Get Specific

Yahoo! is made up of 14 main subject headings, or top level categories: Arts and Humanities, Business and Economy, Computers and Internet, Education, Entertainment, Government, Health, News and Media, Recreation and Sports, Reference, Regional, Science, Social Science, and Society and Culture. Every site listed by Yahoo! is contained somewhere within these 14 major categories, available from the top page of the directory. And each one of these categories is made up of sub-categories, all organizing information from the general to the specific. New sub-categories are created all the time by Yahoo! Surfers, as the directory grows.

When you suggest your site, get as specific as possible. Dig deep into the directory, looking for the appropriate sub-category. You can't submit your site to a top level category. If you suggest a link in a top level, or very broad category, you will almost certainly receive an error message asking you to try again. Look at the place you've chosen. Are there any sites listed there? Or, does it simply break down into appropriate sub-categories? Dig deeper.

Commercial or Non-Commercial?

Yahoo! always distinguishes between commercial and non-commercial sites. If you're suggesting a site that is in any way commercial--it sells something, promotes goods and services, or promotes a company that sells goods and services--then the site belongs somewhere in the Business and Economy section of Yahoo! That "somewhere" is more than likely within Business and Economy: Companies.

Yes, commercial categories do appear in Yahoo! in related or equivalent non-commercial areas. (For example, in Arts: Architecture there is a cross-reference from Business and Economy: Companies: Architecture called Companies@.) Yahoo! Surfers create these links, to make navigation between commercial and non-commercial categories easier for everyone. Even so, when suggesting a commercial site to Yahoo!, make sure you've chosen a sub-category within Business and Economy. Unless...

Regionally Specific?

Yahoo! always distinguishes between regional and non-regional sites. Ask yourself, "Is my site specific to a particular place? Am I a local business? Is this a local history? Are we a local sports club?" If your suggested site is of particular interest or relevance to a specific geographic region, then place it in the Regional hierarchy.

Regional sites and categories in Yahoo! are often cross-referenced to appropriate areas (under other main subject headings) in the directory. For example a genealogy conference in Denver appears in the Denver:Events category and is also linked to the category for Genealogy conferences, located elsewhere in Yahoo! Again, this is cross-referencing done by Yahoo! Surfers, but there is a place on the Add URL form for you to suggest other suitable categories.

If your site is both regionally specific and commercial, then place it in the appropriate Business and Economy category. In other words, let us know that it is a commercial site; we'll take care of the regional placement.

Personal?

All personal home pages live in the Society and Culture: People: Personal Home Pages category. Is your page personal? Is it about you? Visit the category and suggest your listing from there.

If a personal page has sufficient content about a specific topic, a Yahoo! Surfer can decide to link the site into another, related category. Again, there's a place on the submission form for you to suggest other suitable categories.

Look Familiar?

Armed with the above knowledge, browse and search your way through Yahoo! looking for the appropriate category in which to suggest your site. Look for categories that list similar sites. Are you suggesting a music magazine? A real estate company in Siberia? An Urkel fan page? A quick and dirty guide for beginner investors? If you are suggesting a business site, look for the competition. When you make your way to a category--actually, sub-category--ask yourself, "Does this look familiar?" Yes? Good. Suggest your site.