I'm looking for guaranteed directory listings (not submissions) - please let me know any information thats available on this. Thanks!
Most of the paid directories should guarantee you a listing as long as you follow their submission guidlines.
The best Top directories like Yahoo Dir, DMOZ, Ezilon, BOTW and Joeant cannot guarantee you a link in their directory if your site is not good enough for listing. Do not submit to any directory that cannot review or decline listing for poor quality site(s).
You have to look out for people offering guaranteed listings. You can offer guaranteed inclusion by picking the directories that automatically approve listings with reviewing them. You might also end up with a large network of identical directories.
"Guarantee" is a strong word often misused. I think I know what you mean though. There are a lot of directory "submission" services out there, but so what! I manage a directory and a lot of submissions are just plain trash. They come from these semi-automated services who submit garbage and ignore rules. They are being paid to submit, not get approvals. Their links get rejected more for the way they are submitted rather than something wrong with the site. For paid directory services What I do now is find a submitter and make the arrangement that I will pay 50% for submissions, and the remaining 50% when a certain number are approved. I also require PR minimum of 0. This is to avoid being submitted to a bunch of brand new link farms (easily approved but worthless), or banned sites not ranked at all ("No PR" is different than PR 0). I also require a spreadsheet of the submissions so I can check and track. I further require that the majority of directories are listed on reputable directory lists like DirectoryCritic or vilesilencer. All these requirements has the effect of putting the submitter on their Ps and Qs and making sure the submissions are good so that they get the approvals. Which is the way is should be. Honest, reliable services will do this without issue. But it may cost a little more than the cheap submissions services. The other approach, which is not as good, is to expect only certain low percentage of approvals. Therefore, to acquire 200 approvals, you might need 600 submissions. Or whatever the ratio is. However, this is sloppy as the same problem of poor submission writing and low quality directories will diminish overall effectiveness. The point of this is that you want approvals as opposed to just submissions. So work out some terms with a submitter like I did and you will get the target approvals you want. Warning, not all submitters are keen on this arrangement, but plenty are. If you do it yourself You will have to look for a respectable list of good directories, or make your own list from your own experience. Keep track of approvals and speed of approvals. After a while you will have a nice list to work with.