Submission Specialist

[zag]

We started a new program to help professional web developers get sites listed faster in the directory. Its really for those that are not interested in volunteering but need to submit their clients web sites.

Let me know what you think about the program..

Submission Specialist Program (http://www.goguides.org/DIR/membership.html)

Thanks.

[ihelpyou]

Hmm. So basically it's about 40 bucks to submit one site anyway. Most of us,... including me will only pick up one or two or three clients per month.

Now if you are talking about a submission company who charges 29 bucks to submit your site, oh yes, those type "spam" companies with LOTS of clients, and who actually are "scamming" people will make out with this new program.

Those of us who charge "thousands" in setup fees do not get hundreds of clients per year. :)

[Webmaster T]

As a submission specialist I would also be able to submit to more than one category provided I can justify inclusion. Question is if I was working for a large retailer and wanted to submit to all the sub categories the products fall into this would be fine provided there was ample content and products to justify it? Would I be able to have an employee or consultant do that for me as well? Meaning if I had say an SEO specialist who worked for my development company in that capacity.

[zag]

>So basically it's about 40 bucks to submit one site anyway.

There are three levels in the Submission Specialist program. Each level is designed to help web developers better service their clients based on their monthly site submission needs.

For example; To join as a VIP Member cost almost the same as one express review submission. VIP membership cost 19.95 per month to maintain and allows the Submission Specialist members to make five instant submissions each month “anywhere” in the directory.

We kept seeing the same people using our express review service to get their clients listed. By offering this program we are offing web developers a mechanism to control inclusion cost while at the same time allowing web developers a way to offer instant web site inclusion in the directory for their clients. Best of all this program greatly reduces the amount of money they spend each month making expedited submissions.

Submissions are also locked for six months. This means that only staff can edit or move the listing during that time. If the editor over that topics wants the description changed are wants to edit the submission for any reason then they will have to contact staff and request the change.

[Webmaster T]

Originally posted by zag
Submissions are also locked for six months. This means that only staff can edit or move the listing during that time. If the editor over that topics wants the description changed are wants to edit the submission for any reason then they will have to contact staff and request the change. After 6 months the editor would be able to remove it correct? Also you didn't answer my first question. Add 20 websites is that different websites to one category or multiples of the same website to different categories. That's pretty sketchy in the documentation.

[excell]

I am not understanding something here.. and that is about monthly submission needs...???

help web developers better service their clients based on their monthly site submission needs.
help web developers better service their clients based on their monthly site submission needs.

what is your target market that you want to attract here.. newbies that know no better?? Come on Zag - I must be seriously missing something, I think.

[zag]

>As a submission specialist I would also be able to submit to more than one category provided I can justify inclusion.

That is correct. Submission specialist members have instant submit authority anyplace in the directory.

>Question is if I was working for a large retailer and wanted to submit to all the sub categories the products fall into this would be fine provided there was ample content and products to justify it?

Submission policy remains unchanged. Only the top url can be submitted. For deep linking the member would need to contact staff for a review of each url. In some cases we do allow deep linking but there are many factors that play into allowing deep links. For example; is the deep link easily reachable from the root url, is the content provided in the deep link different from content provided at the root, does the deep link justify its own listing.

Many factors involved so deep linking has to be reviewed on a case by case request...

>Would I be able to have an employee or consultant do that for me as well?

Only seo professionals and web development companies are allowed to join this program. And the company joining would have to be approved. Any known seo company that has spammed us in the past will not be approved membership.

[zag]

>After 6 months the editor would be able to remove it correct?

We do not allow editors to delete listings. They are allowed to move and edit as needed after six months just like any other human edited directory.

>Add 20 websites is that different websites to one category or multiples of the same website to different categories. That's pretty sketchy in the documentation.

That’s different web sites to different topics or the same topic long as our submission guidelines are being followed. Submission Specialist members have the same submit powers that staff has in the directory when it comes to instant inclusion.

[Webmaster T]

Thanks Zag! Good luck I think GoGuides has given the others something to consider! I have always felt dishonest signing on as an editor because... my intentions weren't exactly what you have in mind when you ask for volunteer editors.

[zag]

>what is your target market that you want to attract here..

We had the same web development companies each month coming in using our express review service to add their clients web sites. Many of these companies are already taking advantage of this this program because not only is it saving them money but they are now offering both current and new clients instant inclusion in the directory.

If your a web developer building more than one new web site per month or plan on submitting more then one web site per month to the directory then this program can and will save your company or client money.

>newbies that know no better?? Come on Zag - I must be seriously missing something, I think.

LOL No punt intended, but go try to make 20 instant submissions in ODP and see what happens. This program is truly a tool to help web developers get their clients web sites listed fast without all the cost and obstacles involved.

