Submitting to Directories

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by Aaron West

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The directory search engines account for approximately 80% of all search engine traffic. Getting listed in the directories is a must for any webmaster in search of traffic. They are also the toughest engines to submit to.

The crawler, or spider search engines, such as AltaVista, Northern Light, and Excite, are easy to submit to. Simply give them a URL and eventually you'll be indexed. Your site doesn't have to meet any certain criteria. Your site won't be judged on content, design or speed. The only requirement for your site to be listed is that it exists.

Not so with the Directories. All of the Directory engines are edited and kept up by real people, rather than 'robots' or computer programs. To be listed in a directory, a real person will have to look and judge your site. Every site listed must meet certain criteria, which varies with each directory.

Before you submit to a directory, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Are any of my links or graphics broken?

No directory will list a site with broken links or graphics, regardless of the quality of it's content.

2. Is my page finished?

Incomplete or Under Construction pages will not be listed. If your site is finished, make sure all Under Construction signs are out of site.

3. Does my site offer quality, useful, original content?

Content is the key with the directories. Most directories do not consider themselves 'judges' but instead providers of useful resources. The better your content, the better chance you have of being listed.

4. Does my site load quickly?

Test your site on 28.8 and 56k modems. Make sure your front page loads within 10-15 seconds. If you provide rich content (Flash), give users a smaller bandwidth option.

5. Is my site easy to navigate?

Make sure the navigational interface is clear and concise, without a lot of distracting elements.

6. Is my site usable by a wide audience?

There have been a lot of great advances in the world of web development, but many of those fall flat when it comes to earlier browsers. Make sure there is some level of backwards compatibility.

7. Does my site look nice?

Although good design is usually not a requirement, it does help. The better your site looks, the better the directory will feel about adding it.

If you answered Yes to all of these questions then half the battle is over. Now you have to find the best way to present your site.