Google Directory Question

[rvarcher]

I can't get listed in DMOZ/Google Directory.

So I got some questions for the folks here.

Preface:
I've read the Google Directory FAQ at:
http://www.google.com/dirhelp.html

and the DMOZ instructions at:
http://dmoz.org/add.html

and it leads me to these questions:

Is the Google directory soley based on the DMOZ directory? That's the only place they get their info? And then they improve upon that by sorting based on PR. right?

and

My site went live in October 2003 and at that time I submitted my site to this directory:

http://dmoz.org/Recreation/Travel/Lodging/Vacation_Rentals/Directories/

as that is where all my friendly competition is located and it truly relects what the site does.

According to their instructions I waited the several weeks to months it might take to get my site reviewed and added.

Needless to say, I was excited!

And then nothing. And so, after a month or 2 I submitted again. And then recently I did it again. Probably 3 times I've submitted my site. Nada in return.

It's seems pretty straightforward. I go to the category that best suits my site, click on the Suggest URL link at the top, fill out the form correctly, and click Submit.

So, the big question is. What am I doing wrong?? or Why won't DMOZ review and add my site?? and what can I do about it?

Ideas? Answers?

(of course my paranoia tells me my competition is the editior. and they're keeping just me out. since they've added most everyone else. at which point that proof tends to break down. - unless they're all in it together :) )

Thanks,

- Bob

[digitalpoint]

The only way to get in is via ODP. If you are worried about malicious competitors intentionally keeping you out, post a status request at www.resource-zone.com (or apply to be an editor).

[rvarcher]

I've looked into applying a couple of times but it says that no editors are needed for that category.

I was mostly kidding about the malicious editors part. I know nobody would do that.

Has anybody else had problems getting listed in ODP?

[l234244]

Hello rvarcher, to get listed in dmoz can take longer than 2 months and in most cases does so. If you get an editor like myself who edits based on the oldest submission first then you are likely to make your submission longer to get in,

a) Your previous entries will be dismissed for your most recent, effectively removing your 2 month wait already.

b) Your not likely to give the editor any good feeling toward your submission by giving extra work in deleting multiple submissions.

c) If you look at the category at the bottom there is no one editor assigned to editing that category, this means that an editor from above is editing (although it seems that their doing a good job after being updated in 5th august)

Your last point about "has anyone else had trouble getting into DMOZ", Many people have trouble getting in because their sites are similar to sites already in the database. Remember that is is not a complete directory of all sites on the internet, but a selection of the better ones (i.e better ones selected by odp guidelines).

Have you tried a location category?

[windsilver]

rvarcher,

I've looked into becoming an editor after submitting my site twice to the shopping category and getting a 'wait six months' response for a submission status. Here are some links I found that go deeper into how editors are supposed to review submissions:

General guidelines: http://dmoz.org/guidelines/
What sites to include: http://dmoz.org/guidelines/include.html

This is the meat of the matter, but these links are just about impossible to find for non-editors. Also, as 1234244 says, the directory is not a free-for-all. If your vacation rental directory doesn't add value, they're not likely to include it. Editors have a lot of leeway in the way they work. They can take any submission they like, even one at the top of the queue and add ones they happen to run across elsewhere.

When (and if) I get approved I might know more...

[digitalpoint]

What Shopping category did you apply for? If it's a big category, you will probably be rejected just based on that.

[EConcepts]

Often times, the best route is to list your site in a smaller but relevant category within the DMOZ directory (that is if you are in a highly competitive market).

You'll have a better chance of getting reveiwed quicker, and you'll still get the link into the directory (which is used by some of the major search engines for results).

-- Eric

[macdesign]

A couple of points -

Submitting again and again if not very usefull (as noted above), and I'm not sure why anyone does that. If you actually take a moment to read the submission guidelines [which are brought to your attention when you submit a site] they do tell you very clearly not to.

Directories are very hard to get listed. If you think about it, DMOZ is a directory of sites - so why list another directory within a directory - it has to have something special and unique.

I don't review many directories, but most of what I see, are too loaded with ads to be listable. Some of them end up listing sites with 90% are already listed in my category in ODP, so I take the other 10% as "found sites" and list them, but the directory does not get listed.

I've listed some, where the list included references to companies that did not have web sites, including addresses and phone numbers, that ends up being considered unique content as it allows the ODP user to find these companies.

[hurricane_sh]

I think many webmasters have similar problems no matter what kinds of sites they submit. Dmoz listed the German version and an internal page of my site, but keeps the main site out, even it only has unique content and a top product in its field. The directory I submitted to is pretty small and has not editors, they still refused my editor request for two times.

This is DMOZ, I won't bother submitting a site two times any more, better spend the time somewhere else.

[EConcepts]

I agree, submitting more than once (in too short of time) is probably not the best idea. However, there has been talk that a listing in DMOZ may help you either getting listed in OR, getting listed higher in Google (the theory is that DMOZ is human edited so if a human looked it over and you "made it in", the site must be legit).

I am not saying it's a fact, but I've seen enough talk to find it worth the time to try to get listed in DMOZ.

[macdesign]

You need to understand it's not that DMOZ keeps your site out, it's thousands of editors all working independantly - making independant decisions.

So when you submit http://www.vokaboly.de/ - it got reviewed by a German speaking editor - who accepted it.

When you submit http://www.vocaboly.com/ it gets reviewed by an English speaking editor, who has no idea that the other site is related to you. [It also did not help that you submitted it multiple times to Kids and Teens in different categories.] You should go to Resource Zone and ask for it's current status, before you assume that it has been "kept out", maybe it's still waiting for review.