply.
When I first applied, it took me three times to finally get accepted to edit my first category. Once I became an editor, my eyes were opened! I went into the category and there were 69 submissions waiting to be reviewed, including my previous submission (the category only had 49 listed websites). It was obvious that an editor had not looked at that category in a long time. Especially in commercial product categories, there is little incentive for editors to approve other websites. If an editor is editing a commercial product category and that editor also has a website listed in that category, it is unlikely that he/she will be excited about approving their potential competitors. That is why some categories NEVER get new sites listed and updated in them.
In that list of unreviewed websites you will probably see your past submissions, as well as those you suggested to be included when you made your application.
I recommend that you go through the list of applicants and find some good websites to list in your category, even if they might potentially be your competitors. This will show the DMOZ muckety mucks that you did not abuse your editorial discretion and it will make it easier for you to get approved for other categories in the future. Then, of course, go in and list yours as well. When you do this, the websites becomes listed and immediately active in the directory.
The total time to become a DMOZ editor, from beginning to end, is probably 3 or 4 hours. To apply for new categories is usually 1 hour or less since you already tackled the learning curve.
Is it worth it? Who knows.... I guess it all depends on what a link from DMOZ is worth! That is a question for another post.
Having been an editor for many years I can agree with most of this post. The advice I would give anyone wanting to be an editor is:
In addition to this, or maybe more importantly, start with a bottom level category. You are probably going to get turned down if you apply for:
Regional > North America > United States > Minnesota
But you have a better chance of being approved for:
Regional > North America > United States > Minnesota > Localities > E > Eden Prairie
There seems to be a lot of frustration by SEOmoz members at the lack of response from DMOZ submissions so I thought I would share my results from my 2008 client submissions.
9 Submissions
4 Listings
31% success rate - Not great, but good enough for a free listing that I spent only 5-10 minutes on each.
I have 1 client in particular that I have submitted once per year since August of 2005. The site was submitted correctly every time and still no listing. I certainly understand the frustration that builds when your efforts do not appear to generate the desired results.
Can just this 1 link really matter? Yes it can.
In November of 2007 I had the unfortunate opportunity to work on a campaign of a local independent Insurance Agent’s website who was located in rural South Carolina. The agent had a badly designed site that was only weeks old with no backlinks at all. Zero. Zip. Nada. None! Anyone who has optimized and financial services websites can probably attest to the level of competitiveness of such an endeavor and the utter need for link building. Guess what? The client did not seem to think that he needed links and did not allocate any of his small budget for link building. I remember actually being furious at the situation because I just got stuck working on a campaign that I knew was going to fail miserably. Well I did what I was supposed to do and optimized the site and then went and submitted it to a dozen or so directories to try and generate some link juice. One of which was DMOZ.
For the first 2 months rankings, email leads and phone calls for the agent were non existent. He would call once per month to chew us out and there was nothing we could do about it because he would not do any link building. Then on the 3rd month he had popped into Google and a couple of the other engines and I could not believe it. Checking backlinks had shown a couple of directory links and, by my surprise, a DMOZ listing. I searched any other possible reason that he had gained rankings and the only thing I could ever attribute it to was his DMOZ link.
Now, that 1 link helped him greatly to gain higher rankings, but he still failed to take link building seriously enough to make room in his budget for it and the campaign stalled at about the level it did at month 4. I think if there is anything to be learned here, it is probably that a DMOZ link can matter, but it is not the end-all be-all to base a link building campaign on.
As to the current state of DMOZ, I will admit it is in dispare and I only hope that BOTW does indeed purchase it from AOL and do something worthy with it.
Thanks a lot for sharing so openly! I have always wondered about DMOZ and at times gotten quite frustrated with wait times (patience hasn't always been my strong suit).
Anyways, as always, I love to see when people are willing to collaborate and share their experiences so thanks!
Loved this post - covers a topic that gets a lot of questions very intelligently. Great advice, countrystarr.
As to the value, my feeling is it's moderate for small sites, low for mid-size sites and virtually worthless for large sites. If you're tiny, have 20-100 links, DMOZ might make a sizable difference in your link profile. At a few hundred to a few thousand links and a more established site, that impact will be dramatically lower and if you're huge, you probably won't care or even notice.
