Mr. Marckini was also granted interviews with senior executives and engineers at other major search engines and directories recently, which he promises to provide to MarketPosition exclusively in the coming months. Last month we published his interview with a lead program manager at MSN.

These interviews were conducted in the course of writing his newest book, "Search Engine Positioning." The 450+ page "mega" book (the most comprehensive resource I've ever seen on the topic) should be in bookstores in May.

Some of the information gained from these interviews will be presented in the book's "how-to" engine-by-engine chapters, but you're getting it here first from MarketPosition!

Open Directory Interview by Fredrick Marckini
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As the Internet and search technologies mature, one thing remains clear - Internet search is most effective when the user is presented with a hybrid of results from a spider-based search engine and a human-edited directory. My conversation with Chris Tolles of the Open Directory Project shows that he firmly understands the importance of having both crawler-based search services and human-edited directories. The bottom line is that search engine marketing does not work if one or the other is ignored; therefore, it is important to focus search-positioning campaigns on both. The blend in fact benefits the user and the search engine marketer.

The Open Directory (ODP) is a substantial target. The ODP has partnered with major players within the search landscape including AOL Search and Google. The list does not end there, the ODP boasts that an astounding 211 sites in total use ODP data. So what is luring all these sites to this single search directory? In our interview, Chris not only revealed why so many Web sites and users alike are utilizing the directory, but also what every search engine optimizer needs to know in order to be successful with the ODP.

Why the Open Directory Project?
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The ODP currently has 2.3 million URLs in its database, making it the single largest search directory today. Of these 2.3 million, 2.18 million, or 95% are top-level domains. The ODP is growing rapidly, at an average of 75,000 sites per month. While clearly this is rapid growth, Tolles claims that the ODP isn't interested in creating an "exhaustive" database. Rather, he feels it is important that users find enough results to be useful, while not being overwhelmed with data. And that is exactly what the ODP does. The ODP provides open source content, which serves as a solid backend to a variety of engines. So exactly which engines are partnered with ODP?

ODP Partners
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The list of the over 200 sites across the Web using ODP data includes such industry leaders as AOL Search, Ask Jeeves, Direct Hit, Google, HotBot and Netscape Search. Obviously, getting your Web site indexed in the ODP increases your chances of having your Web site show up in another major search engine's results. However, while the probability is increased, inclusion does not guarantee a ranking in an ODP search partner's engine. Each and every search engine uses a different algorithm to decide which pages rank highly. Consequently, there is no single established methodology for acquiring rankings across all the partner engines. The search engine optimizer must be savvy to the ranking schemes of each search partner.

Furthermore, according to Chris, there is no set time requirement for the partners to sync up with the ODP database. For instance, AOL Search and Netscape opt to update their content on a biweekly basis, while other partners may delay syncing up for months. That being said, it is important to get an understanding of the criteria the ODP takes into account when selecting Web sites to index, since if your site is not in the ODP index, no amount of understanding the ranking algorithms of the partners will get your site ranked. The following helpful hints and suggestions Chris disclosed will boost your likelihood of infiltrating the Web's largest search directory.

Getting Listed
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Construct Your Submission Carefully. You should take the same care in constructing your submission that you would in writing a job application. Your submission is your site's application for admission to the ODP. As with a resume, spelling and punctuation count! You should keep in mind that a human is going to read your submission. It is important to write with clarity and to avoid ambiguity. In addition, include a safe number of keywords and phrases without overloading the submission with repetitive phrases. Take into account that the simpler you make the editor's job, the more successful you will be.

Choose Your Category Wisely
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Time should be taken to select the "single most relevant" category for your site, not just the first pertinent listing. Chris recommends that you do your homework. Browse the directory! Look for competitors and similar sites. There is no maximum number of sites for a given category, so don't be intimidated by a robust index. The extra time spent determining where your site best fits could be the difference between getting listed and being left out.

