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Once you have finessed your website and have every page functional, optimized and attractive you may wish to think about another key implement in your arsenal of site promotion tools.

The Directory

Yahoo and AOL are examples of directories. However the premise behind directories is that a human being researches the website that has been submitted and it is a human being who chooses or refuses a website for inclusion in the directory.

Since your website will be reviewed by an individual it is imperative that you make sure your site is fully developed. If you submit too early it is possible your site will be rejected based on the number of incomplete pages.

Imagine your child taking a page of homework to their teacher. When asked why the teacher returned it she replies, 'I'm sorry, but you only answered two of the eight questions. I can't accept this work.'

Most students know better than to hand in poor or incomplete work, but in the world of cyberspace it is not uncommon to find incomplete sites being sent to directories in the hopes of placement. Maybe these website owners were unaware that their site would be personally reviewed.

In A Perfect World

If you were to do everything correctly you would make sure the following elements were well developed before you submitted to any directory.

1) Pages should load quickly.
2) Content should be optimized.
3) Site design should be attractive and functional.

Once you are in the midst of a directory submission you should make sure you took care of the following.

1) Be intentional about finding the category that best describes your site. If you just pick the first one that seems close you may be missing out on a category that best suits your optimized keywords or phrases.

2) You should look for phrases such as 'Add URL' or 'Suggest a Site'. This is the place where you can begin to provide the directory with pertinent information about your site.

3) Don't be in such a rush that you miss the instructions the directory provides. Too many sites miss opportunities in web promotion when they refuse to follow directions.

4) Make your submission information as personable as possible. Your site information will be read by a human so write your information for a human ' not a search engine.

In many cases search engines use directory information to begin their search of individual websites. This should prove the importance of making sure your directory submission is a site promotion tool that you use carefully.