tdz's Journal: Tips and tricks to get listed in directories

Everyone should know how important it is to get listed in directories, however, just because you submit your website does not mean that your website will be accepted. In fact, many websites are turned down on a daily basis for one reason or another.

The very first thing you need to learn when it comes to tips and tricks to get listed in directories is how to submit your website properly. Your website should be ready before you even consider submitting it to directories.

Before you submit check to make sure:

• Do not submit a website that is under construction. Every link on your website should lead to content not a page that says coming soon.
• Be sure that all of your pages load correctly and quickly. If an error page pops up you can forget it. The editor reviewing your website will not include your website in their directory.

These rules apply even if you have paid to be included in the directory. If your website appears to be incomplete, is hard to load, or as broken links, you are going to be rejected.

Now, you finally ready to submit. Before you just in head first, find the best category for your website. Then go deeper, and find the best sub-category. You will have to search through each category and sub-category to find the most appropriate. Many times are rejected because the webmaster has submitted their website to a category that is not appropriate. After you find the most appropriate category, you can now click on add site, which is usually found at the bottom of the page.

How to submit

• First, be sure to use the correct url. Do not include index.html, or in most cases sub-domains. The majority of directories only include top-level domains and wish to see the proper url, which will look like this: www.yourwebsite.com. If you submit the wrong url, most editors will toss your submission to the side and go onto the next.
• Now, write a proper description. Your meta description will not get you into directories. Directories like to see an objective description with around two sentences, no more.
• When you are typing your description you should never repeat the title, do not use all capitals, use capitals when appropriate, use complete sentences, do not use wording such as "this site offers", do not use hype words such as "the best", and keep the description short. You can use your main keyword or keyword phrase but only once. The majority of the times, boring descriptions are usually the best when it comes to getting listed in directories.
• Next, pay close attention to the title you use when you are submitting. Most of the time if you use your title tag you can forget being listed unless you are using the real title of your website. Most of the time, the title is your company name or the name of your website, not hyped up or keyword stuffed titles.

Remember when you are submitting to directories, you are submitting to a real person not a search engine crawler. They want to see real true to life information without all the hype before they will consider adding your website to their directory .