[ihelpyou]

ah, Now I think I understand. :)

[zag]

Yes, this is something definitely new to the market so its going to take some explaining to people but its also something that’s been badly needed. IMHO

We had to step back and look at the big picture from a web developers point of view. Then we had to figure out a way to allow volunteer editors and web developers to work in harmony. The result was this new Submission Specialist program. :cheers:

We think its a step in the right direction by having a mechanism in place that allows the needs of the web professionals to be met but also allows editors to work in their topics without distractions.

All submission made by SP members are monitored daily by staff. Even though submissions are instant staff still reviews all submissions to ensure submission guidelines are being met. This way editors don’t have to worry about those sites appearing in their topics because they know staff has already reviewed the listing too...

[zag]

>I have always felt dishonest signing on as an editor because... my intentions weren't exactly what you have in mind when you ask for volunteer editors.

That’s another issue we took into consideration. Its not so much that editors applying are being dishonest, rather they are trying to submits their clients web sites. And in some cases editors are simply trying to get approved in a topic so they can write a better description for a particular listing based on their own professional knowledge of keywords.

As an SP member you can ask to re-edit any listing in the directory that is not under the six month locking period. This way as an seo expert you can re-edit the description, title, and keywords. This allows seo experts to perform their services for their clients web sites without interference. Staff also monitors all those request to ensure submission guidelines are still being met.

The six month locking period for submitted sites also gives search engines ample time to crawl and find those listings. This ensures that the work being preformed by the SEO experts is also being picked up correctly by the search engines and is not being tampered with by a dishonest editor before the crawl.

We also heavily monitor new editors in topics so that’s another safe guard for all listings in the directory.

[WebSavvy]

Interesting ... one question though ... if *any* SP member can edit anywhere in the directory, what safeguards do you have in place that will prevent an SP member from editing the site description of a record belonging to another SEO/SP member/Express Submit client?

[zag]

Hi Deb! I’ve been meaning to drop you a note and say hi. Hope you’ve been doing good at websavvy.

>if *any* SP member can edit anywhere in the directory, what safeguards do you have in place that will prevent an SP member from editing the site description of a record belonging to another SEO/SP member/Express Submit client?

Sp members only have instant inclusion authority they don’t have editing rights in the directory. They can request to edit one of their clients listings and we will pull it from the category so they can re-edit and move the submission to another topic if needed.

But in this case we will write to the web site owner and tell them that one of our SP members is requesting to re-edit their listing and wait for approval from them. The SP member must be in a verifiable business relationship with the web site owner to re-edit a listing in the directory.

Also all submission guidelines must be met even when a re-edit has been performed. Just like submissions these request are very heavily monitored because they are instant in the system once approved by the SP member. We have been in this business for a long time. If the SP member is not doing justice to the listing or moving it to an inappropriate category we will know the difference.

SP members are also watched very closely because of the instant inclusion authority they have in the entire directory. Every submission is noted with their username in a control panel that’s only accessible by staff. The control panel list sites in the order they are submitted and one by one are checked by staff to ensure inclusion guidelines are being met. Any submission that does not meet submission guidelines will be removed from public view and the member will be warned. Anyone that abuses the system will have their membership canceled.

[WebSavvy]

Hi Zag, :)

Yeah, we're doing pretty good ... thanks for asking. :)

Now that you've explained a few more details on the program, it sounds like a winner and I wish you all the best with it. I'd sure like to see you guys come back twice as strong as before.

:cheers:

[zag]

>Now that you've explained a few more details on the program, it sounds like a winner and I wish you all the best with it. I'd sure like to see you guys come back twice as strong as before.

We are holding our own very nicely. Had over a quarter of a million crawls by the top five search engines just last month!

We are also rebuilding the entire platform for the editors. Going to make it just like it was when we was over at go.com.

Matter of fact the full draft for the editors area is being submitted to the programmer tonight and then will be in his hands so things are now moving along at warp speed...

[WebSavvy]

That's great to hear Zag. :)

We've been getting hit quite a bit too. Google has hit every page in the directory this month (over 11,000 of them) and used up around 28.8MB of bandwidth this month.

The searches have gone up in numbers too (we can track how many searches are done inside the directory) and we're already over 11,000 so far.

According to our AwStats, 56.6% of our traffic (17,000+ pages) are bookmarked.

So, for just being now our 6th month mark, this is really pretty good I'd say. :)

[zag]

>So, for just being now our 6th month mark, this is really pretty good I'd say.

That's Great! Looks like your moving in the right direction just keep it up!!

[chhchung]

Can we sell it after we submit the site? Or charge 5 dollar per a submit. This way is not too hard to get back the $40

[nakulgoyal]

There's an initial first time join / setup fee associated as well.

[loki]

so i signed up as a vip member, got a confirmation email that all was well, but NO details as to how to start submitting.

how do i start?

[loki]

have now received welcome email with explanation.

[loki]

Edited out..... Please contact zag if you have a question...