skibum - 1:24 am on Jul 29, 2002 (gmt 0)

IMHO and from experience a good YAHOO! listing can generate significant traffic in and of itself sometimes from category referrals, somtimes loads more from keywords if you get it right and get lucky. A listing in LookSmart provides a decent amount of exposure that you have to pay for unless you come up with a successful Zeal strategy.

When you get listed in ODP you have arrived. Your site is on the map. Period.

Since most every engine out there is in some way referencing ODP directly (in the case of Google) or indirectly (in the case of Inktomi or FAST), it is THE most important link out there for most sites. It's not about PR, it's not about the traffic ODP itself provides, and its not even necessarily about keywords (though they do make a big difference). It's about distribution. It puts a site in the core of the web database that anyone can use to build a Google or a guide to widget manufacturers.