2.3.3. Getting Yahoo! Directory Listings

The Yahoo! Directory, a somewhat lesser-known part of Yahoo!, works in pretty much the same way as the ODP, except that it is privately maintained. Sites added to the Yahoo! Directory tend to end up in the Yahoo! index, as well as other important search indices.

Figure 2-4. ODP category pages are where you find the suggest URL links

To suggest your site for inclusion in the Yahoo! Directory , open the Yahoo! Directory's home page, http://dir.yahoo.com/, shown in Figure 2-5.

"You can also find the Yahoo Directory by opening the main Yahoo! home page, selecting Directory as your search category, and searching for a term. The search results you will be presented with are from the Yahoo! Directory (not the Yahoo! web index), and the display will show where in the taxonomy you are, so you can browse through related categories."

Next, find the best category for your site, either by drilling down through the Yahoo! Directory taxonomy (shown on the left of Figure 2-5), or by searching within the Yahoo! Directory using the search box shown at the top of Figure 2-6.

Figure 2-5. Yahoo! Directory is not Yahoo!; here's the Yahoo! Directory home page

"You can use directory search results as the starting place for pinpointing the perfect category."

When you find the right category page (for example, for a digital photography site, the category page for Directory -> Arts -> Visual Arts -> Photography Digital), click the Suggest a Site link shown in Figure 2-6.

Figure 2-6. From the appropriate category page, click the Suggest a Site link to propose your site for inclusion in the Yahoo! Directory

Clicking the Suggest a Site link starts the site submission process. You'll first be asked if you want to pay for inclusion or continue for free. I suggest you do not pay for inclusion.

The next step is to verify that the site you want to suggest does not already appear in the Yahoo! Directory. This is verified using a Yahoo! Directory search. If your site cannot be found, you can continue.

You'll be asked to verify the listing category, and to log in with your Yahoo! username. (If you don't have a Yahoo! account, you'll need to create one.) Finally, you can complete the form with information about your site shown in Figure 2-7 and submit.

Figure 2-7. You can use your elevator pitch story to fill out the Yahoo! Directory Suggest a Site form

"Keep track of the email address you supply on the Yahoo! Directory Suggest a Site form. You'll need the address to change information about any of your sites listed in the directory."

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