Those of you who have studied the art of SEO know how important a link from DMOZ can be. It isn’t necessarily the link that gives the most value as it is the large amount of scrapers. One link from the DMOZ directory can bring hundreds, even thousands of links. Hell, even Google scrapes DMOZ.
With that being said, BadEvan has granted us the pleasure of answering a few questions on his dealings with the directory.
What made you want to become a DMOZ editor?
Truthfully it was the fact that the category I wanted my site to be listed in was severely lacking any support. There hadn’t been a single edit/listing in over a year. So, I decided to apply to be an editor of that section. I figured I knew a ton about the topic and a few hours a week I could devote to it.
How long have you been an editor?
A little over a year. Feels like a decade, though.
Specifically, what do you look for in a website?
Original content, recent updates, focus on the main topic being requested. I also look at the site design and layout. If you look like crap your content probably is, too. How easy is it for people to find the information they are looking for on your site? Do you have new ideas or themes? Or are you just paraphrasing the same ideas that are already out there? Is your main focus of the site to sell me (the reader) something? I take all of that into account. Since I deal with the GLBT community, defining what’s sexuality and erotica/porn/adult are a large part of my time.
What is the #1 reason for a site to be denied?
Trying to get listed in the wrong category. We don’t have time to pour over all the applications and try and decide what category you best fit in. So requesting the wrong category will get your request deleted real quick. See, each category editor has different idea of what should be included in specific categories. It’s up to that category editor to make the call. So, instead of wasting their/our time…We just delete you. Unless I know for sure that you fit perfect in another category, then I’ll move your request.
If you could give one piece of advice to everyone who submits, what would it be?
Do your home work. Research all the categories that have even a smidgen of relation to your topic. Find the best match that looks like it’s had recent additions/deletions. Then write out a great “About” intro. We tend to rewrite these, but if you write a great, non-sales pitch, intro…it’ll make you stand out a bit more than all the other applications. So, keep it short and to the point. What’s your site all about? How does it relate to the category you’re requesting? But keep it under 60 words.
Is there anything you would like to add?
Be nice to those editors out there trying to help people better their odds of getting added. I put my self out there to help you guys. I answer questions and give advice. For FREE! I get paid nothing to edit nor do I think I/we should. That said I get mad when people harp on me and talk smack. I have a list of people that have dissed me publicly,because I’m an editor. Their words come back to haunt them. “I hate DMOZ and all you editors.” “I don’t care if I get listed.” We will remember that the next time you apply. We also inform the editors of your category if you should get listed…
I would like to thank Bad Evan for doing this interview, it has been a pleasure. Be sure to check out his blog at BadEvan
Written: Oct 22, 2008
g1smd
October 22, 2008 @ 5:52 pm
*** Hell, even Google scrapes DMOZ. ***
No they don’t. They download the RDF file which is produced a couple of times per month.
Gary R. Hess
October 22, 2008 @ 5:53 pm
@g1smd you do realize that is basically what scraping is right? They are taking ODP and republishing it on their website.
Most scrapers now don’t go along copying and pasting. They grab the RSS file and republish it on their own website, replacing the links to links to their own pages.
Michael Aulia
October 22, 2008 @ 8:09 pm
I’ve been waiting for months to get my blog listed. Or I guess, it’ll never be listed lol
BadEvan
October 22, 2008 @ 11:01 pm
Actually Google owns DMOZ now. But they take a strict “Hands-off” approach to the directory. I didn’t even know the directory was part of Google until I read about it on a editor board. But I guess it’s public knowledge, just not that publicized.
Michael Aulia – You should find an editor or an export that can help you make your listing request standout and pass all the tests. What category are you shooting for?
ImpNerd – This was a lot of fun. I hope people fear the ODP less now. Plus, now people have an idea of how to give their requests a better chance of making it in. Thanks again.
chocoholic
October 22, 2008 @ 11:18 pm
Some misinformation has been given here.