Also interesting to note is the drop in importance and reference-worthiness of DMOZ over the past few years. Linkscape data confirms this - the website is being linked-to less and less over time, making it less of a resource than it once was... Sad really - I hope they sell to an organization like BOTW, who could help to give it some much needed revitalization.
Thumbs down for "Great advice, countrystarr".
Great advice would have been "Don't waste your time with DMOZ. You could probably accomplish ten times as much in half the time pursuing other link sources".
that’s right, instead of becoming a editor for just adding your website is not worth to me, as I can pursue some one else to give me a link and second thing getting link from DMOZ doesn’t guarantee you a high ranking, is it? So I would just submit a website
Nothing like getting a bunch of thumbs down for telling the truth. The fact is, while the post was well written, the advice isn't good. Anyone who invests their time trying to get a DMOZ link is just wasing their time.
On a final note, this will be my last comment on this blog. It really is not a place for dissenting views, but rather people that are just willing to be cheerleaders for whatever it written.
Have some balls folks. Get an opinion.
Sean, you can't leave! I just got here! I ALWAYS enjoy reading your posts. (Don't always agree but always enjoy and NEVER thumb down)
C'mon dude!
Great post. However, way too much work for way too little reward. The cost benefit just doesn't add up.
There's an old saying that "There's nothing worse than doing something so well that should never have been done to begin with."
From my perspective, investing one's time in trying to get a DMOZ listing and actually succeeding means that you've essentially wasted a ton of valuable time that couuld have been expended elsewhere in order to realize significantly greater reward.
Sean I definately feel this way. The DMOZ train seems to have left the station. I am on the fence as to whether or not small sites see benefit from DMOZ though and think that the post certainly is usefull to keep perspective as to how much work, effort and care is required to persue a listing - then it is up to the SEO to determine it's worth.
I got into DMOZ in less than a month last year by using Twitter after I found the editor's account and tweeted him.
,Michael Martin
Google And Blog
Does anyone got a back yard full of dog poop?
I would like to exchange my "3-4 hour application process for DMOZ" in return for the privilege of cleaning up your dog poop.
With a pair of chopsticks.
On a hot, humid, sunny afternoon in the middle of July.
For free.
Butt naked, covered in "horney moose musk" in the middle of moose mating season, surrounded by horny bull moose.
With a bulls-eye painted on my rear-end.
DMOZ? FAIL.
That's one way of stating it Mr. Snub, I mean Shrub, I mean...dammit!
Why do I have to spend five minutes trying to pronounce that name every time I see it?
That was very enjoyable, Mr. Snrub. Of course, I might feel differently if I had ever been able to get anything listed, but, since I haven't, that was fun.
Dmoz has got some issues with the new launch, I hope they get them ironed out as I like the idea of a peer reviewed directory that includes true competitors in any given field,.... as a user of the directory it was due for a long awaited make over, I wonder they must have a ton of developers working on it.... as a project manager I know how much of a nightmare it can be managing large teams especially if they are volenteer based!
It's interesting no one has mentioned how long DMOZ was completely fubared for awhile back. It's during this period (while they were mucking about trying to rebuild their backend database) that they began to lose authority.
We have DMOZ on one end of the spectrum, with the Craiglist-style "community driven" free listing approach, and then Yahoo directory on the other end, with the ridiculously expensive paid-inclusion approach. Personally, I'd love to see a directory emerge somewhere in the middle of the two!
DMOZ worked much better, and had quicker turnaround, earlier on before they completely fell off the cliff. I don't think they will ever completely recover from that. I still submit sites, and eventually they get included (eventually = 1-yr+ now), but I'm not sure I'd spend so much effort finagling an editorial position just to get one site listed.
I know, I know - lone dissenting opinion! ;-)
Gotta ask myself if I really want a 3rd job?
I'm a ten year DMOZ editor. I probably added 200+ sites during that time, and got to learn the behind the scenes stuff. I quit, because overall, DMOZ is too filled with dead branches. I'd say that less than 5% of the cats are maintained to a standard that is signal worthy.
I completely agree with you, I found the same thing also.
