Just got included in DMOZ, this is what happened

On the 21 september 2005, kl. 6:04 PT my site got included into DMOZ.

I found out yesterday and became quite happy

The KW that the site is targetting is "webbdesign" (Swedish for "web design").

Anchor text in DMOZ listing: "JW Webbdesign". The word "webbdesign" is mentioned 1 time in the DMOZ description.

My ranking 1,5 hours ago:

#7 on Google for the word "webbdesign".

Today the 3 october between 00:00 and 01:20 AM (0 - 1,5 hours ago) Google noticed that I was listed. I know it is this time because I checked my SERP position just before.

My ranking now:

#5 for the word "webbdesign" and the DMOZ description is used.

Conclusions:

The fact that a site is listed in DMOZ IS part of the Google algo whether you like it or not.

It took 12 days for Google to notice in this case. The site is not included in the Google Dir and I know it takes months to update. So, this fact has nothing to do with the Google Dir.

Just wanted to share an important SEO observation as I still remember the X pages long thread that DMOZ is not part of the G algo anymore, well ... observations of facts is higher than opinions.

 

The real question is how to get into DMOZ.

I've submitted a number of sites, waited several months, and never heard back on any of them.

 

What you have demonstrated is that (1) Google is aware of backlinks from DMOZ or anywhere else and updates those links in real time; and (2) that Google will pull snippets from a lot of different sources, including those that do not appear to factor at all significantly in the ranking of sites in search results (e.g., the description tag).

The fact that your ranking went from 7 to 5 may have been due to a myriad of other factors - this is another example of the supersitious thinking that permeates Google threads on forums.

 

Start a post on this forum with the title of webbdesign , and watch it fly into the top 10 (I would bet). You will then have demonstrated the power of Authority sites in the eyes of Google's Algo

 

You conclusion is flawed. I'm not saying that it isn't possible, but would be better depicted as a hypothesis, not a conclusion.

As Minstrel pointed out there are a plethora of variables that could have led to this. He further makes another great point that "conclusions" like this lead bogus misconceptions by others.

Folklore and fact are too oft and readily mixed which becomes misleading to many members and others.

Google has been using DMOZ descriptions "sporadically" for several months now, in the web search, not just in their Directory.

 

It's been 6 weeks for me and still no word ....maybe the editor is lying on some tropical island somewhere thinking of anything but DMOZ

 

Six weeks is a mere blink of an eye in DMOZ time...

 

You will find a bunch of people here who would have said "6 years" instead of your "6 weeks" -- really!

 

minstrel and wrmineo,

Ok, for me it was evident but as you say there still is a chance that it is because of something else - I have to agree with that.

The category of the listing is 7 levels deep and PR 4, if it was only because of the link I highly doubt it. It would require a PR 7 link I estimate to bring from #7 to #5 on such a competetive KW.

That my listing went up on the SERPs in exact that time shows what it shows IMHO.

 

How have you come to the conclusion that "webbdesign" is a competitive KW? What is the KEI?

The mere fact that is brings up 658K results does not make it competitive.

"Elizabethtown information" brings up 1.78 million results in Google for which I am #2 and #3 (etowninfo) ... I have no high PR sites pointing/linking to me. SERP is not about PR alone. It is also about content, title, file structure, IBLs and other factors.

Again, I'm not fully discounting your theory, but I don't think it can be derived as conclusive evidence.

 

Ok.

I know that, I am doing SEO for clients. I just wanted to show with my post that a DMOZ listing is one of the hundreds of factors involved in the rankings with Google and that it is more than "just another link".

But I respect you if you believe otherwise - that's totally ok with me.

 

But you haven't done that at all. All you've demonstrated is that Google is aware of the link and that for the search term "webbdesign" uses the snippet from the link/DMOZ listing in the search results - NOT that it figures even a little into the Google ranking.

 

Oh, I completely concur that DMOZ is not merely just another link. Furthermore, the domino effect is even greater than you've disclosed thus far though.

I tell people all the time, anyone can get listed in a search engine, but to get listed in the Google, AOL, Netscape and many other directories have but one avenue of approach .... ODP.

 

I posted DMOZ ages ago never heard anything from them at all. I think spending more time with Sitemap is more important then DMOZ now.

 

I don't know if being listed in DMOZ will give you a boost (besides a relative backlink), but after being added I went from the 5th or 6th page to the first page for the term "console cheats" a week later. This site is more than a year old and was never ranked that well in Google until the DMOZ listing. Could just be a coincedince.

 

This is interesting when you look at the change in position some have had after their listing in dmoz. Will have to watch this further.

 

I have been liyng in the 2nd or 3rd page for a very competitive keyword in my language, then I got in DMOZ few days ago and now I´m the 8th for that keyword. IMHO Google does uses DMOZ as a trusted links source.

 

I guess even Google has its Achilles heel...

 

The problem with DMOZ in my view is their lack of organization. It is very difficult to find what you are looking for in its directory and its look is very outdated.

 

i certainly agree it needs redesigning, especially the editor backend. Horrid and stale, not exciting or inspiring at all!

after all, why not? As long as it doesn't rely on it too much (there are plenty of good sites that wait ages to be reviewed, or don't submit) , it should continue to do so. A link from DMOZ, like a link from the BBC website, is more trustworthy than links on most other websites. That's not to say I think DMOZ is a special case and is specifically factored into the google algo - i think it is treated like any other authoritative, trustworthy site (like the BBC site I used as an example above)