If I can only submit once...

If we can only submit one time and let's say:

I submit wrong the first time or
My site's category has changed

If we are not allowed to know if we been rejected and since you say only submit once. How do we know we have been rejected? How long do we wait to submit again?

What are the benefits to being listed in this directory? MSN is now allowing people to block their dmoz description. Does domz still hold the same weight as it did 5 years ago?

I am just asking because I get asked this all the time.

Thanks!

If the site has been rejected, 99.9% of the time that means we'd VERY much thank you NOT to suggest it again.

How about the other 0.1% of the suggestions?

How do you know you'd be in that category? You don't. Neither do we. Let's both not worry about that, and move on to things that are at least 0.11% likely to be constructive.

It is likely that being listed in the ODP often confers some small benefit. But it really doesn't matter one way or another to us. (What matters here is the benefit of finding a website, to the surfer!) BUt ask a dozen SERP perps, and you'll get two dozen opinions. Pick your two favorites, and run with them. Or we could give the opinions here, but we as editors have no special knowledge of what Google does.

As for MSN, you can have my opinion of its value any time you have a refractory bucket and tongs to carry it with.

So far as I can tell, DMOZ still greater value than did five years ago: at least, more of its competitors have closed down and no new competitors started up -- indicating it's giving satisfaction to its users at an unmatchable value-price performance point.

Of course, its users aren't webmasters as such, so nobody really tracks what (if anything) it's worth to them.

mrseo said:

I submit wrong the first time or

Click to expand...

If you suggested the site to what editors believe is not the best category the reviewing editor will move the site (if it is a listable site) to the correct category.

mrseo said:

My site's category has changed

Click to expand...

I guess you mean "my site changed and now belongs in an other category than you first suggested it".
First of all you shouldn't have suggested it the first time (do not suggest sites under construction - the site was under construction, how else could the content have changed so much that the site now fits a complete different category)
But if the site wasn't reviewed yet it will be moved to what editors believe is the best category.
If you have suggested the site only once there is no problem in suggesting it again to what you think is now the best category. Such a second suggestion won't mark your site as spam.

Thanks for the info!
Ok well here is another ? What is I submitted my site and it meet your standards. Say the website owner is a newbie at this. How long should he wait to resubmit? Can he?

mrseo said:

How long should he wait to resubmit? Can he?

Click to expand...

Submit the site once and you should be good to go. It's really out of your hands at that point, other than making sure your site stays unique and interesting, so if an editor decides to review it, they will find it unique and interesting as well.

The assumption is that all webmasters are newbies at suggesting their own site. After all, the only OTHER option is "old hand at suggesting lots of self-related and therefore related sites," which is a blatant violation of the submittal policies (or "spammer.")

Professional website developers may create sites on behalf of various real-life organizations -- corporations, clubs, whatever. And THEY may legitimately be "old-hand" submitters. (In fact, they ought to be!)

But, old-hand or newbie, most site suggestions are flawed (incomplete) in some way. As in the old glass-of-water perspective: one-quarter full or three-quarters empty? If you're thirsty, who cares? -- it's a good start. Oh, sure, the full glass may be drunk first. Or the partially-empty glass may be topped off and left for a hungry editor, in which case who will know it was not always full?

so, if a site is submitted wrong, what happens?

If a site is suggested to the wrong category - it will be moved by the reviewing editor to a more appropriate category. If this editor has permissions to the more appropriate category, he/she may add it. If they don't have permissions to this category, it will be left in unreviewed until an editor with permissions looks at it. Of course, this is dependant on the site being listable in the first place.

Thanks you guys have been very helpful. I am writing an article on this and I'll be mentioning it in my podcast this weekend.

You are most welcome, mrseo.