YAHOO or DMOZ

whats worth more? yahoo listing or dmoz listing

[limpbizkit75]

what is more effective - a yahoo listing, or a dmoz listing?

[born2drv]

For link popularity, DMOZ is better if the directory has higher PR. Also you get 2 backlinks once you're in Google's directory compared to 1 from yahoo.

For traffic, Yahoo is probably better, especially if your directory/category is popular, or you become one of the "most popular" in your category.

Other things to note: If you're in DMOZ, Google will use your description in your listing for the home page, listed below it's own snippet description. If you're in Yahoo, yahoo will use your title/description to replace Google's snippet --- this could be good or bad depending on your yahoo title/description.

[heini]

ODP propagates through the web. Benefits will be multiple, and coming from unexpected angles. ODP is a backbone of the web. A dmoz listing gives a site legitimacy.

[skibum]

I'd take a Dmoz listing any day. YAHOO! might be a little better now that the directory link is a little more prominent on the new interface but at this point dmoz is much more valuable IMO.

[taskmaster]

When I got in most popular I got about 2-3 times more visitors from Yahoo and I think a Yahoo listing is worth more them DMOZ in the next 1-2 years.

By the way cool name Limp Bizkit looking forward to the new record in a few month.

zeus

[mack]

Why go for one or the other? Do both and compare your own results when you get listed :)

IMO Yahoo is reasonable in terms of traffic. DMOZ will be a bit better once they get their problems sorted out. If I where you I would go for a Yahoo regional link. That way you get on your local version and also yahoo.com

[Oaf357]

My opinion:

DMOZ is better. Why?

Currently Yahoo! uses Google for its search engine (non-directory functions). Google uses ODP for it's directory functions. You get in ODP you eventually get in Google and that means you're in Yahoo.

You don't have a directory listing in Yahoo! but who actually uses directory searches these days anyway?

[mmr82]

There is a very serious problem with DMOZ, they just don't have editors over there. Specially in the "Business" category.
While in Yahoo a professional will review my listing and will let me know if he will add it or not within 7 days.

That's why I respect Yahoo. I'd pay $299 to get my site reviewed, It's far better than waiting for ever wondering whether I'll be listed in DMOZ or not!

Mohamed

[dogboy]

yeah, the real question is 'can you even get the dmoz link?'

imho, neither one are what they were, at a lot of different levels.... but you still want both.... they are complimentary and provide a good foundation for any additional SEO efforts. As far as traffic goes, I look at dmoz more as a database, making it a hard component to accurately track in your stats, and therefore a difficult thing to discuss.

[edited by: dogboy at 4:58 pm (utc) on April 20, 2003]

[cornwall]

The question is academic to the extent that a DMOZ link (if you can get one) does not cost you anything, apart from the time to get the DMOZ site to open for you, and to fill in the submission form, and to chase around some time later when it has not appeared in DMOZ.

Also having a DMOZ link does not exclude you from getting a Yahoo link (accepting you will probably have to pay for that)

[markusf]

a yahoo listing didn't do much for my traffic, when i first got listed i got a *new* beside my name and moved to the top, i was getting 600 referals a month, now i am lucky if i get 20 as they just tossed my site back into the mass list.

[AhmedF]

with the new changes in yahoo that should be coming soon, the importance of a Yahoo! directory link SHOULD increase.

Get both definately.

[clickthinker]

So when it comes to renewing a listing in Yahoo, you would suggest going for it?

[2_much]

clickthinker, check your stats to determine if it's worth it. If you'r getting traffic from the directory, then definitely. Even if you're getting a few hits a day, it would still probably be cheaper than the cost of PPC, so it'd probably be worth it.

[twoline]

It depends what category you're going to be in, and, of course, this is subject to interpretation as there are many overlapping cats in both directories. Look at the PR of all the possible cats you could be in and submit to the highest PR cat, assuming it's relevant.

Some people do search the directories, and in that case it's better to be in a cat with fewer listings (also helps transfer PR). If your site name is zuluwidgets.com, nobody will find your site in the cat with 300 listings. But if it's a cat with 6 listings, you're found quite nicely. Just depends.

[Oaf357]

The other side of that coin is if the cat is too hard to find then no one will find you either.

[clickthinker]

Thanks for the replies..
Its a touch call.
We don't get a hell of alot of traffic from the category listing (PR4).
Thing is - when one searches at Yahoo, the listings are the same as google, but the Title and description come from the category listing.

$299 is quiet a whack on our credit card, and I think we're not going to go ahead with the renewal. So well see if we loose that traffic (from Yahoo) and what effect it has on Google's listing.

At least it'll make an interesting case study...

[Gonzalez]

Recently I submited two new sites to Yahoo and Dmoz. Yahoo listed one and Dmoz listed the other. They are both on the same niche and it seems to me that the site listed on Yahoo took more beneficts on Google than the one listed on Dmoz.

[Danilo]

IMHO a DMOZ is much more effective because of the nature of the directory. Yahoo! is more commercial than DMOZ, isn't it?

I also realized that tha data in DMOZ are better organized.

Danilo.

[hutcheson]

This is sort of like a "should I hit him with my right hand or try a left hook?" kind of question.

And it's a no-brainer: if you really want to knock the bloke down, go for both! If you can't afford damage to your right hand, just hit him with the left. If your left arm is in a sling from the last bar fight, just hit him with the right.

