How to submit to MSN.co.za Web Directory?

I can't find the Submit a Site URL...

[Spannerworks]

I know this post doesn't strictly belong here but it seems Africa doesn't warrant a forum of its own...

I'm trying to find out where MSN South Africa gets its Web Directory results. In its help page it states:

MSN Search enables you to add your commercial or nonprofit Web site to the Web Directory. On the MSN Search home page, click Submit a Site.

But there is no "Submit a site" URL on the MSN Search home page. Anyone know how to get in?

[takagi]

According to the Search Engine Relationship Chart [webmasterworld.com] the data is usually coming from Looksmart/Inktomi and the sponsored links from Overture. However, this is not true for all countries so I'm not sure about MSN South Africa.

[Spannerworks]

Thanks takagi. I realise that MSN results are usually the LookSmart / Ink combo, but in this case I'm not sure. There is no LookSmart ZA, and no South African regional category in LS.com. How did the sites that are there get in? Was MSN ZA running its own directory which it is now no longer accepting submissions for? Any SA SEOs out there know?

[Paul in South Africa]

Take this based on observation, not fact, but in a couple of categories where I know the sites fairly well the following seems to happen.

The directory results come from LS/Zeal in the order US directory, UK directory, Australian directory. This is followed by the search results. As far as I know there has never been a South African MSN directory.

If you are trying to target a South African audience, or have a website that is of interest to South Africans in particular there are a couple of directories that accept free submissions, at least on of which is spidered by Google.

[Spannerworks]

Thanks for this Paul. On further investigation, it looks like you are right about the web directory results. What threw me is that some .co.za sites are in LookSmart.com don't appear in MSN.co.za, and some MSN.co.za Web directory results don't appear to be in LookSmart.com, but there may just be some weird filtering going on.

I had no idea you could have regional business listings in LookSmart.com - I thought it only accepted submissions from US sites (and international travel sites). You learn something every day. I suspect these got into the LS directory before the CPC pricing was introduced - this is out of the price range of most SA companies. You can see some of the SA LookSmart entries here [looksmart.com].

To answer your question about the site, it is a .co.za domain. I would be interested to know of any directories worth submitting to.

[Paul in South Africa]

Not sure if it OK to post the URLs, mods please remove if necessary.

The only two that have provided worthwhile traffic for me are
www.ananzi.co.za and www.aardvark.co.za
Both accept free submissions provided that the site is aimed at South Africans or is somehow related to South Africa. It doesn't have to be a .co.za domain.

[Spannerworks]

Thanks Paul, I knew of these. Out of interest, what sort of share does Google have in SA search?

[Paul in South Africa]

I can't quote any independant research figures but from the sites I look after the rough breakdown is as follows:

Google 41%
Yohoo 15%
Ananzi 12%
MSN 11%
Aardvark 9%
Altavista 2%
Ask 1%

Various others make up the balance with none greater than 1%.