Getting Into Search Directories

This is an excerpt from an advice directory on Responders.com…
I hope you find it useful, I did.

How do I get into search directories?

Getting a top listing in search directories–especially Yahoo!–is essential to successful search engine promotion of your Web site. Here’s some tips on preparing your site for submittal to search directories.

Pre-Submittal Tips:
Search directories are much more picky about the sites they choose to accept or reject. Remember: a person will physically visit your site and judge its content. For that reason, you must have a clean and intuitive site design coupled with high-quality information.
Spend some time looking at the other sites currently listed in the category you’re looking at. What does your site offer that the current sites do not? How will you benefit the directory by being listed there?
Do a site clean-up. Make sure you’re page titles aren’t outrageously long, stuffed with keywords or worse than that, stuffed with garbage keywords like “Pamela Anderson or Pokemon”. This is a sure-fire way to not get into the index or get banned. Make sure your META keywords and description tags contain accurate information.
Submission Tips:
Yahoo
Commercial sites must use the Business Express submission at a cost of $199. This provides “Guaranteed and expedited consideration of your site within 7 business days.” learn more
All other sites may use the Business Express if they wish, but can also use the free submission. learn more
If you use the free submission, do not re-submit your site more than once every three weeks until it’s accepted. Be very careful when choosing your site’s title and description. The title should be your company or Web site name. Be sure to make the description short (two sentences max), readable and contain your most important keyword(s).
Looksmart
All sites have the option of Express Submit at a cost of $199 or Basic Submit. Express Submit guarantees that you “Get your submission reviewed within two business days.” learn more
All sites submitted to the Looksmart directory have the opportunity of “suggesting” their title and description. Looksmart editors tend to greatly modify the suggested description, even with an Express Submit. If accepted, your description will most likely be very different from the one you submitted. They will also assign your site a specific weight depending on how relevant they feel your site is.
Open Directory
All sites are submitted to a volunteer category editor who reviews, edits and accepts or rejects your site’s listing. Do not re-submit your site more than once a month until listed–category editors do not appreciate multiple, mass submissions.