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AKA The Open Directory Project
AKA ODP
AKA DMOZ
The Google Directory is the same as The Open Directory Project (http://www.dmoz.org/). In order to get listed in the Google
Directory you must get listed in The Open Directory Project.
Google and DMOZ have a partnership where if a web site is listed in the Open Directory
Project Google will include that site’s “Description” and “Category” for that listing on
the Search Results Page. To see if your site is listed in DMOZ go to http://www.dmoz.org/ and type in “yourdomain.com”
(no www).
Here’s how to easily see if a Google result is found in the Open Directory. Below is
just a result of the top 4 sites in Google for “internet marketing” at the time of this
writing.
Notice that sites 3 and 4 have a Description and Category, but sites 1 and
2 do not. The description and Category on #3 and #4 are taken from the Open Directory
Project.
How the Google Directory (DMOZ) works
The Google Directory is run by HUMAN Editors. This means that when you submit your site
to the Google directory listing, a real person will go to your site for review. The
editors are volunteers. In theory, the editors are doing this to make the web a better
place.
When you submit a site to the Google web directory there is no telling how long it will
take the editor to get around to reviewing your site. It could be hours, it could be
months after sending a Google directory submission. I’ve even heard that some categories
in the Google directory have sites that have been waiting to be reviewed even longer
than several months.
Google directory editors do not let you know if they have accepted, or rejected your
listing. With DMOZ, it is a process of waiting and watching.
Before approving your listing in the Open Directory Project, the editor will go to your
site, and will browse around first. They are looking for several things that form the
basic criteria for listings in the Open Directory Project. If any part of your site
appears to be under construction they will automatically reject the site.
The editor will then see if your site has been submitted to the Google directory’s best
category for your listing. If they feel that the site would fit better in another
category they might send it to that category editor for review in another area of the
Google directory listing… or they may just reject your submission.
When you submit a site to the Open Directory you are allowed to suggest a description.
The editor may take this into consideration. Before you submit to the Open Directory
Project you will want to study the language of other descriptions in that category. The
description below is boxed in yellow.
The Open Directory has a good outline of how to write your description, it says,”
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(Write) A well-written, objective
description will make listing your site easier. |
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Write in complete sentences and/or
descriptive phrases using proper grammar, punctuation and correct
spelling. |
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Do not use ALL CAPS in your
description. |
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Avoid capitalizing every word in a
sentence. |
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Don’t repeat the title of your site in
the description. |
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Avoid using promotional language and
strings of key words and search terms. Words and phrases like “cool”
and “best darn site” will be removed.” |
The important thing to remember when writing your description for the Google web
directory is to make it the most accurate description of your site. The more accurate
your suggested description is to what your site says, the more likely you are to have
the editor use mostly what you suggested and approve your Google directory submission.
It is the job of the Google web directory editor to make sure that the site has a good
description that accurately describes what the web site is about – not what your
business is about – not what are your keywords, but what the web site is
about The best way to write a description is to keep it short, keep it keyword
rich, and make it exactly what the site is about. This will create a much greater chance
of having your Google directory submission approved.
Official tips on writing for DMOZ are found here.
The biggest factor in getting into a category is “does your site fit into that
category?” You will want to study other sites in that category to see if there are
others similar to your site.
So let’s say that now your Google directory listing has been entered
into the Open Directory Project. The way that things are supposed to work is that
each month The Open Directory will provide code for Google to use to update it’s
version of the directory, called The Google Directory. In theory, about a month
after you’ve been listed with The Open Directory, you will be then listed on the
Google Directory. At such point, you should also have added to a search result pages
showing your Open Directory Description and Category.
Once you have been listed in DMOZ it should take from 1 week to
11 weeks for Google to update the Google Directory to match the Open Directory.
Interesting Stuff:
The Open Directory was bought by Netscape several years ago. When AOL bought
Netscape, they also obtained the Open Directory Project. However, from what I’ve
heard, DMOZ only has 2 paid employees. Doesn’t sound like AOL cares too much about
the Open Directory, and it’s a shame, especially since the DMOZ plays a role in
Google Results (which AOL now uses also).
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LINKS – LINK POPULARITY IN GOOGLE
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