Buying A Dmoz-listed Domain From An Owner, Is it worth it? Options

[opcis]

I submitted my site to DMOZ almost 6 months ago and I'm still not listed. Now that they have removed the status section of their forum it's impossible to know when or if I'll ever get listed.

I went to the category that I wish to be listed and started looking at all the sites. I found that one of them was just full of PPC ads with no content. I tracked down the owner and found that he is willing to sell it to me for $350.

The site is a PR 4 and only gets about 200 hits per month. The title/description is not quite right for my site.

The page that it's listed in on DMOZ is a PR of 5 with only 6 listings.

Questions:
1. Is it worth it?
2. If I do get it how should I go about directing it to my site?
ie:
* 302 Redirect and submit title/description changes to DMOZ
* link to my site from that one

[Jill]

What's the big push to get a dmoz listed site?

Just get links from other places. There's nothing magical about DMOZ, and in fact now that Google is sometimes using their description instead of your own, I daresay a dmoz listing may start to be a hindrance in the same way that a Yahoo one is.

[opcis]

What's the big push to get a dmoz listed site? 

1. From what I've read about Google's latest algo is that they are placing a lot of emphasis on links from authority sites/hubs like DMOZ.
2. I've already acquired links from most of the major directories
3. Sites which are ranking very well for the key phrases I'm after don't have many links, but all have a link from DMOZ.
4. I think a link from DMOZ would help a lot, especially since there are only 6 listings on that page.


How long do you think it would take to get the domain/descrip changed? Do you know if it's automated or a does it have to be manually reviewed?

[opcis]

I looked through DMOZ's site and found the information on updating listing. They say it takes 2 weeks or more.

Would this work?
1. Buy domain and trasfer to my account
2. Submit Update to change domain to my own.

[Jill]

1. From what I've read about Google's latest algo is that they are placing a lot of emphasis on links from authority sites/hubs like DMOZ.

That is absolutely untrue. What they are doing is stealing the dmoz description and using that in your Google listing. This is why I say that it's actually a hindrance more than a help.

Why people (who you've read) think that means dmoz puts a lot of emphasis in Google as far as rankings are concerned, is beyond me. There's no reason to suspect that a dmoz listing is given any more emphasis than any other link.

4. I think a link from DMOZ would help a lot, especially since there are only 6 listings on that page.

It won't. It's just a link like any other link.

How long do you think it would take to get the domain/descrip changed?

As long or longer than it would take to get your original site listed. It's of course done manually.

I can't stress enough that you are simply worrying waaaaaay to much about dmoz. Most sites on the Internet are not in dmoz. Most sites that rank highly are not in dmoz. Dmoz is just a link like any other. Submit and forget about it. Your scheme will waste you time and money that you could be putting towards something that will actually make a difference to your site, like building more content, starting a newsletter, or pretty much anything else besides thinking about dmoz.

[Hyperformance]

I agree Jill.

I was in DMOZ years ago and then removed (faster than I was included - (IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/huh.gif) ) - and that was still years ago...

I do not believe we are currently in DMOZ, don't really care to be... but wanted to confirm your statements about it not being needed or a force in good rankings. We rank pretty well without them... (IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/thumbup1.gif)

(IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/appl.gif) I like to see rumors and myths put to bed in here, good education is worth the Ranking you can achieve with it.

- Scott

[Jill]

I'm seriously thinking of asking dmoz to REMOVE my site because I do not like the description from there that Google is using. Of course it probably takes as long to get removed as it does to get the description changed, or to even get a listing in the first place.

I'm actually just hoping that Google knocks off their foolishness with this.

[AlDugan]

So, after a couple quick tests, I am assuming Google shows a DMOZ title and description only if the keyword used to search is not included in your title or description.

Is this correct?

[AlDugan]

Sorry to change the subject but I was just curious.

[Jill]

Is this correct?

Nope. They're doing it any old time they feel like. (IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/ranting.gif)

[opcis]

Dmoz offers their database for free and many different sites are using it, such as Google.

I found this list which shows hundreds of sites that use DMOZ's data:
http://dmoz.org/Computers/Internet/Searchi...full-index.html

So getting a link in DMOZ would also get you link in hundreds of other directories as well. Because of this, doesn't it make a link in DMOZ very valuable?

[meta]

So getting a link in DMOZ would also get you link in hundreds of other directories as well. Because of this, doesn't it make a link in DMOZ very valuable?

It's hard to imagine that buying a domain would assure you of keeping a spot in DMOZ. It's a volunteer operation, individual editors make decisions based on rather loosely defined standards, without much help or supervision. The site that hasn't been listed may have been rejected, or it may be getting bounced from one editor to another if the first one did not feel the category was appropriate. There may not even be an active editor for your category - the editors have to go a long time without activity to be removed. If you did buy a listed domain, DMOZ is not obliged to continue to list it. An editor could come along and remove it at any time, certainly a risk if the content is significantly changed.

You ask if it is worth $350 to buy a domain listed in DMOZ. If you were to think of it another way - "How could I best use $350 to help my business? - would some other possibilities come to mind?

[cbp]

Now that they have removed the status section of their forum it's impossible to know when or if I'll ever get listed.

That information was never provided by RZ

Would this work?
1. Buy domain and trasfer to my account
2. Submit Update to change domain to my own.

Its just as likely to be deleted as updated - depends on the content of the site.

Why not just build from scratch such a good site that really adds value to a category, so DMOZ can not ignore you. Focus on bilding a good site, not a short cut to a DMOZ listing!!!

I found this list which shows hundreds of sites that use DMOZ's data:

About 4000 sites use the DMOZ database...

asking dmoz to REMOVE my site because I do not like the description from there that Google is using

If a site is a valuable resource, DMOZ wo't remove it, no matter how many times or how aggressively you ask (I have seen recent aggressive threats directed at DMOZ not removing a site on demand ---- from christian site!!!)

This post has been edited by cbp: May 20 2005, 06:39 PM

[opcis]

About 4000 sites use the DMOZ database...

So if 4000 sites use the lists from DMOZ, doesn't that make a link from DMOZ much more valuable than an average directory which only lists your site on 1 page.

[chrishirst]

So if 4000 sites use the lists from DMOZ, doesn't that make a link from DMOZ much more valuable than an average directory which only lists your site on 1 page.

Well, No, because many cats are so deep in the structure they will never see the light of the Google day. The ODP site itself may have enough backlinks to get deep content crawled but 3,999 of the rest probably don't or ever will have.

so out of 4000 sites you get 1 maybe as many as 2 useful links not a great return on $350 in my book.