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This
special article lists all parts of our special article series about how to
submit your web site successfully to Yahoo, the Open Directory Project and
other Internet directories.
What
is an Internet directory and why should you care?
Have
you ever wondered what the difference is between search engines and
directories? If you don’t know the difference, then your site may be
excluded from major sources of web traffic.
If
your site is listed in Internet directories, then it can also have a
higher ranking on search engines, for example Google prefers web sites
that are listed in the Open Directory Project (dmoz.org).
If
your web site is listed in industry specific and regional directories,
then it can gain a higher link popularity score which can improve your
rankings on other search engines. In addition, directories bring targeted
traffic to your web site.
So
what is the difference between search engines and directories?
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Search
engines use software programs to index your web pages,
often called robots or spiders. They are programmed to constantly
crawl the web in search of new or updated pages. They will go from one
page to another until they have visited every web site on the
Internet.
Every search engine employs different criteria to determine if your
web site should be indexed and how well your site should be ranked.
The most popular search engines today are Google, AltaVista and
AllTheWeb.
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Internet
directories don't use software programs. They are compiled
by humans who organize web sites by subject into categories. If you
submit your web site to an Internet directory, your web site will be
visited by real people who can decide whether they include your web
site or not. The most popular directories are Yahoo and Open Directory
Project.
If
someone searches on a search engine site, the query must match the words
on your web page. If someone searches on a directory site, the query must
match the words in the description of your web site in the directory.
A
listing in all important Internet directories will have a very positive
effect on your web site. If you want best results for your site, you
should make sure that your site is listed in all relevant Internet
directories.
Next
week, we'll tell you how to get listed in Internet directories and which
errors you should avoid when submitting to search engines. We'll also tell
you where to find the most important directories that are relevant to your
web site. We
recommend using IBP
3 to submit your web site to search engines and directories.
How
to get listed in Yahoo, DMOZ and other Internet directories
As
explained in our last newsletter issue, a good listing in Internet
directories can bring your web site a lot of traffic and it will increase
the link popularity of your web site. In
general, to get your web site indexed in a directory, you have to submit
your site to a particular category. In addition, you have to submit a
description of your site. An editor will review your site and then accept
or reject your site according to its quality.
Sometimes
it's harder to get indexed in Internet directories than to get listed in
search engines. There can be a variety of reasons why Internet directories
won't list your web site.
If
you follow our tips below, it's more likely that your web site will be
listed in Internet directories. This will improve your search engine
rankings and it will bring more visitors to your site. The
most important tip is: submit your web site to the right category and
follow the directory's guidelines carefully. Most
directories are very specific. They list only web sites that fit their
topic or world region. Even the major general directories are very picky,
for example if you have a UK-based site, make sure it's in the appropriate
regional category of the directory.
If
you submit to Yahoo and your site is commercial, you must submit to the
"Business and Economy" category. If you submit to the Open
Directory Project (dmoz.org), you must follow these rules: If your site
isn't written in English, you must choose the World category, if you have
an adult site, you must choose the Adult category, if your site has
regional information, take the Regional section. So
before submitting your web site to a directory, read the directory's
submit guidelines carefully. Here are the addresses of the major
directories and where you can find their guideline pages:
Further
directories for the specific topic of your web site can be found at
"directory of directory" sites, for example
searchenginecolossus.com and beaucoup.com. Submitting
to general directories and industry-specific directories can improve the
link popularity score of your web site and so it can improve your search
engine rankings. If
you use IBP 3.0 to submit your web site to search engines and Internet
directories, then you already have all
important general directories and industry-specific directories at your
fingertips.
Copyright
by Axandra.com
Internet
marketing and search engine ranking software
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