How to Submit to Directories

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If you are running an o­nline business, you know how important it is that your website can be found. A good start to your Internet marketing campaign is submitting to directories. Directory Submissions Directory submissions, unlike search engine submissions, are reviewed by human beings and undergo a great deal of scrutiny by the editors reviewing them. It is important that your website is submitted correctly in order to obtain the listings you need. Listings in directories like Yahoo Directory and DMOZ (Open Directory Project) are very important because search engines like Google and MSN view websites listed in these directories as more important than those which are not. Being well acquainted with the specifics of Yahoo, DMOZ and many other directories, we are able to submit correctly the first time and obtain the best listings possible in the least amount of time. If you are interested in submitting your website yourself, there is much to consider. The problem for most webmasters is that getting a good listing in a reasonable amount of time rarely occurs. In fact, some webmasters find it impossible to get a directory listing at all. One of the biggest mistakes webmasters make is submitting their site to directories too soon. There is an excitement and urgency associated with getting your site "out there" for the world to see, that is understandable, but it simply doesn't work. The solution is understanding the expectations directories have when it comes to submissions. o­nce you understand how to submit correctly, you can obtain the best directory listings in the least amount of time possible. Prepare before you Submit Get your site in shape. Never submit a site that appears to be under construction. Of course, you are going to be adding to your site's content for years to come, but don't submit if you have any pages that are BLANK or any words o­n your site such as "Coming Soon" or "Under Construction". Make sure your site loads properly and quickly. If there is difficulty with the loading or error messages pop up, the editor who is trying to review your site won't stick around. Check all your links. Having broken links is a real sign of a site that is poorly managed. The major directories, and even most of the minor o­nes, simply will not list your site if it does not appear to be complete, is difficult to bring up or has broken links, even if you have paid a submission fee. To prevent these problems, thoroughly check every page of your site for any sign of the appearance of it being incomplete, double check every link o­n every page and present clean code. We use the CSE html validator to validate our code AND check our links. We recommend it because it performs beautifully, is user friendly and does more than the expensive validators we have used in the past. Find the Appropriate Category A grueling but necessary task in submitting to any directory is finding the most appropriate category. Every directory is categorized differently and they all expect you to find the perfect category (and sub-category) for your site before you submit. You must drill down to the category and sub-category (or mulitple sub-categories) where your site fits BEST in each directory. If you have a bricks and mortar company website, or offer locally specific services, always opt for the Regional category first. Depending o­n the circumstances, your site may qualify for 2 listings, o­ne regional and o­ne product or service specific category. Some directories will explain in their terms of use that you are o­nly allowed o­ne listing, in that instance, go with the regional listing if it applies. Once you find the perfect category for your site, having drilled down to the last sub-category possible, you will click the "add site" or "add new listing" button FROM that PAGE. If you add to the wrong category 1 of 2 things will occur, depending o­n the directory. Senario 1: Your site will be tossed to the appropriate category where it will go to the back of a long line for a long wait to be reviewed by a 2nd editor. Senario 2: Your submission will be denied. In this instance, you may or may not be notified, depending o­n the directory. You will then have the option of re-subitting. Obviously, it is worth taking the time to find the appropriate category to start with. Submit the Correct URL There are very few directories that will accept a sub domain listing. Always use the top-level domain of your site and use the most direct form of the url. For example: The correct url to submit for this site is www.increaseranking.com/ No other url is acceptable. Do not add index.html or any sub domains. Submit the correct URL or you will not get an editor to give your site the time of day. Write an Acceptable Site Description Writing a description for your site is the trickiest part of getting a directory listing. Your meta description will not suffice for directory submissions. Directories want an objective description of your site in no more than 2 sentences. Basically you are required to write a fairly dull and very objective sentence or 2 that describes your site. A few rules of thumb: Do not repeat your title in the description. Do not use all caps;use mixed case. Use complete sentences. Do not say the word site or website, as in "this site offers" Do not use any hype like "the best" or "excellent". Keep it short and to the point. Fit your main keyword phrases in but do not repeat them. If you have written a short boring description that generically describes your site, you have probably written an acceptable directory description. I suggest going to your appropriate category in each individual directory and studying the descriptions that are given to the sites that are listed there. Even if you write the perfect description, it may get changed by the editor who reviews your site. However, the closer your description is to "acceptable" according to their guidelines, the quicker your site will get listed and the better your chances of not having the description re-written (destroyed basically) by the editor. Use the Official Title When a directory says "title" they want the REAL title of your site. They do not want your title tag (the o­ne that shows in your browser's title bar). For example: The title of this site as supplied by the title tag (main page) shows as: "IR Internet Marketing: SEO Services: Website Optimization" That title is not acceptable to directories. The "official" title must be submitted. In this case the official and correct title is Increase Ranking. Directory Submission Made Simple Your directory listings are too important to take lightly. As a fundamental part of our optimization services, we submit your website to the directories correctly and efficiently the first time. We obtain the best listings in the least amount of time possible. It really is as simple as contacting Increase Ranking, Internet Marketing Consultant.