Open Directory

[nadsab]

Hi,

Does getting a site listed on the Open Directory Project increase a site's rank?

[garylo]

There are mixed opinions about that.

[AthlonInside]

Yes, it is for sure. And it helps a lot!

[Pegasus]

I've got three listings :)

Surely if Google bases its own Directory off Dmoz, it must put some value on the dmozzies' judgement.

It makes sense that a site approved by Dmoz must be at least decent.

[takagi]

Depends on the PR of the category. It won't help much if a link to your site is added to a category with PR1 and 80 other links. But usually it helps twice because Google Directory is based on the ODP, and there is no need to link back. The other clones won't help. GoogleGuy recently wrote something about giving lower weight to unimportant directories.

[martekbiz]

>>It makes sense that a site approved by Dmoz must be at least decent.

it must huh?

Boy.. I think you are very wrong on that one.

An editors version of "decent" is open to wide interpertation, wouldn't you agree?

A

[nadsab]

So does google also rank cetegories that are in the Open Directory? And if the category has a low rank that could do my site more harm than good?

[Powdork]

Does getting a site listed on the Open Directory Project increase a site's rank?

All spiderable links pointing to your page help your pr based on the linking pages pr and the number of other outgoing links from the page. This means a dmoz link does help but has no special status as far as the link from dmoz itself and the pr transferred. It does help in other ways, though.
1. The link will eventually make it into the Google directory as well, giving you another source of traffic and pr.
2. Other sites mirror dmoz which can be an additional source of traffic, though rarely pr (if ever?)
3. Google has to start crawling the web somewhere. Many believe dmoz is one of the places they start. This can help to make sure you make it in the index although it is a very poor choice to try and make it THE link to get you indexed due to the time factor involved. Actually, its a really poor place to have as your important link since its down so often.
I find the real value in my dmoz listings is the google directory listing that eventually comes with it.