Directory Submissions - When to submit

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Before submitting  a website to be listed, your site has to be complete. All the pages should have content and all the links should be live. Even if it is only a one page site, everything should work. Once the site actually has content on it, even if it is drab copy, it will almost always get listed.

Note that the content on the site should be "relevant" to the section you are listing under. Check and double check, and if you can't find a category that explicitly describes you, go for the nearest descriptive terms.

Once your site actually exists (and not just the domain name) and the content is relevant to the category you picked, all that is left is for you to use the right forms for describing your site and the right titles and voila! YOU ARE IN.

How to write descriptions

It is best to keep descriptions brief, cold and detached -- no superlatives, no "best Windows programming site in the world!" Try instead: "offers Windows programming information, tutorials, and resources for beginners to advanced." This is a pretty good description. You are not selling on the directory (well at least not in SEO).

The point is that you are generating one way back links. And the editor looking through your application may not feel inclined to list you if you stuff spammy keywords into your description. The absolute best thing to do is read the guidelines of the very strictest directories out there and model ALL your work after that. 

Note that it is a good idea to have several different descriptions and titles (anchor text) for the various directories to which you submit. If you do not want to overwork your imagination you could write five different descriptions and anchor texts; this could help with the amount of key words on which you are competing.

This is all general advice on submitting to a large volume of directories quickly. If you are interested in submitting to just one (like www.dmoz.org) there are a few tutorials here on seochat. There is a list of other articles concerning directories here.

Next: Who to submit to >>
 

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Comments On: Directory Submissions

· Some directories just seem to take forever to get listed on, tell me some of your...    · I have had good luck on the paid directories; however, the free directories take a...    · Hi KayFree directory listing can take forever. On a cost benefit basis, for a...    · It seems like Submit Helper link is no longer active. I typed it in manually and the...    · hi http://www.submithelper.com/ you may have adware on your PC, the link is...    · Now I am also using the green software "Submit Helper". Because it is still FREE and...    · Good point, different users have different needs and shopping around for a good deal...    · This site is no longer available.    · I have observed that it takes up to 90 days for your listing to get approved by many...    · It helps when you are submitting to some of the major directories like yahoo, to...    · Agree with the views upstairs, in fact, a Web site in addition to submit to yahoo /...   >>> Post your comment now!