Almost everyone knows about the DMOZ Open Directory, but if you don’t, go take a look right now. So what benefit does having your site in the DMOZ Open Directory actually have? Linkbacks and a little bit of traffic. Google’s directory uses — or at least used to use — the DMOZ listings for their own. A lot of sites also syndicate the listings from DMOZ.org which provides even more backlinks.
Alright, I will get to my tip of how to get your site into this directory. First off, you need to find a category that fits your site — even remotely. The reason I’m actually writing this SEO tip is because I realized one of my sites is in the DMOZ and I never thought twice about the entry. So find a category: industry related, location related (maybe related to where you are as the author/webmaster), or even topic related.
I submitted my site to a regional related category. After finding a category(s) that fits your criteria, find one in that list that does not have a lot of entries. The category I submitted mine to had around 30 entries listed already (some categories have 150+). Do not be turned off if the category does not have an editor assigned to it; there may be an editor that is overall those categories and not just that specific one.
The last step: wait. Sometimes it takes a week or sometimes it takes three years. It really varies based on how often an editor logs in to their account. With over 60,000 editors for the directory, it’s hopefully bound to end up being edited sooner than later.
