DMOZ, which is also identified as The Open Directory Project (ODP), is a sizeable directory consisting of websites and pages that are divided into different categories. Volunteers man this directory. Although being accepted into the directory is free, before a website or page is added, it has to be physically reviewed.

It can be quite an unnerving and lengthy process trying to get into DMOZ, but it is beneficial to be listed within the directory. Sometimes there are factors that affect the submission of a site to DMOZ that causes a delay in acceptance.

DMOZ is not a tool that many people use when searching the Internet like a search engine, such as Yahoo!
is utilized. The directory doesn’t do much for people who want to gain traffic to their website. It is the fact that information can be easily downloaded for free from the directory that makes this tool attractive. One familiar name that downloads and makes use of DMOZ’s data is Google.

When a website is listed in DMOZ, a positive effect in PageRank may be experienced. PageRank is an important aspect of Google`s ranking algorithm. The higher the PageRank, the chance of having a higher ranking increases. The PageRank within a website multiplies when many sites link to it. The higher PageRank of the linking pages have a positive effect on the receiving site.

When a website receives a listing in DMOZ, the website gains two influential links. The first comes from DMOZ and the other comes from the Google directory. Both tend to display a respectable PageRank. Other links are then achieved by the many small sites that download and use the DMOZ directory. By just being listed in DMOZ promotes an increase in PageRank value.

Why Such a Long Waiting Time?

The main page of the DMOZ website states that there are over 70,000 editors, which are comprised of volunteers who review websites and add them to the directory. This number is quite deceptive because it is not the total number of active editors, but an accumulation of the number of editors that have ever worked on the directory since its creation. The actual number of editors who are actively reviewing and adding websites is quite small.

Since this is a popular directory to be accepted into, there have been many submissions throughout the years. This has created a huge backlog of sites that have yet to be reviewed. Editors are separated into groups that can only edit within their assigned categories. Some editors deal with a small amount of submissions and these get quickly taken care of. Some categories produce an overwhelming number of submissions that join a long list of unreviewed websites.

The backlog of submissions and editors are not the only factors that make this a slow process. Sometimes it is the person whose website is up for review who is to blame. This occurs when a website is submitted into the wrong category and takes up space in the wrong submission pile. When it is that website’s turn to be reviewed, it is discovered that it is in the wrong area and must be sent along to a different editor for the website’s correct category. The website then spends time in the new category’s unreviewed pile. Eventually, it will reach the eyes of the correct editor, but it has traveled an unnecessary journey. It is important to submit a site to the correct category.

Site Rejection

DMOZ follows a policy that a website is to present unique content, excluding the submission of many sites.
Sites can be rejected because they contain content that is too similar to another site. Websites can also be rejected because the site doesn’t follow some of DMOZ’s guidelines. This applies to the Title and Description of the submitted website. It is important to read and abide by the guidelines when submitting. The description should allow people to get a sense of what the site is about; it shouldn’t serve as an advertisement.

Website owners should keep in mind that a rejected site owner is not notified. It used to be the only way to find out the status of a website submission was to contact an editor within the Open Directory Public Forum. They used to inform those who asked if their submission were rejected, as well as the reasoning behind it. This practice is no longer allowed, making there no way to find out whether or not a site has been reviewed or rejected.

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