Yeah, I would be interested in how mucha Dmoz link is worth. For my area of interest the web sites shown are not very good.
The value of a DMOZ listing is hard to guage, but based on the SEOmoz Link Directory list rating this directory #1 and the Yahoo Directory #2 you might be able consider a DMOZ listing more valuable than a Yahoo Directory listing that costs $299 per year.
Good point....not sure if the yahoo directory is worth the money. I have submitted my site numerous times and applied to be an editor before. I applied again and will see what happens. To be honest, it was not just to get my link, but to also edit the category. They have some really bad sites for my area.
I did this exact same analysis and decided that if Yahoo is "worth" $299 per year, then DMOZ must be "worth" the time it would take to become an editor. I guess the real question should be...is Yahoo "worth" $299.
For whatever it is worth, when I got listed in DMOZ my site ranking jumped 15 spaces from about 56 to 41 for the the keyword phrase "locking mailbox."
I've never had luck as much as I wanted to contribute to the project and it seems that no matter what attention you put into the application and the level of honesty (as mentioned by countrystarr), it never mattered.
Considering DMOZ a valuable link, I would say not, but as an overall resource to be had online for information, it does provide some useful bits.
And as for leveraging DMOZ for clients, it almost seems like some editors in particular categories are extremely biased, based on submitting a clients for upward to three years andnever getting in despite all of their competitors (of similar or like value) being included in the categories. So am I frustrated with DMOZ? Yes. I and many other SEO's work smart but hard to get clients moving in the right direction and this being counted on as a legitimate source of reference - leads one to be a bit concerned. But despite thr rant, I am sure it works for many sites and many categories, however, can be improved from both a quality and editorial standpoint.
My 2.5 cents
I tried years ago to become a DMOZ editor but didn't get through. I have heard lots and lots about corruption and back handers but may try again. I reckon the Knitting Circle in Huddersfield may be available?
I still think the DMOZ link is a good link that passes trust to a domain for free (if you can get in).
Let me know when you find the Knitting Circle category. It sounds fascinating and I want to join too;-)
In all honesty I feel that spending those 3 - 4 hours building links from other sources could be more worth while.
A couple of blog posts maybe.
DMOZ ain't what it used to be...
DMOZ has gone down the toilet in my opinion.
I still think you should submit your site for inclusion but don't stress it. Just submit it and forget it.
As for biased editors, I think it's filled with them and that is probably the reason DMOZ is getting so crappy. If you want to become an editor I would suggest really going through your category and editing it. Don't blow your competitors listing applications as that will only further the devaluing of DMOZ.
The value is no-where near what it used to be. The only real traffic the site gets is from editors and people submiting their sites and checking their listing. And the DMOZ clone sites that I think made a listing so valuable are all pretty much penalized and worthless links. Not to mention outdated. So getting those links will probably never happen.
I think DMOZ i very important directory, but sometimes it takes long time to get listed :-(
I was a dmoz editor for a while, but honestly I've come to resent dmoz's continued authority status (however dwindling it may be). The approved links vary wildly in quality, the community is plagued with politics, and a lot of categories are edited by, well, no one. Most editors, including myself, signed up initially with the intention of pushing their own links through. I did honestly manage my category for a while, but they certainly don't make it easy or fun for editors. It also struck me as unfair that, had I wanted to, I could've simply refused links from my clients' competitors. In the spirit of fairness, I didn't do that, but I doubt every editor is as "white hat" about editing as I was.
dmoz's undeserved pagerank & perceived authority keep it at the front of SEO discussion, but I don't see why it should be considered the best we can do in terms of web directories. I'm interestied in hearing arguments as to why dmoz is a good system (in terms of design & function, not benefit to SEO), so feel free to have at it!
So how much do you charge? :.)
This is actually a good question. For me, getting approved actually made me feel a sense of responsibility about the listings. The first time you get approved and you get in your first category and see all the listings waiting you feel like He Man "I have the power!"
But you have to come to terms with the responsiblity of being an editor. There is always somebody over you that can remove you from being an editor if you abuse your discretion. Also, getting approved for new categories depends on doing a good job editing the categories you are already approved for.
