The question comes up again and again, what can one do to help get their site listed in DMOZ?  It is not uncommon to see answers such as "get lucky", "be patient", or even "just give it up".  It is true that getting your site listed in DMOZ can be rather difficult (as one would expect from a popular human edited directory), but don’t worry, there is hope.  There is more to luck than getting listed in DMOZ and there really isn’t any need to despair, all that is needed is some basic understanding of how DMOZ works and how you can take advantage of that fact to help get your site (or even multiple pages on your site) listed in DMOZ.  Here, then, are our 11 tips for getting your site listed in DMOZ:

1. Find the right category
   The importance of this step can’t be over-emphasized.  Submitting your site to the wrong category will either result in you having to wait needlessly long for a response (as your site gets transferred from one editor to another) or in your site being dropped altogether.  Therefore, take the time to search through DMOZ and find a category which matches the topic or theme of your site or web page.  If you have trouble finding a relevant category then find a few sites which are similar in theme to yours and search for them on DMOZ.  Whatever category they are listed in is most likely a relevant category for your site too.  [Note:  Some categories no longer accept new listings.  If you do not see a "Suggest URL" link at the top of the page then you will have to find a different category. Also, if a category has no editor then you may have to wait longer for your site to be reviewed and accepted.]
2. Look for categories with only a few listings 
   Often times, the category which best matches your site already lists a large number of sites. That fact along may make it difficult for your site to be included in this category, particularly if the content of your site is similar to that of other sites already listed in that category (see point #5 below). In such a situation you should consider looking for categories which list only a few sites. It may be that these categories are in need of more sites and your site would thus be a welcomed addition. Of course, you still have to make sure that the topic and content of yoru site are relevant to the category, but a very good match may be sufficient, even if it isn’t the best match. In short, we looking around, check out all the relevant categories that you can find and see which ones have only a few sites listed in them.
    
3. Create web pages with a category in mind
   There is absolutely no reason in the world why you can’t create content specifically designed for the needs of a particular category.  And, of course, you can do this over and over again for as many relevant categories as you can find. If done properly, you may find yourself with listings in more than one cateogry. For instance, the travel site World Travel Guide has 132 listings in 132 different categories.  Their Israeli travel guide page is listed (surprisingly enough) in the Israeli Travel Guides category while their Costa Rican travel page is listed in the Costa Rica travel category. Remember, though, that your focus should be on quality content, not quantity. The higher the quality of your content, the greater the likelihood of getting listed. 
    
4. Link to the appropriate page(s) on your homepage
   Officially, you are only suppose to submit your home page to DMOZ (although it is understood that this is not always the case). What, then, should you do if the content that best relates to the category you are submitting to is buried deep within your site? One option is to clearly and obviously describe and link to that content on your home page. That way an editor can easily find the content that relates to the category at hand. 
    
5. Offer unique content
   Think of a category from the perspective of a visitor to DMOZ.  They aren’t interested in seeing five sites which basically offer the same content (even if it is quality content).  Categories need variety and as such your site (or web page) should help provide that variety.  Therefore, before submitting your site to a particular category make sure that you are offering unique, quality content that isn’t being provided by the other sites already listed there.  And remember, you can always create that unique content if need be. 
    
6. Submit well-functioning, up-to-par websites
   Before submitting your site, make sure that there are no problems with it that could frustrate and/or annoy an editor.  If possible, make sure that it looks nice and professional (or at least decent) and there should be no broken links or any other problems with the functioning of the site.  And, it goes without saying, that you should not submit a site which is not yet finished or under construction.
7. Use good titles and descriptions
   As is usually the case with titles and descriptions, you have a few audiences to take into consideration when writing them.  Your first audience is the editor who is going to decide whether or not to include your site in the DMOZ directory.  As such, you don’t want to a title or description which deviates too far from the norm, even if you think it will speak to your potential customers.  DMOZ is often times strict about things such as these and you don’t want your site to be rejected or delayed just because you wrote too "interesting" a title or description.  Rather, look around at sites similar to your own and notice how they write their titles and description and try to follow their style. 
    
8. Fill out the submission form properly
   Remember your submission form is going to be read by a real, live human being who has the power to decide whether or not your site should be included on DMOZ.  As such, make sure that the form is properly filled out.  Make sure that there are no mistakes (spelling or otherwise) on the form and that all the required information is filled out and is factual. 
    
9. Don’t resubmit your site
   Mr. SEO writes:  "if you are thinking about resubmitting every week, month or the rumored 3 months, don’t.  I was told [by some editors] that if your site is in "queue" to be evaluated, resubmitting my cause your site to go to the back of the line. That means you’ll have to start from scratch again."  So submit your site and wait.  However, if you find that it is taking a looooooooooooong time and you are getting and anxious then you can always… 
    
10. Contact the editor
    If, after you have been extremely patient there is still no word on the status of your submission, you may want to consider a friendly email to the editor (you can find a link to the editors DMOZ page at the bottom of the category listing).  As one editor wrote in another piece on how to get into DMOZ: "My very strong small niche category gets 25+ submissions a day and I just don’t have time to look at 150+ sites a week.  I get to as many as I can but realize we are doing this for free.  That said a friendly well written email to the editor can go a long way!"  Note, also, that depending on the size of the category and the number of submissions, it could take anywhere from 2 weeks to a year or more to get listed in DMOZ. 
     
11. Become an editor
    It should come as no surprise that editors sometimes have an easier time getting their sites included in DMOZ than other people.  However, this is only true if you don’t take advantage of this position.  Don’t think that you can become an editor solely to get your site listed, there are other responsibilities that come along with this position that you will have to take seriously.  If you do decide to become an editor, it is best to wait a while before submitting your own site so as to avoid any suspicion of gaming the system.  Also, when you do submit your site be honest about the fact that you are an editor (whether you are submitting to your own category or someone elses).  And, of course, you should follow all the other advice mentioned above.

As you can see, getting into DMOZ isn’t necessarily as hard as it is often made out to be.  It’s just a matter of understanding how DMOZ works and how you can take advantage of that fact to get your site included in their directory.  Basically, if you can find a way to create content which improves the quality of DMOZ you should find yourself with a listing.  There are, of course, no guarantees, but it is certainly worth a shot (even if DMOZ is highly overrated).  After all, once you figure out how to get one link from DMOZ, you should be able to get two, three, or more links.  And at the end of the day, how bad can a bunch of quality links from DMOZ really be (overrated or not)? 

Sources:

• The Ultimate Guide to Getting Your Site into DMOZ (by SearchEngineNews.com — note, Search Engine News requires a paid subscription to read their articles) 
   
• 5 Basic Tips For DMOZ Listings (by Search Engine Journal) 
   
• Getting Listed in DMOZ. Not as easy as we’d like it to be. (by Joe Balestrino, Mr. SEO) 
   

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