The cost of Yahoo is $299.00 a year. The cost of ODP is delays and uncertainty. If you've got an hour to spend on an ODP submittal (less when the new public servers are up, but that won't be for another few weeks), then spend it on dmoz.org, um, server timeouts. If you need a listing now and have $299, then burn that at Yahoo.

But don't not get one just because you already have the other. They do not serve exactly the same population, and their effect on Google page rank is cumulative. And don't wait on onw just because you've applied for the other -- Wait on two listings takes no more effort than waiting on one.

[EliteWeb]

Dmoz is more valuable for backlinks and here is why, it was mentioned it counts as two backlinks one from dmoz itself and one from the google directory, also keep in mind you may get additional links from other peoples sites using dmoz data could be from industry specific to anyone out there.

Last time I checked one of my sites had over 10 links from sites using ODP data. :D Yahoo has me down for one link. :D I wouldnt pass up on Yahoo though because people seem to go there when looking for links to add to their sites.

[creative craig]

You don't have a directory listing in Yahoo! but who actually uses directory searches these days anyway?

For one site in particular I get a fair few hits a day from the Yahoo! directory, around 35 to 40, it suprised me in the begining, I am not sure about a ODP listing for this site as I am still waiting to get in ;)

Craig

[cornwall]

>>This is sort of like a "should I hit him with my right hand or try >>a left hook?" kind of question.
>>And it's a no-brainer: if you really want to knock the bloke down, >>go for both!

Not often that I agree with Hutcheson, but spot on there.

I would not be convinced that the new servers are "another few weeks". But you can cut down on the current one hour to submit if you try between 6 and 8 am UK (say after 1am Eastern if you happen to be awake and at the computer!)

[werty]

I would say go for both as well, as long as you can afford Yahoo!

I would say that DMOZ is worth the effort since it is free and helps you get listed in the google directory as well as all the other sites that use dmoz for info.

I was actually suprised to see people using the directories as often as they do. 32% of the visitors come from DMOZ, 25% from Google Directory. Those numbers are based on web site referrals not search engines.

[Powdork]

A dmoz listing gives a site legitimacy.

No, it does absolutely nothing of the sort. It merely says an editor, whose motives are unknown and usually is a player in your category has approved it. If the editor is not a player in your field then it is probably because there is no editor for that cat and your wait will be a long one.
Given that I think it probably carries more weight because of the duplicate listings that come with it. Yahoo brings me more traffic, however.
One side note: The official Google byline was get a listing in Yahoo! or the Open Directory to ensure your site gets listed. However, the last two times GoogleGuy spoke on that subject he only mentioned the ODP. Don't know if that means anything though.

[sudden]

Maybe we should look at other possible benefits an ODP or Yahoo listing might have in respect to search engine rankings. Sure, you get some inbound links and a little PR, but I think - from a search engine´s point of view - it would make sense to treat these links in a special way.

After all, being listed in Yahoo or ODP means that an editor (which in most cases cannot be influenced by us, the webmaster) reviewed the web site and accepted it. This means the web site in question has at least some basic quality and is not a useless spam web site.

I think it would be a smart move for any search engine to use this basic quality guarantee and pay some tribute to it in their algos. I have no clue if they do - but I think it would make sense. Any hints this might or might not be true?

[bekyed]

Hi, we have submitted a site to yahoo uk with only 6 more sites in the category, it is a fetish wear site.
This cost me 450 pounds
How much traffic will i expect to get?
and will this help my link pop on google - we are also listed in the ODP.

Thanks.

[phoenix2003]

This is my first posting, this forum has always proved a useful source of information and opinion.

The YAHOO and DMOZ question is something we have investigated. As part of a test we got one of our main sites (a 800+ page site) removed from the OPEN DIRECTORY (something they say they won't do..."if you're publicly available, we'll continue to list you", was Rob Keating's email message to us). Expecting a drop in visitor numbers, it made no difference whatsoever. This has to be compared with a YAHOO listing going back three years which has seen pretty constant traffic harvesting. Although perhaps YAHOO has lost it's all-powerful status, it may still have a name that is recognised. When we ask around (universities, businesses, etc), it is surprising how few people know of the OPEN DIRECTORY as compared to YAHOO.

One interesting aspect we find interesting is targeting. We tested the Internet Movie Database with the same site mentioned above, and within a week heard from 2 agents interested in getting sites developed.

[catfishgibson]

DMOZ...but be careful what you put in the description. Google's DMOZ updates are far apart!

[Powdork]

I think it would be a smart move for any search engine to use this basic quality guarantee and pay some tribute to it in their algos. I have no clue if they do - but I think it would make sense. Any hints this might or might not be true?

I think so. A member recently asked me to look over two of his sites. One had a PR 2 the other a four. Both had very similar backlinks and were in fact very similar sites. The difference was an ODP and Google directory listing for one site. The directory categories were both pr 5. Both sites had spammy questionable backlinks from many unrelated pages, guestbooks, etc. Both had several decent high pr links from related sites. All of the linking pages had 75-200 links per page. The Google/ODP pages also had well over 100 links per page. Only the two directories showed up as backlinks out of all the links to both sites. So at the very least I think Google will disregard any maximum # of links out from these directories. The end result was that a site which was relatively spammy, but had an OPD stamp of approval could do quite well.