Also, as an editor, you have the ability to modify the other listings that have previously been approved. However, by getting approved, I felt like I had been granted a certain amount of trust that I didn't want to betray. I have decided to do everything "by the book" to make sure I can stay an editor.
Great post, I must say, I've done the same thing, waiting and waiting for my page to get approved, then applied and got rejected. A couple of months later, I tried again, got in, and am now editing three categories, not only those that I have websites in, but I just like the concept, so I try to contribute my share.
On the other hand, knowing the SEO world, just be fair to yourself, do you really want to help with the category or is it really only your site that you would like to get in? If you answer the last, just don't apply, I believe that the incentive is wrong...
This is great idea. I've thought about applying for a long time, but this gives me some good guidelines to follow. Thank you. Once I've applied, I will post back with any results.
Its a good link that still makes other good links.
I have applied to be an editor. but so far i haven't heard from them. Though it is very important for one to be patient and honest. Still I am waiting for their response. However I wanted to know that what according to you should be the requirements of a site/blog to be listed in DMOZ.
I own a travel and tourism blog related to one of the most beautiful cities in the world 'Udaipur'. We now even have a team of writer and reporters for the same. Still i would be highly oblighed if the expert jury would help me (and other curious people like me) and suggest some tips and impart there expert advice for the same.
U may mail me on : [email protected]
Regards
Udaipurblog.com
Thanks for the great post. I just applied as editor so I will update on if and when (how long) it takes to get approved. I was able to find a category with a fairly small number of listings so hopefully that will help.
DMOZ is important directory, agree that it takes long time to get listed. Even if it was listed in DMOZ I think triying to get listed in other important directories is important too.
I have went through all the steps and have applied as an editor. It has been exactly one week and I haven't heard back. Do you suggest that I reapply again?
Sorry to say but DMOZ is mostly corrupt. I have tracked down multiple editors for the categories I tried to enter. All of the editors (with one exception) I found, had personal websites of the same genre listed in the directory. DMOZ clearly has no issue with this at all.
Hi guys. I applied to be an editor over three weeks ago and have not received a response. What does this mean? Should I reapply? Thanks, Barbara
Hi Barbara!
I just received my DMOZ editor status and it took 11 months. See you next July!
Dear Jackson,
Could you kindly help me to get listed my site on Dmoz please.
URL : https://www.giftbig.com
Title of Site: Gift Big
Site Description : Offers Gift Card, Gift Certificate and Gift Vouchers for premium brands in India.
I know this is an old post and the value of DMOZ is not really relevant as once before but I had a personal goal ;) to become an editor and thought I would give it a shot. Because of this article I completed, submitted and was approved as an editor in less than 24 hours (only took two submissions!) - no kidding. Thanks guys! Simple rules for submissions: Follow what this article says, follow what Realicity says (he made some excellent points at the top of this post) and follow the ODP guidelines - that will give you the best chances of getting approved.
Great contribution @Matthew and other community members; for the right guidance. Though i was trying to get a DMOZ link for my blog from a long time and now i think how can i get on :)
Used your tips and it worked within 4 hours of submission :)
Please explain what exactly Moz does.
how to check dmoz listing. my site quickmoney365.com, not sure is it listed or not.
Hello Guys,
I am trying to get listed on Dmoz from long tym. But I am not able to do that.
Can anybody do that for me. my website Details is :
Category : Shopping - Gifts - Gift Certificate
URL : https://www.giftbig.com
Title of Site: Gift Big
Site Description : Offers Gift Card, Gift Certificate and Gift Vouchers for premium brands in India.
I will be highly thank full to the person who can do this for me....
There is a typo here 'Sties with which you are associated'
'Sites'
It would help if I could actually find a link to click on to apply to become an editor. Surely DMOZ is the most un-user-friendly site in the history of the internet. Ironically something that the likes of Google say they are trying to pick up on for regular site ranking.
How I failed to become a editor after 5 submissions
I would like to share my personal experience, so other people can learn from my mistakes. Briefly, I applied and then re-applied according to the reviewer's comments. However, I was denied in the end and told not to re-apply again.