Make Unique Submissions
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There is a clear line between submitting various pages with unique content and blasting the directory with too many submissions. Chris revealed to me that understanding this boundary, although extremely important in all search engine submissions, is especially important with the ODP. The ODP encourages the submission of multiple pages as separate listings, if, and only if, the content is truly unique and is sensible for the ODP.

Beware of Dynamic Pages
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The ODP frowns upon dynamic content, discouraging submissions that have a query string in the URL. The ODP prefers to index root pages of the site, which tend not to include query strings. Tolles indicates that technically the ODP has the ability to index some types of dynamic pages; however, whether they are indexed is based on the discretion of the editor.

Combating Spam at ODP
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One of the key advantages of a human-edited search directory such as the ODP is that a spam page that might typically be indexed by one of the major spider-based search engines does not make it past a human editor. Chris also divulged that in recent months the ODP has taken strides to ensure a spam-free directory. The improvements in their review technique now make it much easier than in the past for the ODP to execute bulk rejections of bogus sites. By equipping the editors with power tools, the ODP is confident that their technology and manpower can handle the brutal task of filtering spam.

Who Reviews Your ODP Submissions?
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It is valuable for the search engine optimizer or for that matter anyone submitting a Web site to get a sense of who will be reviewing his or her Web site submission. Understanding who is going to be on the other end of the submission can greatly impact what and how you might submit. In the interview, Chris disclosed some interesting information about the ODP editors. This is what I learned:

Currently, the ODP has 33,000 editors. There is no set number of editors per category; editors seem to flow where needed. There are generally no more than two editors per category and each editor is typically assigned to ten categories or less. Tolles went on to tell me that there is no set criteria for selecting the ODP editors; however, he affirms that "the lowest common denominator is your ability to project intelligence and thought in your application to become an editor." Once accepted, the ODP editors fall into a hierarchy, allowing those with a large number of quality reviews the opportunity to advance.

The ODP aggressively monitors to ensure that the editors' work demonstrates not only accuracy, but also morality. Tolles recognizes the concerns of submitters who are fearful that their rankings are being deliberately demoted in the interests of a competitor running the category. While there is regular supervision to prevent such activity, Tolles mentioned that a submitter should feel free to visit the ODP forums or send e-mail and plead their case if they feel an injustice has been done.

How to Avoid Getting Dropped from ODP
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While Tolles claims there are an infinite number of reasons why a site might get dropped from the ODP, the final verdict is based on the decision of the editor. However, a sure way to get dropped from the ODP database is if your site goes down for an extended period of time. In our discussion, Chris described the process that a Web site must go through once it is accepted into the directory. As soon as ODP admits a site, a pre-crawl is done to make sure the site is live. Thereafter, the site is sporadically crawled to ensure that it is still live. This is a very significant process in that the ODP boasts a rate of less than 0.25% of sites that are not live within the directory. Tolles estimated that Yahoo!, the ODP's main competitor, has a dead link percentage of close to 10%.

If Your Site Is Dropped from ODP
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If the ODP finds that your site is down when it crawls, the site is placed in an error queue and is crawled a few times over the next week or so. If during this time period the site is not consistently live, it is then placed in a review queue. At this point an editor goes in and makes a final decision as to whether to place the site back in the directory or dispose of it. Don't fear, this doesn't mean that you will be invisible forever! The entire process usually takes 2 to 3 weeks. If your site is temporarily down, there is a good chance it will be present in the directory within a month, and it will be worth the wait.

The above interview offers only the tips that Open Directory wants you to hear. For the inside scoop on securing top rankings with Open Directory, see the WebPosition Gold Directory Submission Guide on the third tab of the WebPosition Submitter. It will not only give you the inside track for Open Directory, but also with Yahoo, Looksmart, and others.

If you've not yet purchased WebPosition, then what are you waiting for? The product includes a myriad of features to save you time, not to mention a wealth of information to help you achieve top 10 rankings and to keep them. The best part is that the Page Critic will analyze your site and then only suggest changes that apply to the page, keyword, and engine that you are optimizing for. This is an incredible time-saver in trying to figure out which tips apply in which situation.

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