Where to go to register with the blog search engines and the blog-specific directories
Your website should be ready to register. Minimally it need to be made of validated code, and have regular posts over the last few weeks.
Blogs have their own search engines and directories.
Some accept your Blog URL, which is like http://www.blog.com/
Some accept your feed URL, which is usually something like http://www.blog.com/feed.xml or http://www.blog.com/atom.xml
A blog directory usually won't change your listing whenever you post content. So if you are offered the option to choose your listing description, make sure you including your main keywords.
Setting up Your Ping Services
Once it knows about you, a blog search engine will crawl your blog surprisingly often looking for fresh information. You want to make sure it knows to recrawl whenever you've updated your blog. To do this, you ping them. So everywhere you register your blog with should be added to your ping list if they provide a specific ping address, sometimes called an RPC.
If your blog software has a working ping client (meaning you can add places to ping to your configuration) you should immediately add all ping services to it, even before you register your site. Blog search engines that don't accept submissions will still regularly check the contents of ping services to see who is actually posting content.
Here is what you need to get your ping client started. Enter the URL listed next to each listing below into your blog's "ping list" or "ping client" where it says to, and you're set.
If you don't have a ping client, you can download one called effbot from Fredrik Lundh. Ping clients are included in the vast majority of blogging tools.
Blog Ping List
Our list is pared down to places that accept all blogs without regard to specialty, where most of our clients will care about getting into. We have tried to limit it to blog search engines and directories that matter most. This changes constantly, still, while blog search is still new. There are probably thousands of places you could ping depending on your blog's niche and your needs. If you want a very specific list, do some research for industry-specific ping locations at blogging forums or ask other bloggers in your industry who they ping.
However, you will need to do more before all of those pings will work. You must register your blog with most of the places you are pinging, for instance pingomatic, before your ping will be effective.
The ping list got so much data that we moved it to its own page. Here's the blog ping list.
Why not just ping? Why do I have to submit my blog?
Many of the places on our blog search engine and directory list (below) will not really do anything with your pings until the day that you register yourself. Many of these places want to put you through extra hoops as part of verifying that you are a real blogger before your ping counts for anything.
Pinging also won't get you listed in the blog directories. Those require actually going there and submitting. While pinging may have once been instant gratification, and in some places still is, spam blogs have made it so more places are expecting you to prove you're real before you're taken seriously. Some have required registration all along. So pull up a chair and get comfy, you have some registrations to do.
The good news is that everything is free.
Blog Search Engines
Search TechnoratiTechnorati Sign-Up PageTechnorati Ping Page
Submit: RSS feed
At Technorati, you must sign up, then claim your feed - tell them the tags you think your site should have (AKA your biggest keywords). After that, ping them when you have new content.
It is free to be included at Technorati. Technorati is very good at organizing around tags and working with bloggers who use tags. Your categories read as tags in your blog posts when you send a feed to technorati, so even if you are not using tags you may still rank for your category name as a "tag" at Technorati. Tags used properly can vastly improve your chances of getting exposure on Technorati. Don't expect to be ranked unless you posted within the last hour.
Adding a relationship of "tag" to a link makes it a tag. Technorati has also been known to go out and find your tags even if you don't register. We still recommend registering because they still want you to do it.

Google BlogSearchGoogle BlogSearch registrationPing Google Blog Search
Submit: N/A
Google bought Blogger Search, and Google Blog Search was born. You can still access the exact same search on blogger.com as well. You can ping Google blog search by adding http://blogsearch.google.com/ping to your ping list. You can also submit your feed manually at that link.

Bloglines Blog SearchRegister or Login to add your blog to Bloglines
Submit: Feed
Bloglines is a popular blog-collection service website, allowing subscribers to control all the blogs that they read and check on, and to preview, search, or otherwise arrange their blogs. It is also now powering Ask.com's blog search.
The best way to get into bloglines and do well here is to offer a button on your blog to subscribe through bloglines. Here's example button text:Add to BloglinesOf course you have to change the part that refers to your feed before you post it. As soon as a bloglines member subscribes, then you're in. If you're in a hurry and have registered with bloglines, use this form.
On the resulting page, preview your feed to make sure it's working, and then press the subscribe button. If your blog was not already in their huge index, it will be now. Every subscriber helps your rank here, which is why we recommend the button.
Search Blogdigger
Blogdigger Submission
Submit: RSS or Atom Feed
Allows search by date or relevance. Remarkably low on spam most of the time. This can make it easier for you to rank well in because of those two factors.
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Sign up for NewsGator OnlineAdd you Feed to Syndic8
Submit: XML Document (includes RSS Feeds)
NewsGator is a popular online RSS aggregator (feed service) and it gets its search content from Syndic8, so that's where to submit if you want to get into Newsgator. Once you've suggested the feed at syndic8 (and been reviewed and approved) it becomes much more worth it to ping.

Search Syndic8Join Syndic8Add you Feed to Syndic8
Submit: XML Document (includes RSS Feeds)
Syndic8 is an XML document search engine for anything syndicated. To submit, you'll need to create an editor account, verify your email address and then you can submit content.

Search BlogPulseBlogPulse Submit
Submit: URL and email address
BlogPulse is a service of Neilsen BuzzMetrics™ and is the blog search engine of AOL, according to recent news.

Search PubsubPubsub Submission - is currently disabled
Submit: Feed only
Something of a blog-subscription-finding website, it will actually accept any feed, blog or not.
Submit the location of your feed, and then ping them when you have new content from then on.

