Getting your website listed in the DMOZ directory in anything less than geologic time frames is next to impossible.  Most SEOs submit their sites and then forget about ever getting listed.  However, there is a way to guarantee that your site will be included in the DMOZ directory quickly: become a DMOZ editor for the category in which you have applied to have your website listed.

Applying to become a DMOZ editor is easy.  Getting accepted is a little bit harder, but definitely doable.  The first step is to find the category that best describes your website.  At the bottom of that category you will see a link that says "Volunteer to edit this category."  This will take you to the next page which gives you tips and advice on applying to become an editor.  Read this page!  At the bottom of the page click on the button that says "Proceed" to go to the actual application.

DMOZ will only approve you to edit one category at a time.  After you become an editor, you can apply to edit other categories.  Whether or not you get accepted to edit other categories depends on your body of work up until that time as an editor.  That is why it is a good idea, even after you are approved as an editor, to carefully follow the editorial guidelines on websites you approve to be in the directory.  If you have multiple websites waiting to be approved by DMOZ editors, I recommend applying to edit in the category for which your most important site is waiting.  Do a good job editing in that category and it will be easy for you to be approved to edit other categories.

It is best to start with a smaller category.  Usually less than 100 listings in a category will give you an excellent chance of being accepted.

The actual application is where you need to be careful and do a little homework.  Here you will be asked to provide the usual (your name, username, password, email address, etc.).

Further down the application page you will find four boxes to input information.  Doing a good job filling out these four boxes is critical to your application.  As you fill them out, make sure your punctuation, grammar, and spelling are all correct.  I'll list each box one by one and my suggestions for the best way to fill them out.

• What is your internet experience?  Enter a laundry list here (CSS, HTML, Drupal, PHP/mySQL, etc.).  You don't need to elaborate much.  I would not put that you are an SEO.  You want to show DMOZ that you actually care about the integrity of the directory.  If whoever reviews your application thinks that you are trying to become an editor just to manipulate search results, they may not approve you.

• Why are you interested in becoming an editor for the ODP?  You want to be careful here.  You need to be honest in your application; however, there may be such a thing here as too much honesty.  For example, you would not want to put something like "I'm applying because I want to get my website www.xyz.com listed in the directory."  Instead, talk about how important it is to the internet community that only websites with high quality content be listed in the directory.  Even though algorithms are getting better all the time, there is still no substitute for human review by a trusted reviewer to identify quality websites, etc.

• Explain your interest in the subject category.  Think of all the relevant experience you have had in the category and then paint that experience in the best light possible.  For example, if the category is Kobe Bryant (taxonomy: Sports: Basketball: Professional: NBA: Players: B: Bryant, Kobe) you would explain how you follow Kobe's statistics and are familiar with his career and then list some relevant details/examples (his drafting from high school to the Lakers, his NBA championships, Olympic appearances, etc.).

• Sites with which you are associated.  It is important to be honest here.  Some application reviewers can be very thorough and will often find out if you try to mislead them.  There is no conflict of interest for you to edit categories in which you may also have eligible sites.  You can even approve your own sites, just as long as you follow the editorial guidelines.

The total time to get this far is probably 1 or 2 hours carefully reading the submission and editorial guidelines, and then about 30  minutes to fill out the four boxes.  I recommend copying and pasting all of your responses into a Word document.  There is a good chance that you will be rejected on your first application.  If you are denied the first time, your initial applications is not saved anywhere and you will have to create a new application from scratch.  By saving all of your responses it will be easier to re-do a new application later and cut and paste those responses back in the application (provided it wasn't those responses that kept you from getting accepted in the first place).

The last part of the application is also very important.  Here, you need to suggest three sites that are not listed in the directory, but that you would include in the directory if you were an editor for the category for which you are applying to edit.  This is where you have to do a little homework.  Here are the steps I recommend to finding good sites:

1. Do Google/Yahoo searches for relevant sites.  Make sure the sites are not affiliate sites or are not  duplicate content sites.  Also, strictly re-seller sites with little original content will not work.  I recommend making a list of 5 or 10 candidate sites and then working down from there.  Make sure the sites have original quality content.

2. Find the best three and then check the DMOZ directory to make sure they are not already listed.  It can be a challenge to find good sites that are not already listed.  Always check, because rest assured, your application reviewer will and he/she will deny your application if you have suggested a site that is already listed.  Type in the URL without http:// or www prefixes (e.g., google.com) in the DMOZ search box to check if the website is already in the directory.

3. After you have found three candidate sites that meet the editorial guidelines and are not already in the directory, write a simple title and description.  Do not use words such as "quality" or "best" in the description.  The DMOZ editorial guidelines give examples of the best way to write titles and descriptions.  Make sure and follow those guidelines carefully or your application will be denied.

This part of the application can take about an hour or more.  The hardest part is finding good quality original websites that are not already listed.  I would not use your own website as an example of one of the three.  While I do not know for sure if this would be cause for denial of your application, I just think it is bad form.

Submit your application and follow the instructions (you have to reply to an email to complete your application).

The DMOZ editors who review applications typically have very fast turnaround times.  When I first applied to be an editor (and on subsequent re-applications) and when I have applied for new categories the reviewers usually get back to me within 24 hours with their decision.  Plan on your application being denied the first couple of times.  Most of the time, the person who reviews your application will give you good feedback as to why your application was denied.  It is easy to make the changes and then re-apply.

When I first applied, it took me three times to finally get accepted to edit my first category.  Once I became an editor, my eyes were opened!  I went into the category and there were 69 submissions waiting to be reviewed, including my previous submission (the category only had 49 listed websites).  It was obvious that an editor had not looked at that category in a long time.  Especially in commercial product categories, there is little incentive for editors to approve other websites.  If an editor is editing a commercial product category and that editor also has a website listed in that category, it is unlikely that he/she will be excited about approving their potential competitors.  That is why some categories NEVER get new sites listed and updated in them.

In that list of unreviewed websites you will probably see your past submissions, as well as those you suggested to be included when you made your application. 

I recommend that you go through the list of applicants and find some good websites to list in your category, even if they might potentially be your competitors.  This will show the DMOZ muckety mucks that you did not abuse your editorial discretion and it will make it easier for you to get approved for other categories in the future.  Then, of course, go in and list yours as well.  When you do this, the websites becomes listed and immediately active in the directory.

The total time to become a DMOZ editor, from beginning to end, is probably 3 or 4 hours.  To apply for new categories is usually 1 hour or less since you already tackled the learning curve.

Is it worth it?  Who knows.... I guess it all depends on what a link from DMOZ is worth!  That is a question for another post.