Forum Moderators: open
I've just gone through the Zeal questionnaire to submit a site to their directory. I was wondering if anyone had been listed there recently and how long it took?
It struck me that the first site submitted by a new 'Zealot' (as they're called) would be more thoroughly checked as the majority of them will be people submitting their own sites.
Reckon?
Any info gratefully received,
CY
Yes, it does seem like a good way to keep the number of submissions down. Plus the non-commercial aspect.
Cheers
CY
I actually have a local non-commercial, bonafide non-profit that needs to be submitted, but I haven't yet.
I applied and was accepted at Zeal a long time ago and did a couple of submissions, before all the changes, but I doubt it's still valid. It seems a little cumbersome to take a test and sign up to submit a site. If I had my choice I'd concentrate mainly on the non-profit sector, but the time just isn't available. So it isn't being submitted.
[edited by: Axacta at 5:29 am (utc) on June 3, 2002]
While I didn't agree with how a couple of my descriptions got edited, the whole process has helped me.
This "Directories:ODP & Others" forum has plenty of posts commenting on the importance of title & description in directories. The zeal process has helped me to better understand how directories write listings.
If I can create a favorable title and description that meets guidelines, there's a higher probability that my important keywords get included. Titles & descriptions that aren't close enough to guidelines can get completely changed.
Marica, maybe you should think of the zealot test as a free tutorial on how to improve future Zeal and ODP listings.
Another benefit of submission which meet guidelines: potentially faster inclusion.
[webmasterworld.com...]
Good luck,
rmjvol
If you act sorta dumb, and your site is non-profit, you can always ask the category moderator nicely ...... because getting a site into Zeal is no mean feat ;)
I asked nicely if she could put it in, because i was clueless ;) (more like tired) and since then I get 10% of SE traffic from MSN/Looksmart and the like.
Since then I've passed the test.....
The first test (20 questions) is pretty easy thought it may take a couple tries to get 90%. The second one is a little more intense and can take substantially longer but is not required to submit a site.
True...you only need to pass that first quiz to submit as many sites as you want...the downside is someone else has to review them, and they can change the descriptions any way they want. The second one lets you become a Zealot, and they can add sites directly to a category...its worth doing if you're really into a specific topic.
I took the Zeal test and only missed one question. I then submitted 4 sites--all commercial--and of course they didn't accept them--I was so brain dead by the time the test was over--took about 2 hours for the whole process-- that I didn't read the other data very carefully.
I haven't gone back because I found an easier way to get into Looksmart (Wisenut)and MSN (Submit-it.bcentral).
As for Zeal, I too passed the first test and have successfully had half a dozen sites accepted. They have to be non-commercial though. I have heard people say you can build informational pages on a commercial site and submit those pages, but I can't see how this would work (Zealots assess the whole site).
The question is, Marcia, do you value the hour or so it takes to pass the first test more highly than the cost of paid inclusion at Looksmart (especially now they're PPC)? For me the answer is 'yes'.
Oh well.
If you do have a site that's non-commercial, it won't hurt to list it. (I've passed my test, so if you e-mail - sticky's prolly better - your site to me, I'll list it next time I go over to see if they've lifted the ban on me, yet.)
G.
Wisenut closed up it's submit page about the same time I post that message.There is another thread going on re Wisenut. I think it's in the search engine section.
The test was kind of worthwhile in that it made you think about directory listings, and made me feel that I really should submit a few more of my favourite non-profit sites to be a good Zealot.
As always, thanks for all the help,
Cy
I don't remember now but I think I read it in a search engine newsletter a month or so ago--that Looksmart was preparing to buy Wisenut and either the article sated, or I assumed, the later would be feeding the former. So I quickly subbed all my sites to it. On the last day I subbed the notice had changed and they had stated Looksmart had already bought it and then the URL disappeared.
Do you think this would qualify for zeal?
you can only give it a go, if you miss out you have only lost a little time and if you can always add others in the future. You do stand a good chance if it is a non commercial, expect your actual description to change depending on the editor and dont forget you can even PR hunt if your topic falls into a number of cats. Web directory sites seem to come up higher in the SERPS of MSN etc also
I have submitted a number of sites and they have all migrated over to MSN, CNET and a couple of others. For me it was well worth it.
Cheers
FYI, This is a service that submits your URL to search indices, not to the directory of MSN or LookSmart. It submits to Inktomi, AV and others but will not drive much traffic because the results only typically appear in fall through results (after sponsered sites and after reviewed/directory web sites).
The very next morning my site was listed. The editor of the category accepted my description -- but with the prefix "Visit this site which contains"...
I feel like such a trained monkey now. All that time I spent learning their rules and the editor of my category can't even get it right. :)
I don't know if I should complain or just shake my head and walk away.
>"Visit this site which contains"...
You can report that to someone higher, their guidelines strictly say that descriptions must not contain site, information, etc.
[zeal.com...]
This only requires passing that basic test, which is pretty easy. There is a second test you'll need to pass if you want to go much higher. It ain't easy, but I passed it. Even the lowest level members can submit sites for possible admission, and also propose various management issues such as lousy descriptions being changed, sites that are dead or redirecting to some inappropriate URL, etc. These are all reviewed by higher editors. By properly submitting such things, one earns points. Once you get up to 75 points, one can become a full fledged "Zealot" and actually become true editors of categories.
One correction, Marcia. You don't have to be a part of Zeal to get in. So long as you knew someone who had passed at least that first test, if you could persuade them to submit it for you this would do just as well. So long as everything about the submission fit the Zeal guidelines, it likely would be accepted. I actually got in a "competing" site to mine run by someone else (since we are both non-commercial I dunno if compete is the right word) by simply submitting it according to the guidelines.
Assuming that getting into Zeal will get you to the top of the page for major keyword searches, getting into Zeal seems to be worth it from looking at my logs. Decent traffic from msn.com to my site from that.
I like being a zeal member because I feel it gives me more value to my non-profit clients, who are as anxious as anyone else to show up in the search engines.
