Change my description?

I am wondering if it is possible for an editor to change the original description of our website. We are not actually a writing company but a professional CV writing company and the current description does not not actually describe us properly. It does make all the difference in Google when people search for us.

I would be grateful if somebody could review it and perhaps be good enough to revise it?

Our website is www.winning-cvs.co.uk.

Many thanks

Michelle

The way you do this is in two steps:
(1) Make sure the website really is as you wish it described.
(2) Submit an "update listing" suggestion.

Listing updates are usually processed "fairly quickly" by ODP (volunteer-time) suggestions. And, of course, because the internal dmoz.org suggestion is so efficient to process, we strongly discourage trying to make those suggestions in any other way, including the forums.

I should mention that if we thought the ODP description affected how Google found you (which most of us don't believe) we still wouldn't care. So make sure you have a change with a rationalization that would matter TO THE DIRECTORY. (A more precise but still concise description of what the company does might count for that.)

Thanks for you reply.

I just wish Google would not use the ODP description when doing a search. I wish they would use the meta tags that I have set up specifically for this purpose. I know the ODP don't care about how it affects my business but I would like to think that editor has the correct skills to describe us accurately which unfortunately in this case has not happened. I have been in the directory for approx 2-3 years and have waited patiently for the editor to update the description but to no avail. I know that editors are volunteers and have to go through a careful selection process to be accepted. I should know I have tried to be an editor myself on a number of occasions and like most people have been rejected. However once they are accepted surely there must be some guidelines on how they go about editing and how long it should take to review a request! After all this is a service that is offered to the public albeit a free one - it is still never-the-less a service.

I have asked many people to let me know of their opinion of the current description. They have all agreed with me that the description is not accurate representation of the services that I offer and as far as I can see there should surely be no problem in adding one or two little words to make the description correct.

So please tell me what has to happen for my update request to be accepted?

micheller33 said:

However once they are accepted surely there must be some guidelines on how they go about editing and how long it should take to review a request! After all this is a service that is offered to the public albeit a free one - it is still never-the-less a service.

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Yes, there are guidelines. And these are publicly available, see http://dmoz.org/guidelines/describing.html
No, DMOZ does not offer a listing service at all.

micheller33 said:

I have asked many people to let me know of their opinion of the current description. They have all agreed with me that the description is not accurate representation of the services that I offer and as far as I can see there should surely be no problem in adding one or two little words to make the description correct.

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As far as I can see the current title and description are following DMOZ guidelines.

I just wish Google would not use the ODP description when doing a search. I wish they would use the meta tags that I have set up specifically for this purpose.

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To my knowledge there is always a reason why Google uses the DMOZ description instead of some text from a site. In your case I would let a professional look at your site, especially the use of the h1-tag on the home page and all other Hx-tags on the other pages.

pvgool said:

Yes, there are guidelines. And these are publicly available, see http://dmoz.org/guidelines/describing.html
No, DMOZ does not offer a listing service at all.


As far as I can see the current title and description are following DMOZ guidelines.

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Yes but we are not a "writing" company but a "CV writing company".

pvgool said:

To my knowledge there is always a reason why Google uses the DMOZ description instead of some text from a site. In your case I would let a professional look at your site, especially the use of the h1-tag on the home page and all other Hx-tags on the other pages..

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I have recently taken the advice from a professional - they told me to put the H- tags in. Now I am completely confused?

I have asked many people to let me know of their opinion of the current description. They have all agreed with me that the description is not accurate representation of the services that I offer ...

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Bear in mind that THIS MAY NOT MATTER. All that matters to us is that the description accurately describes the website (NOT the company), and that the description be accurate WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE CATEGORY (NOT in another context, such as Google's use du jour -- since Google could change their use tomorrow, we do not take it into account at all.)

If a suggested description doesn't pass these tests (much more stringent than the ones you applied) then it's almost certain to be rejected.

... and as far as I can see there should surely be no problem in adding one or two little words to make the description correct.

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Adding a word or two is not a problem. The size of the words is not a problem. The issue is, as always, what is being described, and how much detail is appropriate.

So please tell me what has to happen for my update request to be accepted?

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It has to be found acceptable by an editor, based on the category context and the website itself.

Nothing else -- not possible re-use, not persuasion in forums, nothing -- matters.

Hutcheson

Thanks for your reply.

Should it really take 2-3 years before the editor will change the odd word? Is it possible that they might me ignoring my request?

Update requests are "usually" dealt with pretty quickly -- a matter of weeks rather than years. It is possible that the editor didn't see any need for the changes.

As for "taking advice from a professional" -- I prefer to take advice from an expert. Sometimes they are the same thing, but it's really really scary how often they aren't.

H1 tags surrounding a non-breaking space is very strange not sure what the point is

bobrat said:

H1 tags surrounding a non-breaking space is very strange not sure what the point is

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I am not sure I understand that coment? It is possible that you have viewed my website while I was changing the H tags.

Did you check the listing lately.
http://dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/Uni...and_Economy/Employment/Resources/CV_Services/

To make things clear: An editor that did not post in this thread did change your listing a few days ago. And if I compared the times correctly (I'm on European time) even before you made your first posting in this thread.

Frankly, I wouldn't have changed your description. You're in a CV services category and your company name is Winning CVs -- it's a given that you're a CV writing company or you'd be listed somewhere else. It's like having "Bob's Ford Dealership" in a Ford Dealers category with a description that says "Sells Fords.".

IMO, CV is repeated way too much in all of the descriptions in that category.

pvgool said:

Did you check the listing lately.
http://dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/Uni...and_Economy/Employment/Resources/CV_Services/

To make things clear: An editor that did not post in this thread did change your listing a few days ago. And if I compared the times correctly (I'm on European time) even before you made your first posting in this thread.

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It hadn't been changed before I posted - but it has now and I am very grateful that it has now been done.

Many thanks to the editor that changed it.

micheller33 said:

It hadn't been changed before I posted - but it has now and I am very grateful that it has now been done.

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This is caused by the fact that the public servers are not updated at the same time as the editor servers. There can be a delay of several days.