About(dot)com is a very comprehensive index that combines site listings with reviews and editorial content. An editor or guide runs each category, and they are the individuals that you have to appeal to in order for your site to be listed. The easiest way to get their attention is a direct email, as opposed to using the "Feedback" link on the pages. Usually it takes ages for about.com to get back to you as they are looking for bigger sites or sites that are very specific to what the articles on their site are about. One way to get their attention is to give them a link that leads them to your offer as an affiliate program. This is because most of the articles on there are accompanied by index after index of affiliate sites.

Your best plan of attack to getting listed in About (dot)com is to:

1. Pick an "about" category that suits your site.

2. Submit an article that you have written on one of your domain pages.

3. Offer a link back. Put a link to their site even before contacting them and said, "I find your site such a great resource that I've listed you in our links page.

The guides at about.com are also looking for what they call deep links. This may not necessarily be your homepage, but rather an article that you have written from an "expert" point of view. These articles are used to search engine optimize about.com's site. Once your article is added it is reciprocated to the about.com site, which is a monster site in the eyes of the search engines. Even getting just one article published on about.com can boost your search engine rankings substantially. This works because as you will recall, exchanging links with a site that is much bigger than you is a crucial strategic tactic when it comes to following the principles of excellent search engine optimization.