1. Google does not own DMOZ.
2. (Most) editors don’t and usually shouldn’t delete mis-submitted sites.
Gary R. Hess
October 22, 2008 @ 11:29 pm
They are a Netscape organization which is owned by AOL. And Google owns a portion of AOL.
@chocoholic According to http://www.dmoz.org/add.html they can and do.
BadEvan
October 23, 2008 @ 1:14 am
Thanks Gary for pointing out the facts there. I know that Google has worked with DMOZ as a “partial” owner to make listings propagate faster in the Google index.
As far as “editors don’t and usually shouldn’t delete mis-submitted sites.” Most of us do try and find the right category to move the request to, but not always. If it is way outside of my category then it just goes in the trash. It’s your job to request the right category. It’s not for me to find the right one and move you.
From DMOZ – Sites submitted to inappropriate or unrelated categories may be rejected or removed.
chocoholic
October 23, 2008 @ 2:14 am
I should explain – I’ve been an editor for 9 years so I do know what I’m talking about.
Google does not own DMOZ, does not work as a “partial” owner, and has no involvement in behind-the-scenes work at the directory. The paid staff work (keeping up the hardware etc.) is all AOL. The fact that Google may own part of AOL is completely unrelated. (I may own stock in Sears but that doesn’t make me a Sears employee or boss!) What Google does as far as the RDF dump and making listings propogate faster is entirely their work.
Also, most editors don’t delete sites, and usually do try to find the right place for them. Yes, the guidelines state that those sites may be rejected. However, we encourage editors not to delete them, because it may be a valuable resource, and sometimes it’s hard for submitters to figure out where a site best belongs.
Damien
October 23, 2008 @ 2:15 am
Google haven’t been working *with* dmoz. They’ve been working with the dmoz datas.
Those datas are available to anybody who’s having an internet connection.
That’s why we call ourself “Open Directory Project”. Because even though we aren’t open source, we distribute all our public datas freely.
Google is only a user of our data, just like hundreds of others websites. We have no direct contact with them and we don’t work for them.
For the rejection of websites submitted in the wrong category, that’s indeed a possibility.
But most of the editors knows that there are several ways to find the best category for the website.
Ask for an other editor through feedback or the editors forum. Or even send them to a special private category where an other editor, who knows better the directory can find the best place.
We absolutely do *not* encourage the deletion of misplaced websites.
BadEvan
October 23, 2008 @ 3:13 am
Google doesn’t work with the editors or the meta/cat editors but when they got “juiced” in through AOL, DMOZ made it easy to go directly from any of its categories to the equivalent category in the Google Directory. Just click on the green ball at the bottom right of the ODP category. There were benefits for Google and ODP, but to say they didn’t “work” together at that stage is just silly. It’s also silly to think that I said that editors work for/with Google.
If you own 5% of Sears, you better believe they are going to listen to you. And do “things” for you.
So, if you edit… Ethnic Foods/Recipes and some one submits a site about golfing, you’re saying that you, a non golfer, would spend the time to hunt down the right Sports/Golfing category to move their request to. I don’t believe you. And I’ve been told many times not to waste time on it. If a site is of high quality, has a great submission and would benefit the directory I might spend time looking in the top category. But if it’s totally unrelated….I’m sorry but you (the submitter) should have more respect and desire for your site to be listed than to just dump it anywhere.
whenwillpeoplelisten
October 23, 2008 @ 4:26 am
“Google doesn’t work with the editors or the meta/cat editors but when they got “juiced” in through AOL, DMOZ made it easy to go directly from any of its categories to the equivalent category in the Google Directory.”
That function was there long before Google became a shareholder in AOL. One more time for those that don’t listen. GOOGLE DOES NOT HAVING ANYTHING TO DO WITH DMOZ EXCEPT FOR USING THE RDF DATA WHICH ANYONE CAN USE IF THEY SO WISH.
arindra
October 23, 2008 @ 4:31 am
If owning a voice in the ODP was so much easy as you suggest , there are numerous Fortune 500 companies who would have spent some money to do so .
