Ship something worth showing
Make sure the server is stable, has a clear start for newcomers, a distinctive hook and working links.
A complete listing
Add your server and fill in everything: a one-line pitch, a real description, a readable icon and banner, genuine screenshots, accurate categories, FAQ and social links. Verify ownership to post news, reply to reviews and see analytics.
Community
Open a Discord or Telegram from day one, post updates and run small events. People stay for people.
Votes
Set up Votifier with modest in-game rewards and remind players without spamming.
Don't fake it
Minecraft-Servera analyses online graphs (flat lines, round numbers, unexplained jumps, no daily rhythm, disagreement with other monitorings) and flags suspicious servers, removing them from online rankings. Players notice too. Fifteen real players beat a thousand fake ones.
Retention
Give a quick win in the first ten minutes, weekly goals, an active staff, regular updates, and answer reviews publicly. Use owner analytics to see what to improve.