Why your web site might not get listed

It can be very expensive if you pay a non-refundable fee to the directory only to get rejected. There can be a variety of reasons why Internet directories won't accept your listing. The most important ones are:

1. You didn't submit to the right category.

Directories are very choosy. Make sure you completely follow each directory's guidelines, for example on Yahoo, if you have a UK-based site, make sure you submit to the appropriate regional category of the directory.

2. Your web site has no real content.

Do not submit your web site to directories unless it has substantial content on a particular subject. This means that you should not submit special keyword-stuffed pages you have created for the search engines, or web pages that contain only affiliate links.

Ask yourself honestly if the web page you want to submit will actually hold a visitor's attention for at least 2 minutes.

3. Your web site doesn't have a professional look.

Directories are looking for professional designed sites as every site in the directory reflects the quality of the whole directory. Sites that have "blinking text" and clip art images scream "amateur design", especially on a site's home page. Many directory editors won't navigate a site further than the home page when they see any indication of a poorly designed site.

Test your web site with other web browser applications than Microsoft's Internet Explorer. At least, use one of the Mozilla/Firebird/Netscape browsers to see how they render your web site. Don't assume editors use Windows computers and the latest versions of the browsers.

Keep the loading time of your home page to the minimum. Almost all editors of popular directors have a backlog of sites to look at. Your site has only a few seconds until most editors decide whether to take a deeper look at your web site or to move on.

In addition, your site should be easy navigable. Directory editors don't have time to find out how your site works.

Use a spell checker to find spelling mistakes or have a professional proof-reading service check your web site.

Web sites are often rejected because they contain broken links or a broken graphic link. Any broken link is reason enough for a site to be rejected because it shows that the web site is not managed in a professional way.

Next week, we'll give you further reasons why your web site might not get listed in Internet directories such as Yahoo.

We recommend using IBP 3 to submit your web site to search engines, directories and even special interest sites.

Click here for Directory submission, DMOZ submission, part 4

Other special articles

• How to make your web site more effective
  
  
• The importance of robots.txt
  
  
• The Google™ search engine resource page
  
  
• 10 ways to link popularity
  
  
• How link popularity can help your rankings
  
  
• 19 common mistakes that prevent your Web site from getting top rankings on search engines

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