You have probably deleted sites which were misplaced because you personally did not want to spend more time on it . I and I know of several editors who go to much higher extent in sending the submitted site to the proper category ( in cases like sites in other languages even, editors may view the site through translators ) to understand the content .
The editor forums you speak of allows discussion on where a particular site can go .
There are 2 chain of thoughts – either you work on the unreviewed and if you do – you them justice – which may include finding proper categorisation .
But here is the catch and probably what you misunderstood ( my personal opinion ) , is that you were probably more encouraged to search for sites by your own and not spend time on unreviewed .
John Sullivan@POTPOLITICS™
October 23, 2008 @ 4:58 am
DMOZ is a bunch of snob lamers who are prejudice against anyone but so called well known sites. Who cares.They need me I don’t need them;)
Thanks
Cool Blog
Gwendell
October 23, 2008 @ 6:17 am
As far as I can see, badevan is an editor of a very small category in a very small corner of the directory. Why should we believe that he has any deep insight into anything related to DMOZ?
Turnip
October 23, 2008 @ 11:59 am
I’ve submitted my site a number of times with no luck. Each time I tried a new category hoping for an editor than might actually be doing their job. I never seem to get my site included. Another Editor off the record said “Oh, you have an affiliate ad on your site”. Like duh… Welcome to 2008! I write about marketing, I write about social netowrking, I write about advertising. Of course I have ads on my site. Silly internet dinosaurs each trying to make sense of their own dusty little corner of the internet.
Laura
October 26, 2008 @ 1:26 am
Good interview. I was a Dmoz editor when it NewHoo and stayed editing for years, 1998 till 2006/7. One day I just decided I wasn’t enjoying it and hadn’t been enjoying it for years.
Laura
October 26, 2008 @ 1:32 am
@Turnip – Dmoz editors are not paid. So to say they are not doing their job is a bit backwards. It is not a job, it’s a hobby.
Have you tried botw.org/com? Several ex-editors are there now. It is more viable than other directories started by ex-editors. Doesn’t have the Google in the pocket thing but the directory looks interesting.
turnip | Social Networking
October 26, 2008 @ 2:29 am
No, it is a job. It’s called “the job of editing”. A hobby is something you do when you feel like it. Editors have deadlines. they have responsibility. If you are not up to it, you resign. There are many unpaid jobs in this world as you will learn.
Evil Woobie
October 26, 2008 @ 3:10 am
Yep, it’s a job, not really a hobby. It’s a job you volunteer to do. Unless a hobby for you is going through a mudpit of spam muck to find some gold nuggets of genuinely good blogs or websites.
g1smd
October 28, 2008 @ 5:22 am
*** A hobby is something you do when you feel like it. ***
Yep. Editors have no work quota, they edit when they want to.
*** Editors have deadlines. ***
Nope. No deadlines. No quotas.
*** They have responsibility. If you are not up to it, you resign. ***
So, if there are 100 editors that add one site per week each, how does the directory benefit from those editors resigning and adding zero sites per week?
Remember, since “work” is not “assigned” to anyone in particular, those sites likely don’t get added by someone else, because they are already busy adding stuff in some of the other half-a-million categories elsewhere.
g1smd
October 28, 2008 @ 5:25 am
*** They have responsibility. If you are not up to it, you resign. ***
Let me rephrase that… perhaps you have a blog. What if I come along and tell you “Now that you have a blog, you have a responsibility to your readers to post an article every day without fail otherwise you should close it down”.
You would rightly say that you post on it as and when you want to…
rishi
December 16, 2008 @ 1:03 pm
I can’t suggest anything. When I try to suggest a URL I get a proxy error. Does anyone know whats going on with DMOZ?