What is a Directory?

A directory does not use robots to index a site. All sites that are indexed are directly done by people. You need to submit your web site under a particular category, after which an editor will review your site and then accept or reject your site according to its quality.

Guidelines while submitting to Directories

• Make sure your site is 100% up and running, with no "under construction" signs. Good site design, fast loading pages, and content are important, especially for Yahoo.
  
• From the homepage of a directory take your time and find the appropriate category your site fits into. You can do a keyword search using your most important keywords or key phrases and note the category that lists these sites. That will probably be the best category for your site. You may also have multiple categories, in which case you must submit under all the suitable categories.
  
• Once you have found a suitable category, look out for a "Suggest a site" or an "Add URL" link. Click on this link to submit your site.
  
• Before rushing off to submit your site, carefully read their suggestions on how to submit. They REALLY mean it. Follow their instructions to the absolute letter.
  
• Since Directories do not use robots, everything indexed into a directory is done by people. No META tags, ALT image tags, HTML comments or image maps will help your performance here. Your best bet is to describe your site accurately and the final decision of adding your web site to a directory's database rests with the editor who reviews your web site. Best of luck!

Top Directories

Yahoo is without a doubt the single most important index on the Internet. Make sure you follow the guidelines given above and Yahoo's submit page instructions while submitting your site. The effort you put in now will reap huge benefits in the long run. Submit carefully!
Submit to Yahoo

Lycos, AOL Search, AltaVista and HotBot feature Open Directory categories within their results pages. As ODP is now the directory listing source for many search engines, it is in the "big leagues" and is a must to submit to.