Getting Listed on Yahoo! - A Special Report by Aaron Dragushan
A) Some Yahoo! Facts:
Submissions per week: 10,000+
Reviewing editors: Estimated at approx. 50 (Yahoo! doesn't disclose actual figures)
Estimated percentage successfully submitted: 20%
B) Introduction:
Yahoo! is the most popular web site on the planet. Period. Being listed on Yahoo! can mean the difference between success and failure for many web sites. Yahoo! is a directory, not to be confused with a search engine, such as Alta Vista or HotBot. Unfortunately, the very fact that the site listings are performed by people also makes it one of the hardest sites to be listed on. As the number of web sites submitting increases, the strain on Yahoo!'s editors grows. This report will detail the problem, and give you the best chance possibility of getting your site listed on Yahoo!.
C) The Problem:
Along with the explosive growth of the internet comes a corresponding increase in the number of web sites created. This places a strain on the already-overworked staff of content editors at Yahoo!, while they try to keep up with the 10,000 + submissions they receive weekly. Most sites that submit to Yahoo! are not listed, and those that are successful can expect a wait of up to two months, an eternity to an online endeavor. Yahoo! has been aware of the problem for some time, as reflected in their 1996 annual report:
"The company's future success also depends in part upon the timely processing of Web site listings submitted by users and web content providers, which have increased substantially in recent periods. The company has from time to time experienced significant delays in the processing of submissions, and further delays could have a material adverse effect on the company's goodwill among web users and content providers, and on the company's business."
According to Srinija Srinivasan, Yahoo!'s Director of Surfing (aka editor in chief), the number of editors at Yahoo! will increase, to keep pace with demand, but the problem remains a concern. "I'm not sure any process change is going to solve the volume process," Srinivasan said. "The fact that we're inundated with requests isn't going to go away."
Yahoo! has not slowed in its processing of submissions, but the increased volume means that any given site's odds of being listed are diminishing. Admittedly, Yahoo!'s goal is to be a useful guide to what's out there, and not at the beck and whim of web publishers. "Our primary goal is to satisfy the users, not the listers," Srinivasan said. "We're not trying to be their advertising vehicle. The listing isn't trying to satisfy that."
D) Factors involved in listing (what can YOU can do??)
#1. Submit your site when it is complete, and looks as good as it possibly can. This is one of the most important tips, since quality is the number 1 factor in evaluating new sites for inclusion.
#2. Regional submissions are processed faster, and are more likely to be successful. Submit your site through the closest regional Yahoo! to you. (I submit mine through Yahoo! Canada.)
#3. Take your time when you submit, and do a good job. Write a good description, not just a list of keywords. Take note! It's practically impossible to get Yahoo! to change your description. Do not make your description feel "promotional" - make it descriptive!
#4. Submit in English, if you submit to the main guide. Obviously, if you submit with a regional guide that has a local language, this isn't applicable.
#5. Try to find an appropriate category, without too many competing sites already listed. If your site is for business, be careful to select a business category.
#6. Secret: Having a top level domain increases your chances of being listed. (a top level domain is http://yourdomain.com , instead of http://www.islandnet.com/~myname/mysite.htm). This is presumably because in the eyes of Yahoo! editors, you've probably put more effort into developing your site, if you're willing to spend some cash on it.
#7. As a corollary to the above secret, odds are very much against you if you use free web space (your site is hosted by Geocities, Tripod, etc) This is probably due to the fact that using free space appears very temporary. If your site succeeds, you'll most likely move it to a top level domain, in which case Yahoo!'s listing will be out of date.
#8. If you are unsuccessful when you first submit - try again! A reasonable percentage of sites that resubmit are successful on later attempts.
E) A Note from the Author:
Because Yahoo! is a human-generated directory, there are no guarantees that your site will be included. There are many reasons that your site might be included or rejected, but ultimately, it comes down to a human decision. Yahoo!'s goal is to be a directory of the most useful, interesting and high quality sites out there, not all sites. Your best assurance of acceptance is to build a quality, useful site.
If you feel it might help, you can also perform the official Yahoo! Sacrament.
http://members.tripod.com/~yahwhat/index.html
F) Notes on Contacting Yahoo!
Yahoo! does not answer their email. Think of it as a black hole. Some submitters have reported limited success by calling Yahoo! on the phone. Yahoo! has in many respects become too popular and successful, and appears to be unwilling to invest the time and money in responding to problems and queries properly. If you do manage to contact a human at Yahoo!, they are quite friendly, and can be very helpful.
Want to contact Yahoo directly?
Yahoo! Inc.
3420 Central Expressway, 2nd Floor
Santa Clara, CA 95051
Phone: (408) 731-3300
Fax: (408) 731-3301
Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST
If you are having problems getting change requests processed, I've heard you can also call them at this number (unverifited) 408-731-3300
Press "option 2" for "Other".
Press "option 3" for "Yahoo online, user support and customer care".
Then press "option 2" for "Web site listings on Yahoo.com". Then press "option 2" for "Changes to existing
online listing.".
Leave a short polite message about the nature of your request, along with name, phone number, email address, your URL and the EXACT date when you made the change request.
Please note that they will only consider your change request if your listing is INCORRECT or one of their editors deems your request appropriate. This is NOT the way to get Yahoo! to change your listing if you just want to re-do your description.
If you have already submitted your site twice, several weeks apart (and yes, they will check this) and you still can't get in, send a polite note with the exact URL you submitted to this address:
Bibliography:
"Yahoo! heads top 25 sites" Wired News Report. 9/02/98 http://www.wired.com/news/news/business/story/10159.html
"Does Yahoo! Still Yahoo?" by Chris, Oakes. 11/02/98 http://www.wired.com/news/news/technology/story/10236.html
"Have You Been Yahoo'd? Power and Problems" by Tom Watson. 10/10/97 http://www.siliconalleynews.com/view306.htm
"Yahoo's Front Lines: A Surfer's Perspective" by Danny Sullivan. http://searchenginewatch.com/webmasters/yahoo/surfer.html
"Getting Listed on Yahoo", by Ken Evoy. http://www.net-market.com/yahoo.htm
"Are we there yet? Get Listed on Yahoo", by Gregory Wilson. http://www.gold-coin.com/newsletter/get_listed_on_yahoo.htm
"How to suggest your site", by Yahoo! http://www.yahoo.com/info/suggest/
"Yahoo's Front Lines: A Surfer's Perspective", by Danny Sullivan. http://searchenginewatch.com/webmasters/yahoo/surfer.html
"SearchEngineWatch: Yahoo Submissions Survey Results", by Danny Sullivan. http://searchenginewatch.com/webmasters/yahoo/results.html
"Getting Listed on Yahoo!" is Copyright 1999, Aaron Dragushan. All Rights are Reserved. This document may not be reproduced or distributed without permission. Batteries not included. Have a great day!
Questions? Reach me at webmaster@sitelaunch.net