When deciding on the major search engine directories you want your website to be listed in; you should not overlook one of the most important ones: the DMOZ (short form for Directory Mozilla). DMOZ is just another name for the Open Directory Project, one of the human-powered submission directories. The Open Directory Project (http://www.dmoz.org) was designed and is currently operated by a volunteer group of web editors and reviewers.
It will not cost you a dime to get listed on DMOZ, but before you submit your website to the Open Directory Project for review, you must be certain it is developed with DMOZ standards in mind. You will need to go through all your web pages to ensure that your website is elegant and professional.
Your website design should be already completed by the time you submit it. That means that the design of every single web page should be finished. Unfinished websites will be rejected. Also, ensure that your website contains valuable and relevant information, or your website will get rejected.
One of the benefits of being listed with the Open Directory Project is that your website will sooner or later appear in other search engines like Google and Yahoo. This happens because the DMOZ listings are used by numerous search engines and directories, including Google.
The submission process is relatively uncomplicated. Your first step is to visit the website of the Open Directory Project: http://www.dmoz.org. You can select a category and subcategories for your website and add your website’s URL. Make sure that you selected the correct category and subcategory. Incorrect selection may result in a longer waiting period or rejection. Also, read and follow the provided instructions and requirements very carefully.
The title and description you submit should be carefully prepared and reviewed to ensure they accurately describe your website’s content and main theme. If DMOZ editors disagree with your description or title, they can either change it or completely reject your website.
It may take some time (sometimes 6 months or more …) before your website will appear in the Open Directory Project. However, do not resubmit your website during the waiting period, as this can only result in a longer delay or get your website rejected. Be patient and regularly check the status of your submission by searching DMOZ. Suppose your website does not get listed for a long period or gets rejected. In that case, you can also check on the status of the submission or the reasons for the rejection by contacting the editors for the subcategory you selected.