Search Engine Directory Submission
Directories are made up of listings that have been compiled by humans, instead of being automatically generated by computer programs. The most famous example of a directory is the Yahoo! directory. There are three major directories, two commercial and one free of charge.
Each of the directories allows you to write your own title and description for your site's listing, however, they can and do revise these to fit their own editorial guidelines. It's important to write a description that is accurate, concise, enticing, and keyword-friendly.
Yahoo Directory Submission
Yahoo is still the most important search engine in terms of driving traffic to a site. We recommend that all of our clients be listed in Yahoo's directory, if they aren't currently included.
Yahoo requires that all commercial sites pay to be listed in the directory. The fee is $299.00 per year, and does not guarantee inclusion or placement. It does guarantee that a Yahoo editor will review your site within seven business days, and gives you the right to appeal the editor's decision if your site is not included.
In practice, the turnaround time is 1-2 business days, and it's very unlikely for a properly prepared site to be rejected.
A well-written Yahoo listing can drive significant traffic to a site.
The Open Directory Project
Originally started in response to the difficulty of getting a site listed in Yahoo's directory, the Open Directory Project (ODP) is maintained entirely by volunteer editors. There is no charge for submission. Because ODP editors are unpaid volunteers, it can sometimes take a long time for a listing to be approved and included into the directory.
The ODP data is used by a large number of search engines and portals. For example, the Google Directory uses Open Directory data, as well as Netscape search. We recommend that all of our clients be listed in the Open Directory.
