Search Engine Directory Submissions - Getting Listed in Yahoo, Looksmart, ODP, JoeAnt and GoGuides

by Herman Drost

The rules for search engine directory submissions are very different than the rules for getting listed in the search engines. Therefore please read the general submission guidelines in my previous article (Part 2), before proceeding with the more detailed explanations below for each search engine directory.

http://www.isitebuild.com/search-engine-directories.htm

Yahoo (yahoo.com) Yahoo uses Google (for now) in its Web Search results, but not in its directory. (Although Yahoo! has announced that it plans to drop Google from its results--until that happens, though, getting indexed by Google will show your site in the Yahoo search engine as well). This will change as Yahoo acquires Inktomi in the coming months.

Yahoo directory results are compiled by human editors. A listing in the Yahoo Directory will get you listed in Google, but not vice versa.

Free submission (standard) This applies if you have a non-commercial site in which you submit to a non-commercial category. You can also just submit the non- commercial pages of your commercial web site. There's a good chance they will be accepted.

How to submit - Go to the "Suggest a Site" link at the bottom of the category page, then fill out the submission form. That's it!

Guarantee - no review time is guaranteed. If you want to expedite getting listed for your commercial site, then consider using the paid submission service.

Paid Submission (Yahoo Express) http://add.yahoo.com/fast/add?+Business For a one time fee of $299.00, Yahoo will guarantee consideration of your site within 7 working days. It does not guarantee inclusion into the directory. Most sites however, do get accepted. There is also a recurring annual fee of $299.00

Looksmart http://listings.looksmart.com/home/?synd=&chan= LookSmart results reach Internet users worldwide through top portals, ISPs, and search services including Lycos, InfoSpace, RoadRunner, CNET, Inktomi and LookSmart.com

Free submission For non-commercial sites, submit them to zeal.com (http://www.zeal.com). To do this, fill out the zeal membership form (http://zeal.com/users/register.jhtml?) Choose a non-commercial category by selecting the "Manage" option near the top of the category page, then click on the "Profile" link near the top of the page where the sites are listed.

Paid Submission http://listings.looksmart.com/home/pricing.jhtml#cpc Looksmart uses a pay per click (PPC) program for paid listings. Your account will be charged a minimum of $15 each month.

Open Directory (ODP) http://www.dmoz.org The Open Directory is a guide run by volunteers. If you get placed here, your site will also appear in many of the major search engines ie Google.

Free Submission Find the category you want your site to be listed in. To submit, locate the category you want your site to be listed in. Then go to the "suggest URL" link that appears at the top of the category page. Fill out and submit the form. That's all there is to it!

Guarantee - If you are accepted, your site should appear within three weeks, if it gets accepted. If not, then resubmit.

To increase the amount of traffic you can receive, and to learn more about submitting to ODP visit: http://dmoz.org/add.html

JoeAnt http://www.joeant.com/suggest.html Browse through the topics and choose the one that best suits your site. Click the "Suggest a Site" button at the bottom of the page to be guided through the simple submission process.

Free Submission If you join the editorial team, you can place your site for free.

Paid Submission For US$39.99 you get a guaranteed review within 2 business days. Go here for the webmaster guidelines: http://www.joeant.com/webmaster.htm

GoGuides http://www.goguides.org/info/addurl.htm This is another self submit directory maintained by volunteer editors. Paid Submission Get an express review for $39.99 and your site will be reviewed in 2 business days. Choose from the list of major topics in the GoGuides directory. Click on the appropriate topic for your site, then find the most specific subtopic available for your site. When you have found the subtopic where your site should be located, click 'Add Your URL' which is at the top of the page, then fill out the submission form.

Other Resources Here's a great list of General, Local, Regional and Specialty Directories http://www.isedb.com/html/Web_Directories/

Herman Drost is the author of the popular ebook: "101 Highly Effective Strategies to Promote Your Web Site" http://www.isitebuild.com/web-site-promotion Subscribe to his "Marketing Tips" newsletter for more original articles. mailto:subscribe@i.... You can read more of his in-depth articles at: http://www.isitebuild.com/articles

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