Search Del.icio.us
Submit: No submission accepted
Delicious is technically not a blog search engine, but a social bookmark manager widely used to tag blogs. But what does that really matter if it is where people go to search for blogs. The point is you want to get some exposure here, right?
We don't recommend going to the trouble to sign up for a delicious account and trying to tag your own way to popularity. It is like using a dropper to fill an ocean. Unless you've already got an account, in which case it can't hurt to tag yourself silly.
But to get any real traffic from delicious, or hopefully even show on in the top results for your chosen tags on delicious, your posts have to be repeatedly bookmarked to delicious (called "tagged") and given the same or similar tags (keywords) by the many people tagging you to delicious. To help this along, we recommend making sure that you add a tag creating tool to your blog software that lets you choose tags (single word descriptions or subject matter) to apply to each post. Consider carefully what tags to use. If you'd choose it asa category or as a subject, it's a good tag. Don't use small common words or stop words in your tags when choosing tags for your posts. We recommend this because the person tagging you to delicious will usually just stick with your chosen tags, improving your chances for that tag at delicious.
Then make sure you also get an "tag this to delicious" plug-in for your blog, or choose to activate that option on your blog software if it comes with it. If you don't have any such thing available, you can use the "tagometer" that Delicious offers. This is recognizeable to delicious members and encourages them to tag your site. Here's where to get the code for the tagometer, so that you can add it to your blog if you want. It is a bit of an eyesore, but does come in two shapes - sidebar box or one-liner for under posts. It requires JavaScript enabled to work.
Sorry, there is no way to cheat on Delicious. Just make your content supremely taggable and interesting and you may end up being in with the popular crowd at delicious.

Search Digg
Submit: No submission accepted
Digg is another social bookmarking system, similar to Delicious, and is a user-powered content community. As with Delicious, make your content supremely "diggable" (bookmark friendly. interesting, unique) to get Digged or Dugg (tagged to Digg's community bookmarking system).
Usually, there is a "Digg this" plug-in available, or an option to turn on within your blog software. If not, Digg offers tools to integrate digg into your blog, in the form of buttons & badges or a Digg counter that says how many people Digg you, either of which encourages Digging of your blog posts.
Stumble Upon
Submit: No submission accepted
StumbleUpon is a popular social networking site. Your blog's readership chooses to "stumble this" when and where they like your content. Writing fresh, enjoyable content that directly relates to your chosen niche is the best way to get stumbled upon.
The way to urge people to onto the StumbleUpon "radar screen" is to provide a "Stumble This" link on your blog. The StumbleUpon website lists third party add-ons that can help you and provides pre-written link code for how to add a "stumble this" link to your blog. You will need to adjust the code to work on your own site.

Blog Directories
There aren't a lot of good blog directories out there. We certainly chose NOT to include a far greater number than we actually did end up putting in this list. (We are adding more piecemeal as we find good ones. Please recommend one to us if you find a good one that isn't just loaded with spammy blogs.)
All of these are free (or offer a free option) unless a cost is mentioned.

BlogHub DirectoryBlogHub Registration and Submission
Submit: Blog URL
This blog directory allows you to include a good description, a lot of extra information, and you can also upload a screenshot of your blog here if you want, or a picture of yourself. You will need to create a username and password, collect your email, confirm the account by following the instructions in the email, and then logging in to access the Submit page.

blogcatalog DirectorySubmit to blogcatalog
Submit: Blog URL
Blog Catalog lets you choose up to three categories, and a description. It is editor reviewed (that's good).

BlogExplosion DirectoryJoin and then Submit at BlogExplosion
Submit: Blog URL
The process takes a while here. First you have to become a member of Blogexplosion by giving them your email and going through the verification process. Then you can log in and add or edit your blogs here. Once you've done that, make sure you also go through the validation process for each blog you add. They let you upload a thumbnail, provide descriptions and things like that for every validated blog you register here. They also have numerous additional blog-community services and doodads, and it's free.
The process is long, but it is the only way to get into this directory. It's not easy, which is why it's a good idea to enter your blog here. Blog directories are a sign of trust and help your rank.

All-Blogs DirectorySubmit at All-Blogs
Submit: Blog URL and Feed
We admit, the logo reminds us of pre-Y2K family photo websites, but this is still a good directory. We don't recommend choosing to pay for better placement here. We don't recommend paying for placement in ANY blog directory — there are still a good number of reputable free directories, so why encourage it.

Best of the Web Blogs DirectorySubmit to Best of the Web
Submit: Blog URL and Feed
Best of The Web is a reputable directory that has existed for quite some time. We recommend submitting here. Dig in, find your category, and then click on the "submit a blog to this category" link. Submit both your URL and your feed location (any standard feed format taken, even audio or video - like podcasts). It will be reviewed by an editor who has final say on the description and category.
Blog Flux Directory
Register and Submit to Blog Flux
Submit: Blog URL
You must register, then submit here. After that, ping them when you update.


Blogtopsites
Register at Blog Top Sites
Submit: Blog URL
Choose a category, then click on the "Add/Register a Site" link. You will be asked about uploading a banner, so have one ready if you want to do that.
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Blo.gsRegister at Blo.gs
Submit: Blog URL, direct check URL & Feed location
Yes, there really is a dot in the middle of that. Registration is required, then ping when you have new content. If you don't know what a direct check URL is, your blog's home page or index page is fine.

Globe of BlogsRegister
Submit: Blog URL
Register at the above URL to be included.

iBlog Business Blog DirectoryRegister at this Blog Directory
Submit: Blog URL
Register at the above URL to be included. It is for business blogs only and is human reviewed. When this blog was suggested to us, is was presented as not being a "link dumping" zone, but a real directory that takes pride in the directory's quality.