Yahoo! Express inclusion now costs USD 299

September 4 2001

Recently search directory LookSmart added USD 100 to its Express Submit service. Now Yahoo! has gone and done the same. Yahoo! Express now costs USD 299! And no, you are not guaranteed a listing. The editors may perfectly well reject your site if they find it lacking.

Unfortunately Yahoo! and LookSmart listings are essential if you want to achieve high level traffic. Yahoo! brings a lot of traffic by itself, and LookSmart delivers through its search partners, especially through MSN Search.

Listings in these directories will also boost your rankings in traditional search engines like Google and AltaVista.

Yahoo! continue to accept free submissions to their non-commercial categories, though, as does in fact LookSmart.

Yahoo! states that if you're suggesting a site that is in any way commercial -- it sells something, promotes goods and services, or promotes a company that sells goods and services -- then the site normally belongs somewhere in the Business and Economy: Business to Business or Business and Economy: Shopping and Services sections. Sites that belong in these categories must be submitted through the fee-based Yahoo! Express process.

However, if your site contains a lot of valuable, relevant and free information, you may get listed in a non-commercial category as well, for free. We suspect, however, that Yahoo! often ignores free submissions from sites that look like they are able to pay. We definitely had to pay to get Pandia listed, even if the site belongs in a non-commercial category.

A well kept search directory promotion secret is that LookSmart now systematically accepts free non-commercial listings. LookSmart recently merged the LookSmart and volunteer-based Zeal directories, and all listings in the Zeal part of the new united directory are free.

In order to get a free listing, you go to the Zeal site and apply for membership in the Zeal community. It sounds intimidating, but is actually quite easy. You have to take a Member Quiz, but if you read the Zeal Guidelines carefully, you will pass. If you don't, you can try again.

After you pass the Member Quiz, you'll be able to contribute sites -- including your own -- to the directory. A "Zealot" or "editor" will then evaluate your submissions and for every new site that's added you'll earn a specific number of "Zeal Points".

As you build up points, you'll gain more privileges in the community. You do not have to add more sites than your own, however, although it probably will make your Zeal superior happy, which is a good thing when you are dealing with directories.

Zeal says that if the primary purpose of a site is to generate revenue or promote the sale of goods or services online or offline, then it is considered commercial. If it is commercial you must submit it to the regular LookSmart site, and pay for it.

However, "deep-linked" content pages within advertising-driven sites may be considered non-commercial. For example, while E! Online's main page is considered commercial, a deep-linked page that has an interview with a celebrity would be acceptable in a non-commercial category.

Aside from media companies like CNN.com or E! Online, many sites contain banner advertising and other ads. Whether they are considered commercial by LookSmart/Zeal will depend on the amount of non-commercial content in relation to commercial material. The Web pages of official tax-exempt non-profit organizations are always considered non-commercial.

One major problem with directory submissions, is that the human editors are likely to change your carefully prepared site description. Out go all relevant keyword phrases, and your site won't show up in any conceivable searches. There is not much you can do about this in Yahoo! Unless the new description is totally misleading, they will most likely not listen to your appeal.

If you reply within 30 days after your site has been accepted the LookSmart editors may consider changing your description if it is misleading. However, LookSmart knows a business opportunity when it sees one. You may now pay LookSmart USD 199 to change your listing, and USD 149 to add another category.

LookSmart says that they realize "that as businesses evolve, Web sites develop and content changes. Our Express Modify services allow you to update your listing to reflect your changing Web site. Accurate descriptions and category placements mean wider distribution and targeted exposure for your site."

The ebook company Intellectua will shortly publish a concise guide to directory submission, called How to Get Listed in Yahoo! and Other Search Directories, written by the editors of Pandia, Per and Susanne Koch. It will tell you what it takes to get a site accepted. We will let you know when it's out.

Yahoo! Express
Yahoo! on the definition of commercial
LookSmart/Zeal on commercial content
Zeal user guidelines
LookSmart Express Submit
LookSmart Overhauls Submission Process, Increases Prices
Intellectua

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