MasterMOZ is a new patent pending directory developed by Webmasters, Inc..

From a SEO point of view, it will not bring you too much right now (although this is what they state in all the press releases and on their web pages) – the directory has no Google PageRank yet and it still has a lot of work to do to become an “authority” site. But I have reasons to believe that this is going to become an authority source, due to its special features.

MasterMOZ tries to take directory listings to the next level, while providing credible and accurate listings. On the about page you’ll note that they compare themselves to Yahoo! and DMOZ, but there are important differences:

• First of all you don’t need to pay or to age waiting for your site to be listed. Once you submit your information your listing is live, available for search.
• Secondly (and probably more important than the first point) you are in full control of your listing.
• Last but not least, with MasterMOZ you can build credibility. An accurate listing, backed up by your reputation, will distinguish your website from the scrapper and spam websites created solely for AdSense win and other obscure purposes.

The directory will function like a social bookmarking website: you need to create an account, provide basic information about who you are and what you do (remember the reputation aspect) and start submitting your websites.

This is a sample of what your personal page will look like.

MasterMOZ offers five types of membership: one free and four paid. I used the free membership to test the site and I will upgrade if and when I am convinced of its efficacy. With the free membership you can submit only one website and you cannot participate in the reviewing process of other websites.

The cheapest professional membership is the Silver membership, which allows you to submit 5 websites for a $ 29.95 yearly fee. I am not sure I like the idea of not being able to rate other sites.

I think that MasterMOZ is making a mistake not allowing its members to benefit from all the features with a free membership. They should definitely allow us to test them, at least for a while – like MyBlogLog does when you first submit a site (3 days full stats) – to see the real benefits of a paid membership. But despite this shortage, this looks like a good tool to promote your website.