Changing Site Category

Hi

Prob in 2000 or maybe before that I launched my site <url removed> and submitted it to DMOZ. It was a classifieds site for Kerala where people can buy or sell anything in Kerala. Over the years the site has become popular and today has the largest no of real estate listings for Kerala.

Today one of the most popular searches related to my site is 'Kerala Real Estate' . My site has over 30 pages of Kerala Real Estate listings for the last quarter alone. Far greater than any site listed in the search results for the term. However try as I might I cant get myself beyond a no 7 listing on google even though I have a simlar page rank. I attributed it to the fact that in all the search listings my Title, URL everything gets picked from my meta tags but my description keeps coming from the DMOZ listing and this is seriously damaging my search engine listing. The DMOZ listing description under category Regional: Asia: India: Kerala: Business and Economy: Classifieds reads as "Classified ads, covering real estate, phones, vehicles, travel and other goods and services." Which was approprite at the time but is now seriously damaging my listing in searches.

Also I had made numerous attempts to change my listed category to Regional: Asia: India: Business and Economy: Real Estate however I received no response from an editor. How do I know whether there is an active editor for the category because I do not recieve any reply for my requests to either delete my listing al together or have the changes made.

Some answers:

1. Speaking candidly, your G. ranking is not our concern and we do not modify the directory simply to help soeone imporve their rankings.

2. By your own description, your site (which I have not looked at) is/was: classifieds site for Kerala where people can buy or sell anything in Kerala. This begs the question: is it or is not a classified ads site, or is it exclusively real estate. The issue here is not what description you want, but rather what is the site content and does the current descriptino do a reasonable job of describing that content. Can peole buy phones, vehicles, travel and other goods and services on your site -- if so, then the odds of getting the description changed are minimal.

3. You expressed concern that you have never heard from an editor concerning the changes you want. My initial reaction to this is twofold: a) we do not do replies, and b) there is nomechanism for recommending an undate that requires interaction with an editor -- so if you have been sending e-mails to an ODP editor in hopes of getting your description changed, please stop doing so. Once the directory is up and running again, go to the category wher eyou are listed and clink on the Update URl link, and complete the form. It will eventually be reviewed, and no, you will not receive any feedback.

Thank you for the reply it answered my query. I did not keep mailing dmoz. I just sent in one request. And then tried for an update.I did find something to help me out. I read that regional sites can be submitted again to an alternate category too if that is suitable. So I guess I will submit my site to another category.

Since the directory is down for maintainanace is there any way I can get the editor to delete my site from the directory? How do I know who the editor of my section is?

If the site is still up and running and is still listable, then we won't delete it on demand.

On the other had if a site doesn't exist anymore you can report it (including the category where it is listed please) in our quality control thread.
See Report Hijacks, Dead Links, Inappropriate ODP Content, and other issues here ONLY

Is there any way I can at least edit the decription or suggest a description for review by the editors? The last time I did using the forms I didn recieve any reponse ie why I was wondering if I could put my case before one of the directors. Also how soon can we expect submitting to be back?

When the update listing form is available again, you can use that to suggest a change to your description. But that doesn't in any way obligate an editor to accept your suggested changes. And you won't receive any contact from the reviewing editor.

We don't have any ETA yet on the return of the external forms. We'll update the announcement thread when we know more.

thomman said:

Is there any way I can at least edit the decription or suggest a description for review by the editors? The last time I did using the forms I didn recieve any reponse ie why I was wondering if I could put my case before one of the directors. Also how soon can we expect submitting to be back?

Click to expand...

If you have a classified ad site which sells things other than real estate, I seriously doubt that it would qualify for a listing in the real estate category. It sounds as if your site is properly placed. The description of a site is dictated by our Guidelines You can suggest a new description when the "Update URL" function is back, but we don't add keywords upon request. We describe what is on the site. It is not surprising that no one contacted you after your last suggest URL. We've learned through experience that it is rarely a good experience. Editors have been harassed, threatened, and even stalked by submitters, so contact with submitters is not encouraged. You can consider your case already placed before the "directors" since the editors participating in this thread are experienced and senior editors. And finally, I'm afraid that we don't know when the suggestion function will be back. As soon as we know, we'll update the Announcement Thread.

Well just hoping at least to have the description to say Classified ads for Kerala, covering real estate, phones, vehicles, travel and other goods and services instead of generalizing as the site is only for the state of Kerala in India. Although its now popular only for real estate and happens to have the largest no of listing in comparisson with any other in the state( evn the ones that tops the listing for kerala real estate).

Once again I thank you all for the time spent in answering my queries.

thomman said:

Well just hoping at least to have the description to say Classified ads for Kerala, covering real estate, phones, vehicles, travel and other goods and services instead of generalizing as the site is only for the state of Kerala in India. Although its now popular only for real estate and happens to have the largest no of listing in comparisson with any other in the state( evn the ones that tops the listing for kerala real estate).

Click to expand...

Since the listing is in a Regional/.../Kerala/.../ subcategory, we generally don't repeat the name of the area or town in the description. Sites listed there have to have a regional specific focus, so we don't repeat Kerala. If a site didn't have a regional focus or location, it would be listed elsewhere. A classified site specific for Palai would be listed at the Palai level, one specific for India would instead be placed at that level. Therefore we don't repeat the location in the description.