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I wanted to know which is a better approach :
1) to submit first to the main category and after I am included then I submit it to regional
2) or to submit the site to regional first and then to main.
In the first approach, it may take more time to get included but I think it may be better to follow this one.
In the second, I may get included earlier but then have the chances that may not be accepted at all in the main category because of the regional listing.
Also, how much time to wait after submission in one category for submission in another?
What do valuable members say ?
/Ove
When I see a submitted URL is already in a regional cat (I don't edit regional cats), I check it for relevance and -- if it fits -- I put it in the main cats I do edit.
That's no different to any other submission I find.
Except, I can normally save myself a few moments (and keep things consistent) by simply pulling in the description from the regional listing (though I reserve the right to tweak the description).
The guidelines allow a site to be in both. You can't know how fast either of the editors are working, or what their backlog is. From an SEO perspective it's important to be *in* DMOZ, almost regardless of location.
So I'd advise not holding back on the submissions.
From experience, topical usually have a higher PR and although google will post the listing most appropriate to the query, the first DMOZ listing it detects is normally (not always) the one chosen to represent your main page. In general though, it really doesn't matter.
Notwithstanding, I recommend if you intend to submit "strategically" (or one at a time and wait for google to show the listing before submitting another) then start with the category with the least current listings.
In addition, more than one DMOZ topical listing is possible. Although this is an exception and not a rule, as editors of the directory will point out.
1. If you have content that is also geared to a youth audience "Kids and Teens" then a topical listing here as well.
2. If your site content is very diverse - noting that DMOZ prefers you submit to the lowest possible sub-topical which can sometimes make part of your site non-relevant.
3. If your site has informative topical research information, plus products and/or services, these can be completely different things.
WebmasterWorld is a forum but search engine research, web design tips and techniques are also very relevant topics.
Would you accept all good regional listings as long as they are relevant to the category or you'll decline some if the category has many listings ?
>> From an SEO perspective it's important to be *in* DMOZ, almost regardless of location.
Do you mean to say that only the pr of the dmoz category page is important ?
>> So I'd advise not holding back on the submissions.
Thanks, I should proceed to the regional submission then.
None whatsoever in my case. I don't care if it's in a regional cat. I just care if it fits my main cats.
Would you accept all good regional listings as long as they are relevant to the category or you'll decline some if the category has many listings ?
I don't edit regional cats, so I don't know the basis for accepting a site.
Some sites have many, many listings for different pages. Try a DMOZ search for
That one site alone (the CIA World Factbook) has nearly two hundred entries for different pages. Just about one per regional cat for ever country in the world.
Do you mean to say that only the pr of the dmoz category page is important ?
There are several reasons:
* Once you are in, Google takes you more seriously;
* Also (a month or two later) you get into the Google Directory -- it's the only way in;
* Of less importance is the number of "RDF dump sites" who take a copy of the DMOZ directory (www.euroseek.com is possibly the latest of these). These get your name spread far and wide.
Get in, and then try to get other/better cats. you may wait six months to get into the "best" cat -- and if it is a busy cat with an overworked editor, it can take longer: they may take one look after six months and bounce you to the bottom of another editor's unreviewed pile.
Would you accept all URL's that are included in the regional already and then those are submitted to the category you edit (as long as they are relevant to the category you edit) or you'll decline some if your category has many listings ?
or you'll decline some if your category has many listings
In regionals you will likely be listed, if you are relevant to that region and/or sub-cats. Note: physical address makes you more relevant, a virtual presence only with many current listings you could possibly be declined. A storefront in Nova Scotia, Canada, Texas, USA and one in China makes you more relevant to these areas than just being in Texas but distributing to China and Canada.
The more listings (topical) in a cat the less likely your are to get listed.
To reiterate - DMOZ is primarily a research directory. 200 sites in a topical cat means there is sufficient research information available for DMOZ users. Unless your content is superior, adds something not covered or a different perspective a listing is less likely to occur.
Fathom's answered the question, I think.
As an example, imagine I edit Manufacturing/Broom Handles/Plastic.
I would be interested in any sites that cover that subject.
The chances are that such sites may also be eligible for regional listings:
UK/Industry/Cleaning Products or
Japan/Plastics/Tokyo/Industry or
USA/California/New Age/Wicca/Supplies
I would not be interested in any sites in those regional cats unless they had to do with my main cat.
No, not always, but almost always.
so what has been your success ratio. Mostly regional submissions were accepted earlier or otherwise ?
99.79% :) regional has a tendency to get added first but it depends on the cats involved. It's not about speed though, it's about getting listed in the appropiate cats.
Right :) Also notice that if the editor reviewing the site in the Regional category (which have usually smaller unrevieweds queues) notices a note like the one NFFC suggested *and* the editor happens to have editing privileges in the topical category too (being an editall, or just heppening to edit there), it is more likely that the site gets added in the topical category at the same time.
This is the kind of notes that ease the job of ODP editors...
For example, web sites of bricks and mortar stores with no online listing or ordering will probably not get into Shopping but will be listed in its Regional locality.
A site with online activity but no visible link to any locality, is unlikely to get into Regional ;)
I'd guess that that 95%+ sites would qualify for a Regional listing, but nearer 80% for Topical - those figures are guesses - but I'm surprised how many sites do not bother to seek a Regional listing.
Amazon.com is a virtual point of sale for shopping but they have warehouses all over the world. Even a ma and pa site has a residential address.
As far a topical... you have to be about something?
The exception to the topical rule... "affiliates" because their "something" is someone elses.