I made one mistake: not being honest with "Sites with which you are associated". I was affiliated with DealsVista, and did not include that in my first three submissions. Then after I included DealsVista, I was rejected for being not honest. Please learn from my mistake. Btw, I am not affliated with the website mentioned in comments #4. Below are the review comments:
1st Reviewer Comments:
Please suggest sites which belong in this specific category, which are not already listed, *and* which meet ODP selection criteria, to show that you can easily build this category with worthwhile additions unrelated to you.Also, please use the editing guidelines to help you write acceptable titles and descriptions.Thanks.
2nd Reviewer Comments:
Incomplete response to "Please give details, including URLs, of any sites that you own or have designed or promoted, either in full or in part. Also, mention whether you have contributed content to any site, and give URLs asappropriate".We are happy to accept editors who are affiliated with websites, and, in fact, most of our editors have some affiliations. However, to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest, we ask that editors be completelyupfront about those affiliations when they apply.If reapplying, please give a more comprehensive answer to this question.
3rd Reviewer Comments:
The reviewer comments on your last application still stand.
4th Reviewer Comments:
Thank you for the more complete answer to the affiliations section of the form. Could you also briefly explain your affiliation with https://www.gatejumper.net/ ?
5th Reviewer Comments:
Despite reminders, it's taken 4 applications for you to slowly reveal 5 associated websites. We have to wonder if there are even more.An editorial position here is one of trust and integrity and I'm sorry to tell you that we aren't absolutely certain of yours. Please don't apply again.
Nice logic! Loved the trick that it's good to become an editor.
ah i agree that be prepared to get denied, often you dont have time to keep applying and being denied if you are not being provided feedback, it seems better if they move to the Y!Directory or BOTW model and I pay my $199/year for the listing i want in the section that is best for my client.
I did try to submit many "good quality sites" to DMOZ but never got anyone listed the normal way...
They do mentionned that you shouldn't apply to become an editor to get your site included, but from my personal experience the only sites I managed to have included in the directory where the one I applied and got approved to manage myself.
There's a very real fact that unless you are the editor of your category, you'll never be included, not because your site is not good enoug, but simply because there's no one to review your category and nobody cares about the sites in a category without editors.
I was an editor for a few years also, in a category that I genuinely had an interest in and none of my clients were in that industry (sadly - I love records!). It does require a lot of commitment, and I also found that there were disputes internally which caused some problems. As a site owner I would probably prefer a Wikipedia page over a DMOZ listing. I am no longer an editor due to time constraints, I didn't feel I could commit to it as much as I felt I should.
I've tried to get a few genuine listings on DMOZ with no luck so went down the route of applying to be an editor to refresh our local pages which are way out of date. By focussing on a niche category to get started I thought I would have better luck getting accepted but it didn't happen.
As Sean Maguire said it seems too much work for too little reward. Pitty as our local pages look out of date and hold little value for directory users.
Here are some common myths about becoming an Editor
1. Becoming a DMOZ editor does not give you the ability to edit other categories. This means you can't add your own links to whatever category you want.
2. Getting approved for another category is also hard, and not 'easy'. I have seen a lot of editors declined.
3. Even if you get the category you want, the CatMod/Edital/Meta can remove your own listing from your category. I have seen this done with other editors who had their website listing removed from their own category.
Here are some Pros
1. Editors get their own bookmark directory in which they can pretty much add whatever site they like.
2. Editors can submit a link to a category, and other Editors will see that it came from an editor. This will help the chances of the link being approved.
3. DMOZ categories have gray PR bars, but Google copies over the link into their directory which has a lot of pages with some Pagerank
Last but not least..
Just like Google....Listings/Rankings can NOT be guaranteed
I had no idea. I applied once a long while ago and never went any further after getting rejected the first time.
I'd love to hear opinions on how useful a DMOZ listing is for SEO as of right now (not where it's headed regarding relevancy but where it is currently)
Good insight with a path to follow.
I might think about trying this, if only I could remember the categories I've submitted sites to over the years. :(
While I firmly beleive that a dmoz listing is just another link - I do have a pretty much surefire way of getting listed, its worked on a few sites I have submitted.
My trick is NOT to submit the site, but to APPLY to be an editor and as covered in the OP you will generally be denied, but when you are suggesting sites, suggest the one you want to submit, along with another couple that meet the editorial guidelines.
