Populating a topical directory using DMOZ data

I built a directory recently with a very narrow, industry-specific focus. Unfortunately, I seem to be having a hard time populating it, despite it being free and requiring no recips, email address or anything (and though I'm sure the nice folks here wouldn't mind my posting a non-live URL here, I don't think that most SEO'ers here would have an interest in this site).

So I'm wondering about beginning to populate it manually using listed sites from DMOZ. If memory serves me correctly, the BDCConcepts directory used a similar tactic that seemed to work pretty well.

Would others see this as a worthwhile strategy? Our directory only has about 10 categories, all from the same industry, so finding relevant sites to link to would be easy. Seeing as DMOZ sites seem to carry more value, I was thinking using these sites instead of random sites found in a Google search or Dex/Yellow Pages style listing. But those could come later.

The ultimate goal of the directory is for it to be large enough to serve the local needs of people across the US (primarily) looking to hire these kinds of services, and for it to be worthwhile for listing companies to want to pay for a premium listing (which is not yet an option).

Thanks in advance!

Yes, populating a niche dir using dmoz data is a good idea, since the people from odp already did a quality check. Furthermore, the data is free to use.

There's no harm in scanning a couple of other major dirs to get sites, but maybe you shouldn't copy their titles and descriptions to the letter

Anyway, a dir filled with known content is infinitely better than a dir with no content.

I personally wouldn't duplicate the dmoz cats exactly. I would pick a few listings from each and enter them manually, using my own descriptions, etc. Now you've got some valuable listings in each cat, but no duplicated content.

RP, I think that is a great idea. That is just based on my experience with BDC. I put in a site for free. The site showed in serps for a non-competitive but money term pretty quickly. The site is still showing in serps. (Of course over time various directories lose serps rankings for their topics to more optimized websites). After seeing the action I went for a premium with several interior pages and different anchor text for each page. Now I have serps rankings for a number of $ anchor text; my home page and interior pages.

I'm not getting that from other directories. Comparatively that makes it far more valuable than other directories. Contact Chemo (preferably in the forum) Get an understanding of what makes the directory work to that degree.

As to where you get the sites that is up to you.

Dave

lots of sites that extensively duplicate portions of DMOZ end up getting the pages in the supplemental search results.

best to make each page at least a little unique if you can.

I'm not looking to harvest data verbatim from DMOZ, I just want to find sites that I know already have been deemed to have good content. We'd write a description ourselves, or possibly pull a meta tag or some copy from a site's index page, and then place them in a category we'd find appropriate (I believe our directory has more specific categories than DMOZ for our industry-specific site).


I believe Chemo visits this site, maybe I can point him here. Based on input here I also signed on for a premium listing there and had some inner pages get indexed really quickly.

Thanks for the input!

dmoz is a good start for both categories and listings. I'd come up with more deeper level of categories for a topic specific directory.

Yup - that's what we're doing.