Do not confuse search engines with directories. The difference is that search engines create their listings automatically and directories are collections of websites organized in categories that are human powered. The human element consists of the users that submit their listings and the editors that review them.

If you change your web pages, crawler-based search engines eventually find these changes, and that can affect how you are listed. Page titles, body copy and other elements all play a role. On the contrary, with human directories, changing your web pages has no effect on your listing.

Things that are useful for improving a listing with a search engine have nothing to do with improving a listing in a directory. The only exception is that a good site, with good content, might be more likely to get reviewed for free than a poor site.

a. How do I submit my website?

Submittal for directories is usually free of charge and the guidelines are usually the same.

·        Your site must not contain "Under Construction" pages, it must be complete.

·        Identify the single best category for your website (e.g. if you deal only in sales of apartments, you will not submit your site to the more general category of Real Estate)

Tip: it is best to choose a category with fewer links.

·        Prepare a thoughtful, well-written submission which usually consists of the site title, site description, URL and keywords. Check it for misspellings and always respect the limit of characters, which is around 200 characters for a description and 50 characters for the title.

Tip: Submit the URL of first page, not internal pages

·        Always read the guidelines of each directory with the outmost attention and respect them to the letter, otherwise your submission might be rejected.

·        Don't submit in multiple categories or multiple times. If you think your site has been rejected, wait the prescribed period of time (specific for each directory) before submitting again.

·        Some directories request backlinks as a mandatory condition for your website's inclusion.

·        Some websites give you the option to pay for a faster review.

How to: Go to the main page of the directory, then find the best category for your website by browsing into the main category Real Estate, then down the tree to the subsection that fits the profile of your site. Press the "Add URL/ Submit URL/ Submit site" link and then follow the instructions and fill in the fields.

b. What are the most important directories?

You need not submit to every directory there is, but you should submit to big general directories and to Real Estate specific directories. Below we've provided a list with free and paid directory links but of course you can find many more.

What do you pay for ? Usually to get ahead of the line and have your site reviewed earlier than free sites.

General directories – Tier 1

1.      The Open Directory Project (ODP or DMOZ – short for Directory Mozilla)

Google loves DMOZ, it gets its directory results from it, so it's very important that you get your site listed here. The inclusion is free and although the waiting list is long, it's well worth it.

2.      Yahoo (you need to pay for inclusion, but since Yahoo! Search gets its results from here, it's well worth the 299$ fee)

This fee does not guarantee inclusion.

3.      Best of the Web! (you need to pay for inclusion)

General directories – Tier 2

1.    Accountants Directory  (free)

2.    AbiLogic Directory (free)

3.    Ajdee (paid for commercial sites)

4.    All The Biz World Business Directory (free)

5.    Anthony Parsons (free)

6.    BlueFind Web Directory (paid)

7.    CategoryWEB (paid)

8.    Find Hound Directory (free)

9.    JoeAnt (paid)

10.  Morrison Directory (free)

11.  ResultsAbout (paid)

12.  GoGuides  (free)

13.  Gimpsy  (free)

14.  Smaller Bizz Directory (free)

15.  TYGO Directory (free)

16.  Wow Directory (free)

17.  Zeal  (free – registration required)

18.  ClickState (free – reciprocal link required)

Real Estate Directories

1.    International Real Estate Directory (free – reciprocal link required)

2.      Net Savvy Agent (free – reciprocal link required)

3.      LinkRe (free – reciprocal link required)

4.    RealEstate4 (free – reciprocal link required)

5.    America's doorstep (free)

6.    USA Real Estate Directory (free – reciprocal link required)

7.    Reals (free – reciprocal link required)

8.    RealEstatePopular (free – reciprocal link required)

9.    Directory Real Estate

10.  RealEstateIM (free – reciprocal link required)

11.  Canada Real Estate Directory (free – reciprocal link required)

12.  Real Estate Guide USA (free – reciprocal link required)

13.  ABCs Of Real Estate (paid)

14.  American Real Estate (free)

15.  The Real Estate Library (paid)

16.  America Real Estate Directory (paid)

17.  Viviun – International Property Listings (paid)

18.  Real Estate Agents (free)

19.  All Real Estate Search (paid)

20.  International Real Estate Digest (paid)

21.  Top Real Estate Agents (free – reciprocal link required)

22.  E Powered Professionals

23.  Search4Agent (paid)

24.  National Home Search  (registration and reciprocal link required)

25.  Real Estate Best (free – reciprocal link required)

26.  Real Estate Award (free – reciprocal link required)

27.  Seek Homes (paid-reciprocal links, property listings)

28.  What Move (free, property listings)

29.  Home Researcher (registration required)

30.  Real Estate Agencies

31.  Total Real Estate Solutions (paid-reciprocal links, property listings)

32.  Real Estate Agencies.net (free – reciprocal link required)