Has Yahoo gotten rid of its free listing option?

[CHelz]

Call me cynical...I've suspected for a while that Yahoo 'ignored' new listings that were not paid....Several popular, but not commercial, websites and blogs are often missing.

Today, I tried to submit a site of my own. After going to the correct sub-directory and clicking suggest site, I was brought to a page giving only the paid-submission option.

$299 for a noncommercial site it pretty steep and not an option...I suppose I'll just go to Google....seems odd that they would cancell free listings alltogether....has anyone else experienced this?

[Serio]

Are you sure it is the correct category? I just did a test for a fictitious non-commercial site at yahoo.co.uk and was offered the option of free or paid.

I was under the impression that if you only had the paid submission as an option then you were submitting to a non-commercial cat.

[Elisabeth]

They are not cancelled altogether. In commercial categories, ie, anything under "Shopping & Services" or "Business", the $299 fee is required.

There are still many non-commercial, blog sites & regional info added for free, you just have to spend time looking for another angle, there almost always is one.

When your site/business is 'located' in a certain town, or covers a certain region, it's much easier to get listed for free.

But it can be a long process sometimes, with follow up emails to url-support@yahoo-inc.com

So, for example, say you have a Ski Gear review/blog site, so you think maybe the shopping category is correct, thinking people who are looking to buy Ski Gear need to read reviews, so you are trying to submit here which is a $299 only category:

http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Shopping_and_Services/Sports/Skiing/Equipment/

but maybe one of these structures is more appropriate (and free):

http://dir.yahoo.com/Recreation/Sports/Skiing/
http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/U_S__States/California/Recreation_and_Sports/Skiing/

[Elisabeth]

MOD NOTE: I moved this from Yahoo! web search to the Y! DIrectory forum, since the $299 fee only applies to the directory.

However, there is also this How to Suggest A Site (http://search.yahoo.com/info/submit.html) guide to add URLs to other parts of Yahoo.

[CHelz]

This is very helpful. The website is not commercial, does not offer any services for hire and has no affiliate program. Since the purpose of it is to discuss PR, etc. I picked the Public Relations category..which yahoo must consider to be under commercial. I'll have to find a category that is more suitable.

Many thanks.

[CarolW]

This is very helpful. The website is not commercial, does not offer any services for hire and has no affiliate program. Since the purpose of it is to discuss PR, etc. I picked the Public Relations category..which yahoo must consider to be under commercial. I'll have to find a category that is more suitable.

I have tried, since 2001, on getting two of my four sites listed in the Yahoo Directory through the free submission link offered. It seems hit or miss on being one of the lucky ones able to say that their site was accepted for a free listing.

I have tried submitting using the "alternate submission links" others share, removed any Amazon links, with Amazon links [average maybe two per inner page], the right category, the "close to but not right" category, and carefully avoiding repeating the category name in the abstract while not
sounding overly promotional either. I've even looked at other sites in the directory to see if those hold a clue, in their content and presentation, to help me out with the content and presentation on those two sites. I've also waited about 6 to 8 months inbetween submitting so I can't say I was overly aggressive about it either.

For whatever reason on Yahoo's side - the two sites apparently won't be listed through the free submission method. So it appears the free submission to the directory route is one of those "your mileage may vary" thoughts ... but can't hurt to try.

Carol

[alexchapman]

Yahoo still has a free listing option in non-commercial categories. Most sites, however, fall into commercial categories.

[alexchapman]

There are still free listings, but only on certain non-commercial categories.