Benefits of being listed in the DMOZ Directory.

To those who have never heard of "DMOZ" here is a bit of background information.

The Open Database Project (ODP) is currently the worlds largest humanly edited database of websites on the internet and consists of a wide range of sites listed in different categories. The Open Database Project was started in 1998 and is fully operated and maintained by volunteers from around the world who dedicate there time to review and submit sites to their database upon requests. Currently the waiting period to get listed is anything from 2 weeks to several months and there are no guarantees.

If you are really serious about getting your website out there into cyberspace and actually making money, one of the important things will be to get listed in the ODP Directory! Sites listed carry a lot of weight and in turn receive a lot of traffic from all major search engines from around the world! It's for sure not the only thing setting you apart from any other website or competitor but it is highly beneficial! Getting listed is only the start of course. You will also need to spend countless hours of reading, applying and testing your site to get popular among search engines (Unless you have a lot of cash to burn by appointing an Online Marketing firm to assist you with your sites search engine optimization).

What does the Open Database Project (DMOZ) mean for you as a website owner?

The benefit of getting listed with the ODP is huge!

You will have a better page rank due to the ODP having a Rank of 8.
All major search engines such as Google, MSN, Yahoo, Bing gets their listings from the ODP Database.
Increased Visibility - Since over 60% of people use Google to perform online searches for what they are looking for, a position in DMOZ can definitely increase the probability of your website coming up in search results versus your competitors.
Leader in Your Industry - Not just any website gets approved for inclusion into DMOZ. Only the best websites are considered and approved. It could definitely be said that your business would have an advantage over your competitor by having your website included in DMOZ versus not having it listed.

Current Negative issues around the Open Database Project listing Process.

The current guide lines suggest your site must be current and unique to any other site in your category. Well, this tends to be a problem as who can say my site is not relevant and unique to my next door competitor selling the same products as me and with almost the same prices? Who's site will be listed then? Currently as mentioned before, ODP uses volunteers to review and approve listings to the directory. Is the volunteer reviewing my category qualified and experienced to make such a decision?
Another negative point is the long time it takes to get listed, plus if you are rejected you will not even know it. No email notifications are sent out to approved or non-qualified listings.

How to get listed with the Open Database Directory (DMOZ)

Follow this list to the DMOZ Directory and list your site by clicking on the "Suggest URL" link found on the top right corner.

Very Important Submission Rules to read before attempting your submission: (Read More)

Do not submit mirror sites. Mirror sites are sites that contain identical content, but have altogether different URLs.
Do not submit URLs that contain only the same or similar content as other sites you may have listed in the directory. Sites with overlapping and repetitive content are not helpful to users of the directory. Multiple submissions of the same or related sites may result in the exclusion and/or deletion of those and all affiliated sites.
Do not disguise your submission and submit the same URL more than once.
Example: http://www.dmoz.org and http://www.dmoz.org/index.html
Do not submit any site with an address that redirects to another address.
The Open Directory has a policy against the inclusion of sites with illegal content. Examples of illegal material include child pornography; libel; material that infringes any intellectual property right; and material that specifically advocates, solicits or abets illegal activity (such as fraud or violence).
Do not submit sites "under construction." Wait until a site is complete before submitting it. Sites that are incomplete, contain "Under Construction" notices, or contain broken graphics or links aren't good candidates for the directory.
Submit pornographic sites to the appropriate category under Adult.
Submit non-English sites to the appropriate category under World.
Don't submit sites consisting largely of affiliate links.