Am I doing something wrong?

Can anyone help me. My website is http://www.beachboutique.com/ab1195000equick/. We sell women's clothing, specifically FLAX Linen Clothing. For over a year, google, the main search engine has had this lame description for my site: "Flax linen clothing in sizes 6-26. Includes information on linen care."

I had tried to get a different description: Flax clothing at Beachboutique will blow you away by the selection and the variety of colors and styles offered. Missy and generous flax linen clothing can be found at this unique boutique. Discount FLAX on the Sale Rack. Back when you could check status, I was told: 1. Do not read like advertisements, sales pitches, opinions, or editorial reviews. The ODP does not advertise or review web sites. Which I completely understand when I read it again.

So I rewrote it and resubmitted.

The new description that I submitted: Flax Linen Clothing in Missy and Generous (plus) sizes. Carries some Petite Flax. Search Feature. FLAX Size Chart.

I am pretty sure this was about 3 months ago.

I basically told the editor that I would take any suggestions and that anything was better than the awful description I have know. I also asked to please email me if they had any questions.

I have not gotten any email... nothing. I have no idea what is going on. I have been trying since May to change this awful description. Can someone look at my site and give me a suggestion on a short description that may be approved by the ODP editors.

Am I doing something wrong. I am not resubmitting like a maniac. I have only posted 6+ weeks after submitting. I am trying to not be a nuisance but I have this nagging feeling that I am doing something wrong.

Yes, you are doing several things wrong.

Read http://editors.dmoz.org/guidelines/describing.html to understand how editors write titles and descriptions.

You are not allowed to suggest deeplinks.

You seem very hungup on that FLAX keyword. Your FLAX website sells FLAX, and not just any old FLAX, also that FLAX is available in several FLAX colours and several FLAX sizes.

What you are asking for, the ODP does not provide. We describe what is ON the website. We do not write promotional FLAX marketing copy.

Your root URL has two listings, each with guidelines compliant title and description.

What you are doing wrong is thinking that we'll be happy to list a deeplink and that we'll be happy to give it what we unkindly call a keyword stuffed description.

Please, leave well alone, OK ?

<added> OK, so I'm a slow typist too </added>

The description it currently has is as good as it will probably get. Editors will not add a description that repeats a keyword multiple times and the use of inappropriate capitalized words. Stating the site has a search feature and a size chart is not very helpful as far as describing the site. Stating that it has linen care is far more helpful in my opinion.

For information, most editors will delete on sight any suggestion for an *update* such as that above. Without looking at the site. It is a quick hit. If it is a new suggestion many editors will give it low priority for review - beneath that of people who have read the guidelines and provided descriptions that aren't full of capitalisation and keyword repetition - it is a pain correcting them and we can process several correctly worded descriptions in the same time.

If the update is for multiple reasons - e.g. a change of products or a new URL and you have taken the opportunity to give us a hyped up keyword stuffed new description then the important part of your request is also likely to be ignored.

>> ...then the important part of your request is also likely to be ignored.

I would prefer to say accidentally "overlooked", or "missed", rather than deliberately "ignored" as that is possibly more correct.

giz said:

>> ...then the important part of your request is also likely to be ignored.

I would prefer to say accidentally "overlooked", or "missed", rather than deliberately "ignored" as that is possibly more correct.

Click to expand...

In a sense, more like "Collectively unjustified"?

Yes, that's a fair way of putting it. If the intent seems to be to keyword stuff the kazoo, then the effect is a hyper-jaundiced view of the whole band.

Please read

Thank you everyone for taking the time to answer my post. My question was did anyone have any suggestions for something that would be accepted. I was not Keyword stuffing, as you put it. I was describing what was on my site. I would be happy to eliminate the other "flax" words out of the description. People who buy FLAX clothing look for the brand name FLAX. Many of them are generously sized and know that Flax calls it "generous". Many are also looking for "petite" Flax. Also, FLAX runs 1-2 sizes larger than ANY other clothing on the market. That is the only reason I put it in there. The main reason I want to change it is because FLAX sizing goes from Small to 3G (G meaning Generous), not 6-26. The reason I had the /ab1195000equick/ on the end was because that IS my website store address that is written in ASP. My page that is www.beachboutique.com is a static page, optimized for search engines. I know that I have good ranking (1,2 or 3) in "most" search engines. The ones that I am 4 or 5 on ALL have this outdated ODP description. They are Google, Netscape, Dogpile, Teoma, Lycos and AskJeeves. I work very hard on my website and I am the one in charge of making sure that it looks the way it looks and ranks the way it ranks.

What would be helpful is if just one of you went on my site and helped me to edit my description. Like...
FLAX Linen Clothing in petite, missy and generous (plus). Includes a size chart and information on linen care.

Is that any better. That is the kind of feedback I was looking for. I have also added Scripture Bangles. Should I mention that?

I hardly think a size chart is worth mentioning.

Scripture bangles are arguably mentionable.

Other than that, the current description is shorter, just as informative, more precise, just as accurate.

As a rule, a suggested description will not be replaced unless there is a palpable defect which the suggested replacement successfully amends. In this case, that is not the case.

Would this get approved?

Carries FLAX linen clothing in petite, missy and generous (plus) sizes and Sterling silver scripture bangles. Information on linen care.

How's this?

The current description is shorter, more precise, just as accurate, just as informative. You could ask for scripture bangles to be added. I'm not sure whether as an editor I'd go for the "sterling silver" part.