Yahoo is undeniably a significant player in the world of internet directories. Its popularity as a web portal is unmatched, and it stands out as one of the few large internet companies that consistently generate profit. However, getting listed on Yahoo is no easy feat. Each submission is meticulously reviewed by a Yahoo employee and must meet their rigorous standards. This article will guide you through the process of successfully getting listed on Yahoo.
Yahoo's Business Express program, which comes with a one-time fee of $199, guarantees a review of your site within seven business days. However, this fee does not guarantee inclusion in the directory. If your submission is rejected, you have one chance to appeal. If rejected again, Yahoo will not accept any further submissions of your site.
Before you start, ensure your site is not already included in the Yahoo directory. You can do this by searching from their main site or regional portal. If your site is already listed, you can request changes to your listing. Submitting a site that is already in the directory will likely result in your submission being ignored.
Yahoo has strict requirements for site design. Your site should be fully completed, hosted on a reliable server, and free of missing hyperlinks, broken images, or 'under construction' pages. Your content should be unique, and your page title descriptive. Avoid promotional blurbs for your site's title and description. Instead, your title should simply include your company's name and a brief description of your services or products.
Once you've confirmed that your site is not listed and meets Yahoo's design requirements, you need to find the right category for your site. This is crucial as submitting to the wrong category will result in rejection. Explore all the different categories and sub-categories of the index. At the bottom (or sometimes at the top) of the page, there will be a 'Suggest a Site' link. If there's no such link, you're probably viewing a category that doesn't allow submissions.
Before proceeding, review all of Yahoo's suggestions on site submissions. You'll be prompted for your site's Title, URL, and Description. Fill these out accurately, and take time with your description. Include crucial keywords related to your services or products. Try to make your description as concise as possible, making it difficult for a Yahoo editor to edit it down.
After submitting your information and payment (if using Business Express), all you can do is wait for their response. While there's a risk of losing $199, the potential benefits of being listed on Yahoo make it a risk worth taking. Following these suggestions will significantly increase your chances of getting accepted into the Yahoo directory.
