Common Web Directories Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
The submission mistakes that get small business listings rejected from Yahoo and the Open Directory Project, and what to do differently.
A rejected directory submission doesn’t just cost you a listing. In categories with slow-moving editors, it can cost you months, because you often have to wait out a cooldown period before resubmitting. Here are the mistakes that cause most of those rejections, and how to avoid them.
Mistake: Submitting to the wrong category
Businesses often submit to the broadest category that technically fits, hoping for more exposure. Editors read this as a lack of care and reject it outright. The fix is simple: spend ten minutes browsing the directory’s existing category tree before you submit, and choose the narrowest category that accurately describes the business. A landscaping company belongs under a local services subcategory, not under a general “Business” heading.
Mistake: Writing a description that sounds like an ad
Phrases like “the web’s best” or “unbeatable prices” get flagged immediately by directory editors, who are trying to keep listings neutral and useful to browsers. Describe what the business does in plain, factual language, the way you’d describe it to a stranger who asked what you do for a living.
Mistake: Treating DMOZ as optional because it sends little direct traffic
Because the Open Directory Project doesn’t have Yahoo’s browsing traffic, some businesses skip it or submit half-heartedly. That undervalues what DMOZ does. Its data feeds out to a long list of other directories and portals, so one listing there can end up echoed across dozens of sites you never directly submitted to. Treat your DMOZ submission with the same care as Yahoo’s, not less.
Mistake: Paying a “guaranteed submission” service
By 1999 a small industry of submission services has sprung up promising guaranteed directory placement for a fee. Legitimate directories like Yahoo and DMOZ don’t sell guaranteed inclusion. Human editors still make the call, and no amount of paid submission changes that. Submit directly through each directory’s own form, and be skeptical of any service promising a result it can’t control.
Mistake: Assuming a directory works like a search engine crawler
AltaVista and Excite index pages automatically by crawling links; Yahoo and DMOZ do not. Businesses that assume submitting once means eventual automatic re-review, the way a crawler revisits a page, end up with stale or rejected listings they never revisit. Directory review is a one-time human decision per submission, and if your business or category changes meaningfully, you need to actively resubmit or request an update.
Mistake: Giving up after one rejection
A rejected submission usually just means the description or category choice needs fixing, not that the business doesn’t belong in the directory. Read any rejection notes carefully, if the directory provides them, correct the specific issue and resubmit through the proper channel rather than assuming the door is closed.
Getting a directory listing right the first time is mostly a matter of respecting how the process works: real editors, real judgment and no shortcuts that bypass either. Businesses that treat submissions carefully tend to get accepted faster and end up with listings that represent them well to the people browsing past.
More from 1999: browse the SEO archive or see everything published this year.
