DMOZ.org aka the Open Directory Project is the largest, most comprehensive human-edited directory of the Web. This directory is built and maintained by a global community of volunteer editors. Submission to the directory is free-of-charge.
Many site owners have tried submitting their site for inclusion into this free directory but failed to gain acceptance for various reasons (improper category, poor content, no existing category editor to review submissions, etc).
Human nature is such that we always want what we cannot have. The more something is denied from us, the more we’ll want to have it. This is certainly true in directory submissions. Because of the elusiveness of getting accepted into this directory, many try other ways to get in.
Some even resort to buying their way into DMOZ. SEOBlackHat put up their eBay listing for a DMOZ editor account but it was later cancelled and their account suspended by eBay. The bids reached more than $660 before the account suspension!
We got our free DMOZ listing simply by applying. Of course, before we even attempted a submission, we worked on building up useful content for search users first and selected the most relevant category.
While a link from DMOZ is helpful, it’s no longer the most important to getting ranked. Google has discounted the weight from links in DMOZ. Our belief is that you should try to submit but don’t pin all your SEO hopes on it. It’s not the be all and end all to search engine rankings. Work on getting more links from relevant sites. Build up content on-site as well as off-site through articles and press releases. Write compelling articles that will encourage webmasters to reprint them on their sites giving you more free links. You can even resort to buying links.
If you still want to get your site in but have been unable to gain acceptance through submission, however, the legitimate back-door is to become a DMOZ editor. Jim Boykin put together a great article outlining his past experience in getting accepted as a DMOZ editor. He details the finer distinctions in the overall steps you’d need to take:
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2. Don’t fall for the “it’s alright to have business affiliations” line. Never reveal your intention of wanting to get your site listed in the ODP. Remember that they are looking for people to add value to the directory and not corrupt the category.
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3. Select the local category, preferably a category small enough to start as a new editor. DMOZ editors require experience and track records before moving up to larger categories.
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4. How to fill out the parts of your application form
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5. Select 3 suitable sites to submit into the chosen category. Avoid the temptation of submitting your own the first time.