Here at mobiThinking, we are continually surprised by how many mobile sites – big brands included – are not listed in mobile search engines, portals and directories. So as we update our comprehensive Links page, we thought we’d publish a list of places to submit your site as encouragement to a) check that your site is listed and, if not, b) submit it.
Submitting your mobile site is usually pretty easy and free and is a great way to help bring more visitors to your site. Some search engines make it easier than others, we particularly liked the prominent link on the homepage of Taptu and Seek4Wap for example. Most directories make it very easy.
Tips for site-owners:
Don’t count on search engines to find your mobile site – see the insider’s guide to mobile search to find out more.
If you use a mobile agency, check whether as part of the service, they register your site with all relevant search engines, portals and directories (including those of local mobile operators).
Check that your site is easily found in all relevant places – check the lists (see links below) for specialists in your geography and vertical sector.
Don’t underestimate how many search engines etc. there are. If you haven’t got the time or inclination, pay a search engine optimization [SEO] expert to do it for you.
Don’t write off the mobile directories: their content may seem sparse today compared to online equivalents, but it won’t always be. Get listed before your competitors and while it’s cheap/free and the waiting list is short. Give a brief and honest description of your business and follow the listing guidelines. Check your site works on the dotMobi emulator and ready.mobi (some directories demand this).
There are automated tools that claim to register your mobile site with the key search engines and portals, but mobiThinking doesn’t know how effective they are. If you have used them and find them useful, please let us know.
To get you started, here’s a list of essential places (English language ones), where you should submit your mobile site, if you haven’t already. Please let us know what others should be included (with a link to submit a site).
Note that those operators (and lots of big content sites too) who do not use Yahoo, Google, Microsoft etc as default search, will often use a white-label provider such as Medio or Jumptap, so don’t forget to register with these.
Yahoo oneSearch: search for your site on yahoo.mobi; and submit site here.
Taptu: search for your site on taptu.mobi; and submit site here.
Seek4Wap: search for your site on Seek4Wap; and submit site here.
Microsoft Live: search for your site here: live.mobi; submit site here.
Medio Systems: submit site here.
Google: search for your site on google.mobi; submit site map here.
Find.mobi: search for your site find.mobi; and submit your site by testing it on ready.mobi.
We were unable to find the submit-a-site section for:
AOL’s mobile site: aol.mobi
Ask’s mobile site: m.ask.com
For lots more mobile search providers, see wapSwap (also includes directories and portals) and the excellent WAPReview.mobi.
There are countless mobile directories and portals of varying quality and depth of content, as well as geographical and vertical focus (check which ones allow/disallow adult content for example). Most have links to submit a URL from either the home page or from a particular category. Some may request a link in return. There’s a good list of directories of mobile and PDA sites on WAPReview.mobi (including some non-English speaking ones).
Here is a handful of directories to get you started:
Zerorubbish.mobi: to submit a site you need to sign up.
wapSwap, visit the relevant category and click on link to submit site.
WAP Review – mobile sites: wapreview.mobi, yeswap.mobi; submit site for review here.
Oh! Mobile – mobile site: oh.dirlink.mobi; and submit site here.
dir.mobi; follow guidelines to submit site here.
FoneT; and submit site here.
Click4WAP; and submit site here.
WAPALL; and submit site here.
MobLinks; and sign in to submit your site here.
And if your site is a .mobi, be sure to submit it to the the mobiThinking Showcase.
NEXT: see this very handy list of both directories and search providers with many direct links to submit your site from UK mobile agency We Love Mobile (thanks to Simon Liss for this).
UPDATE (May 2009): see this exhaustive list from our friends at the Mobility.mobi forum.
Please suggest your must-have search engines and directories, with a direct link to the submit-a-site page, comment below or email editor (at) mobiThinking.com.
For more on search and discovery see:
Mobile marketing discovery tactics for the mobile Web
The insider’s guide to mobile search marketing
And don’t miss:
mobiThinking’s page of essential links
The Top Ten mobiThinkers 2009
The insider’s guide to mobile marketing in Australia
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