DMOZ is another name for the Open Directory Project, the largest, free, human-edited directory on the web. It is constructed and maintained by volunteers from all over the globe who make submissions and edits to the listings. As the largest directory, it provides listings and results as a help or starting point for many search engines, including Google, HotBot, Lycos, Netscape, and others. Go to BruceClay.com to see a graph of how central DMOZ is to search engine results.

Google Draws Results From DMOZ

Google, like other search engines, often uses the listings and descriptions from the ODP in its results. These results and descriptions can have a powerful effect on how effective your site’s search engine results are. Wouldn’t it be nice to tell DMOZ and Google what to say about your site? To write a description that accurately describes your site and entices visitors to come?

How to Submit a Site to DMOZ:

Luckily, you can tell Google and DMOZ how to portray your site. DMOZ is edited by humans, and so to get a listing in the ODP, you need to make the humans there aware of your site (which, if your site is new or small, may not be very likely). There is a link on most DMOZ category pages for suggesting sites and descriptions for those sites. Official guidelines for the DMOZ URL suggestion tool are here.

1. Go to the category that you feel fits your site best
2. If available, click the “suggest url” link
3. Enter the web address of your site
4. Give your “elevator pitch,” the concise, accurate summary of your site that you want DMOZ to display (Make sure your description is objective and doesn’t sound promotional)

Chances are, if you make it easy for them, the editors will simply use the information you gave them and give your site a good DMOZ listing.

What to Do About a Bad DMOZ Listing:

Sometimes the editors don’t understand your site and give you a poor or incorrect listing. Sometimes your site changes and your listing needs updating. You can do one of two things about these problems:

1. Update your listing. You can update your listing by going to the category where your site is listed and clicking the “update listing” link. Make sure to clearly show the error, short coming, or change that needs to be made in your DMOZ listing.
2. Use the NOODP meta tag on your site. The NOODP meta tag allows you to ask search engines to override or ignore the ODP listing that your site has in favor of content found on the pages of your site. Matt Cutts’ blog entry shows you how to use the NOODP meta tag.

DMOZ provides what is, for the most part, a valuable service. There are allegations that the directory is flawed, spammed, or worthless, but the editors are only human. Besides, flawed, spammy, or worthless, the ODP still has a strong influence on the web and you have the tools to influence what they say about you or to avoid ill effects from potential DMOZ problems. Use DMOZ submissions as one more edge in your effort to improve your rankings and marketing message on the Internet.