Short abstract: If you want to promote your translation services get your website listed in the ODP.

Disclaimer: Although I am an ODP volunteer editor who can review translators’ web sites, I do not represent the ODP in any official capacity.

Introduction

As you may know, having a professional website is very good and important for a freelance translator as well as for an agency. But what can you do with your website without promoting it. There are many ways of promotion, such as SEO (Search Engine Optimization), but I’d like to dwell on a web directory called DMOZ (ODP - Open Directory Project).

Open Directory Project (ODP) is the biggest links directory, organized by human volunteer editors, but not by machines as most website directories are. The information from ODP is taken by such search engines as Google and Yahoo! Besides them there also other popular search engines which take the details from DMOZ.

So, if you are a freelance translator, one of the best ways to promote your services is to make a nice, professionally looking website and get it listed in the Open Directory Project.

In this How To article I will dwell on some tips how to make a proper submission to ODP, how should your website look when it is getting listed in Open Directory and other things.

As a volunteer ODP editor, I must tell you that you can’t be 100% sure that your website will be listed in DMOZ.org (the ODP official website). The reason is that only websites with high quality and unique content are listed in this directory.

The submission

When you want your website to be listed in ODP, the first thing to do is to find a proper, the most appropriate category. Only sites submitted to proper category have chances to be listed. Note: a website can be listed in one category only, all other submissions will be deleted automatically.

If you submit a website to a wrong category, an editor will move it to another category, then it will be checked by another editor, and because of it the listing of your submission will be delayed.

Being a translator you can submit your website, for instance:

- if you translate mostly written texts - Business / Business_Services / Communications/ Translation;
- if you are an interpreter - Business / Business_Services / Communications / Translation / Interpreting;
- if you translate in one language combination - Business / Business_Services / Communications / Translation / Single_Language;
- if you translate in more than one language combination - Business / Business_Services / Communications / Translation / Multiple_Language;

But these are the categories for websites with English content. For other languages you should submit your website to World category where you will find other subcategories, similar to that written above.

Content

DMOZ accepts only websites with a unique content, i.e. two or more websites with the same text will be automatically removed.

For the successful submission and listing your site should contain company or freelancer’s name, a list of services offered, valid contact details.

A website structure should be of high quality, if there are "404" pages when pressing on a link or links don’t work at all, such a website won’t be listed in.

Titles & Descriptions

Also the important case is when submitting your website, write a proper, nice title and description. For instance, I have many cases that websites are submitted to my category, but their descriptions are written in foreign languages, not appropriate for the category.

So, pay attention to these facts.

Conclusion

So, as a conclusion, I must say that the best way to get your website listed in the ODP is to make a good, proper submission of websites with a unique and high quality content.

And the final thing to be said is that the ODP editors don’t like such things as cloaking, forwarding, multiple submissions. All these sites will be removed as soon as possible.

Tips for a speedy listing

Note: These are not my tips; they are common and partially taken from my colleague volunteer editor.

1.Submit in the correct category.
2.Submit your web site’s main page only.
3.Make sure your web site is complete or looks complete.
4.Make sure your web site works in any browser.
5.In the Description: Mention your languages.
6.In the Description: Mention your subject fields, if highly specific.
7.Use your business name at the title or your own name, if you’re a freelancer.
8.In the Description: Mention if you’re a business, agency or freelancer.
9.In the Description: Mention your physical location, including country.

Copyright © Roman Soluk