Also, if you have content in multiple languages, you probably qualify for at least one listing in those respective World/ [dmoz.org] branches.
A fairly substantial number of sites do not qualify for a Regional/ listing. If someone submits a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fansite on GeoCities, it is not the editor's responsibility to track down the author's geographic location. :) An organization like a public policy research institute or a private foundation probably won't receive a Regional/ listing unless it has a strong connection to a region (like a community foundation or a cooperative extension). You're very likely to find the Brookings Institution or the Bradley Foundation under Society, but probably not under Reg/Washington,_DC or Reg/Milwaukee .
In that sense, it's best to think of Regional, Adult, and Kids_and_Teens as special kinds of topics, rather than as an alternative classification system.
I'm surprised how many sites do not bother to seek a Regional listing.
For my part, I never considered submission to a regional cat, due to what's stated on the DMOZ Submission FAQ:
from [dmoz.org...]
You should submit your site to the single most appropriate category that is directly relevant to your site's content.
I read that as "submit to one and only one category, please." :) So, that's what I've done, since I wanted the DMOZ listing, and I didn't want to spam DMOZ either.
I can't say that everyone follows that pattern, but that's what guided me initially.
mcguffin
How do I get my site listed in more than one category?
You should submit your site to the single most appropriate category that is directly relevant to your site's content. Please only submit your site one time. The ODP editors reserve the right to use their editorial discretion to determine which category or categories your site will ultimately be placed.
I especially like the use of plurals when discussing only 1.
More than one listing isn't spam. As an example - I have a product site which sell science software (1st listing), located in halifax (2nd listing), it's also not purely science but geared to a K-12 education audience (3rd listing), I have added value content which covers diverse topics such as cartography, remote sensing, oceanography research, the solar system, deep space, global climate change, and experiments in phyics (7 more listings) to name a few. These are free resources to the general public and in all honesty accommodates DMOZ primary goal of being the best place to start when researching any topic.
The fact that a 14 year old student and a 40 year old PhD professor looking for the same topic "oceanography" clearly not would have the same level of comprehension means that DMOZ can not possibly help both individuals with the same category.
The fact that this site's informational resources are "deeplinked" and design to support the selling products means that the "free resources" are advertisements to product quality but they are also resources for scientific discovery.
DMOZ submit guidelines are just that guidelines and not an absolute.
If you believe a site is spam because it is listed more than once you are mistaken. IMO :)
[edited by: NFFC at 8:10 pm (utc) on Aug. 23, 2002]
<added>Thanks NFFC for the re-format.
What about an online shopping site (with no bricks, only clicks) which is shipping wordlwide? Of course, it'll qualify for a topical but does the contact details / mailing address of the owner provided at the site qualifies the site for a regional listing too ?
What about an online shopping site (with no bricks, only clicks) which is shipping wordlwide? Of course, it'll qualify for a topical but does the contact details / mailing address of the owner provided at the site qualifies the site for a regional listing too ?
When an editor reviews your site they attempt to review to satisfy the relevancy to the category.
In this context, a physical address and contact information helps serves this purpose. As shipping is "fulfillment" the destination has nothing really to do with the site/business and does not justify a regional listing. From where does the shipment originate would be more to the point for cat relevancy.
Argumentatively, every web site on the web has international ability and potential, you can see it from anywhere in the world, this isn't international business though.
A return policy helps as well. Where does the customer send a return. If the answer is nowhere... then listing potential is likely much the same.
Virtual items only on a virtual point of sale isn't much different. If you don't have a corporate office, a warehouse, contact phone number, you must be a business registered somewhere... where is that? How did you justify to the authority that you are business and not a scam. DMOZ looks for quality and you are just not that good if you don't want anyone to know where you are and don't put it in writing.
A freelancer, part-time or hobbist, your residential address may suffice.
There are also personal homepage cats as well in regionals for non-commercial sites.
However, if offering something other than "just free information" and a visitor can purchase something... not advertising a non-virtual way for customers/visitors to communicate with you, no office, no physical location, no place for returns, customer service or support leads me to believe the site is not a legitimate enterprise (virtual or otherwise). The DMOZ editor will likely conclude the same thing and drop the request.
[edited by: fathom at 9:32 pm (utc) on Aug. 23, 2002]
I was trying to answer the question "why do people not ask for a topical AND a regional listing."
In my case, I read the DMOZ Submission faq and said. "Ok, they want you to submit your site to only one category."
I guess it's a matter of language in the Submission FAQ. To me, it reads that each site should only expect one listing anywhere in DMOZ.
If the project doesn't mind appropriate multiple submissions (to topical or regional cats), then maybe the Submission FAQ should be changed to make this clearer.
I would never have guessed that you could submit to both topical and regional cats, based on what's in the Submission FAQ.
Maybe that information is elsewhere on DMOZ, but I'd never have figured that out from the Submission FAQ. [scratches head]
Unless your content is superior, adds something not covered or a different perspective a listing is less likely to occur.
This may be true of all sites, but not, as the message seemed to me to imply, that a large category (200+ was mentioned) is "harder to get into".
There is no reason for an editor to reject a site because a category is "full" - no such thing. There are plenty of ways of subdividing a category, and doing so is part of the editor's job.
Even if the guidelines allowed the editor to make such an arbitrary decision (which they don't), the only fair way to do it would be to go through the 200, delete the 'weakest' site, to make way for the new one (unless that were weaker!).
Each site is viewed on its own merits, measured against the acceptance criteria for that category.