Guess what, every time Ive tried this, those sites have appeared in less than a month.
One caveat, is that this for me has only worked on smaller sections, mainly regionals.
"I guess it all depends on what a link from DMOZ is worth! That is a question for another post".... Seriously, I would like to read that post before spending some time on DMOZ
@omarinho - I decided to go ahead and create that blog post for you.
THE ALMIGHTY DMOZ LINK. IS IT WORTH THE EFFORT?
no.
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Thank you Sean Maguire, wow, very concise post! :)
When submitting to DMOZ, is it smarter to use different emails for different clients or projects? I wonder if they monitor how many submissions are made per email, and if at a certain point they stop including your submissions...?
Perhaps if your submitting domain.com and the email you use is [email protected] they are more likely to notice you and include you, assuming everything else is in line.
I applied twice to become a DMOZ editor and my application was declined both times. The category I applied to edit has only 42 sites listed, even up till this day and that's the deepest category. The reviewer told me that the category was too broad to be given to a new editor.This is the category:
Top: Regional: Africa: Nigeria: Business and Economy: Computers and Internet (42)
What makes it broad? The response I got in the reviewer's own words is:
"Additional reviewer comments:
Thank you for applying to be the editor at the Open Directory Project. Unfortunately, we cannot accept your application at this time due to the size and scope of the category you have requested. Typically new editors are started in Locality level categories with 75 or fewer sites. This is not to cast aspersion on an applicant's professional or academic qualifications, or their devotion or expertise to a particular area. Rather it is due to the complex nature of the directory and the fact editors need some experience before editing in such broad categories. Editors are granted permissions in broader parts of the directory after they have demonstrated good descriptive style, sound taxonomic judgment, and a full understanding of ODP guidelines and conventions."
I'm not applying again in the near future because DMOZ is saturated with editors. They seem not to want new people in and yet they find it hard to approve submitted links.
My experience has been that getting links in very local DMOZ categories is really easy?
Is it worth it?
I don't know but it only take a minute so why not?
very local directories are easier especially if your website/niche is local.
if it doesnt contain anything about a local city, then it will get rejected
make sure to put a local number/address
Excellent article with good info but I think a better subject would be who uses DMOZ's data anymore, and why? (rhetorical question)
As well intentioned as DMOZ is, any directory that has an approval process that is timed in epochs is certainly not worth the bandwidth it uses.
In our fast paced society many companies will fail, change ownership, change name, change locations, or change catagories before even being considered for a listing.
And no, this is not an effective way of weeding out fly-by-night businesses.
In my humble opinion, the editors are extremely hard working, under appreciated, well meaning individuals trying to keep horseshoes on the pony express while the rest of the world is sending emails.
@countrystarr mate I would have to say that this is one of the best posts about dealing with DMOZ, and appreciate the time you have taken to help out the seo community.
thank you
this is a good post, and definitely good to hear views from rand, s.maguire and others. personally i also cant be bothered spending time with DMOZ either submitting or trying to be becoming an editor. I prefer to pay to BOTW or Yahoo and reap the small reward if my site is approved. Besides, what about all this controversial news about DMOZ editors accepting cash in exchange for site inclusions... some SEOs actually confirm that it is possible to bribe DMOZ editors... that sucks a bit
I think this is a very good post. Well done. Would it be fair to say that it is easier for bigger sites to get in than tiny sites? If so, it is quite a strange situation from an SEO perspective, because a link from DMOZ is not worth much for a large site and worth a lot for a tiny site (as Rand said).
For commercial product categories I think it would be virtually impossilbe to get listed if you don't become an editor for that category. Regardless of the size of your site, you would most likely be depending on another editor who is very likely one of your competitors approving your site.
I still love DMOZ and getting some of my small clients into it really helps them. Like Rand said above, once the client is established and has a small quanity of links, DMOZ really doesn't do much for them.
Good post never the less!
"I still love DMOZ and getting some of my small clients into it really helps them..."
"...once the client is established and has a small quanity of links, DMOZ really doesn't do much for them"
The word "dichotomy" comes to mind.
DMOZ?
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