Hello guarumo,
Great question! We researchers are an independent branch of the Google
service, and are not affiliated with the search directory. I do have
an answer for you though from first hand experience.
Q. Is there an alternative way to include the site in the Google
Directory?
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Unfortunately I can not give you any other answer than 'No'. The
Google directory is a direct reflection of what the DMOZ (ODP) has in
their directory. It is updated as Google deems needed, which seems to
be on a monthly basis.
With that said - I can offer insight as to how to increase the odds of
getting your site added to the DMOZ. Submitting your site 6 times may
be considered spam (not in my eyes, in the eyes of the editors), and
you may want to allow a 'cooling off period' before trying to submit
again. The DMOZ category you are submitting to may have an editor. If
it does, you should try and contact them first. The context of your
email can have an effect on the outcome. I would try something like
this :
Dear *Editors Name*,
I have tried several times to submit my site to the DMOZ directory
with little success. Is there any insight or tips you can offer about
getting our site listed within the Open Directory? Any help would be
greatly appreciated.
Many thanks,
*Your name*
I am assuming you are trying to submit your site here:
http://dmoz.org/World/Espa%f1ol/Educaci%f3n/Universidades/Costa_Rica/
So the way to contact this editor would be this form:
http://dmoz.org/cgi-bin/send.cgi?toeditor=mcongosto
It appears he/she is a native Spanish speaker, so you may want to send
all your messages in Spanish.
If you do not receive a response within two weeks, I would resend the
same email, except this time have a carbon copy sent to Netscape.
(This feature is available at the DMOZ site). Simply send the email
again, and check the CC Staff button.
If this is not the category you submitted your site to, that's
alright. We need to keep in mind that thousands of sites are trying to
get listed within the DMOZ. Many eiditors have a backlog, and some
categories don't even have an editor. In these instances, the
submissions are handled by either the Netscape crew, or a higher level
category editor. It's easy to see how overwhelming this can get with
numerous submissions they receive. If the category you are submitting
to does not have an editor, you can contact the next higher level
editor with the same request. (I would wait at least a couple of
months after submitting a site before contacting any editor. I am
unsure of how long you have had to wait.)
The last thing to understand and keep in mind is - this service is
free, and getting listed with them is not a guarantee, rather a
privilege. It would seem that since your site is an official education
site, it would be in their interest to have you listed. It may just be
the case, that they are simply overwhelmed as I mentioned earlier.
(Always stay optimistic:-)
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The Google search index is different than the directory. If your site
is not listed with Google, you can add it here:
Add a site to Google
://www.google.com/addurl.html
Google prefers to find your site linked from other sites. If your site
is not linked from other sites, you may want to contact similar sites
to set up a link exchange with them. (universities, school sites
etc...)
I hope this helps give you a little insight. Although I wish I could
have given you a 'Yes' answer, I can attest that the above route is
effective. I have two sites that have been submitted to the ODP by
contacting the editors.
I didn't use a search strategy to assist with this answer, rather
offered personal insight from my experiences.
Thanks for the great question! Do not hesitate to ask for any
clarification before rating this answer, as I would love to assist you
further.
SgtCory |
Clarification of Answer by
sgtcory-ga
on
09 Dec 2002 12:52 PST
Hello guarumo,
I would love to help further! Here's the answers to your request for
clarification:
1- How can I find out the "editor's name"?
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You can't find out the 'real' name of the editor, but you can see the
editors username at the bottom of each category. There will be a link
at the bottom of the page stating the following :
"Category editor:*editors name*"
You can then click on their name to learn more. Here is an example of
the 'Blugrass Music category'
http://dmoz.org/Arts/Music/Styles/Bluegrass/
The editor is : stewart
You can click on his name to learn how to contact him etc.... Some
editors do use their own real first/last names.
2- Should I contact the higher level category editor?
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This definitely explains a portion of the delay (not having an
editor), and yes you should contact the next level editor. I am
positive if you do, he/she would love to help you if they can.
3- Is there a way to check if the site was included in the ODP but in
a different category and not in the one submitted? Can the editors
change the category where the site is included?
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Yes and yes again :-) Simply try searching for the title you submitted
or the URL. I have had trouble in the past searching via URL, but you
can also search for a portion of the URL. Let's say your site was
www.travel-is-fun.com. You could do a search at DMOZ for
'travel-is-fun' to see if it comes up.
Editors can change the category if they choose too. Some of the
editors are nice enough to pass your site to other editors, while some
simply will not accept your site. It really depends on the person.
I would try searching for the URL or a portion of it to see what comes
up. Who knows... maybe you are already in the directory! (wouldn't
that be great)
I sincerely wish you the best of luck with this. I know it's a hassle
sometimes, but it is well worth the effort. Your persistence is sure
to pay off eventually.
Good luck with your site!
SgtCory
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