Will DMOZ die?

[usbnuts]

After 6 months of pain-staking process to get my site listed on search engines, I now know that the shortcut to getting high rank is to get your site listed on Yahoo, DMOZ or KookSmart.

However, i'm worrying these directories will eventually die someday, and we are left with no shortcut to get high ranking.

Any thought?

[ihelpyou]

Yes, the directories are important. And you are right, they probably are a bit of a shortcut, but a necessary one.

I think there will always be some form of a directory as the net will always need a human reviewed and edited way to index the high quality sites.

[usbnuts]

Some stupid research groups said the net as we know will die and something will emerge. Dumb.

[ihelpyou]

The net will continue to be ever changing. Look at all the changes the last 5 years. So yes, more things will emerge, stuff we do not know about now, but the net dying? No. Changing? Yes.

We will always have some form of directories. We will always have the need to somehow get a good listing so we can be found in them.

[newriver]

Just to address the original question a bit, DMOZ will be around for as long as AOL wants to pay for it.

DMOZ is owned by netscape, which is owned by AOL.

DMOZ is not legally able to accept money for listings as it is a volunteer system, so under the existing structure they will be around as long as AOL wants to pay for it.

I think almost every SEO would like DMOZ to be around for a long time to come as it's influence is widely felt influencing almost every major search engine in one way, shape, or form.

Google- DMOZ is the directory, and provides a good way to increase link popularity for the search listings.

Yahoo- Because DMOZ heavily influences google, it indirectly influences the web pages section of Yahoo powered by google.

AOL- DMOZ powers the primary search results.

Netscape - same as above

Alta Vista - While DMOZ used to be the directory here, AV still accepts DMOZ categories into the search results to help search engine listings.

Lycos/hotbot - DMOZ listings appear in many search phrases after you have been listed in DMOZ for about a year...lol.

Directhit - directory listings

MSN/Looksmart/Excite - No effect I know of.