http://www.accommodations-around-the-world.com

Hi. When I do a search for my web site: http://www.accommodations-around-the-world.com it shows that it is listed in the following catagory:

http://dmoz.org/Regional/North_Amer...urlington/Travel_and_Tourism/Travel_Services/

When I go to that catagory I don't see my web site? Am I doing something wrong or does it just take time to show up? Also, I have noticed similar sites to mine have numerous listings in different catagories. Do I just submit again to a new catagory that I would like to be listed in?

Thanks for your efforts, Paul

The site isn't added until it's reviewed by an editor. And it isn't added unless the editor feels it has significant unique content. In this case, multiple editors felt (and I agree) that the site is "a bit skimpy" on the content side.

By "a bit skimpy" I'd suggest that these days, you'd need perhaps 100 times as much content to be a significant contribution to the web. Compare, for instance, the number of bed and breakfasts you have in, say, Europe to the number the ODP has without your site. Surfers are better off being directed to the many local ODP accommodation categories than being distracted into such a (relatively speaking) uninformative site.

So it really doesn't matter whether (let alone where) you'd want to be listed, until there's some reason that the _surfers_ would want to visit the site.

I dont understand?

I take it your telling me my site isnt good enough for the ODP?

Have I broken any of the ODP guidelines?

Has my site has been turned down for submission?

Thanks for your effort, Paul

It is not that your site has broken any ODP guidelines, it is just as hutcheson said - it lacks significant unique content and will not be listed.

Thanks

Oh well, I tried. Can I submit my site in the future when it has more unique content?

Thanks for you efforts, Paul

Question

Thanks dogbows.

I have a question though. My site lists primarily Bed and Breakfasts all around the world with a focus on Canada and the USA. There are already sites (competitors) that do exactly what I do and have listings with ODP. I have taken it a step further than these sites and offer "Destination" guides fulll of usefull information on what to do when you have arrived at a bed and breakfast in a particular city.

If my competitors lets say sell a product "A" and are listed on the ODP and I sell product "A+b" I don't get listed on the ODP because my competitors listed before me?

I'm just trying to understand how it works? My product is my product I cant change that and I think I am making it unique to my visitors by adding the destination guides/information etc.

Thanks for your efforts, Paul

I'm going to see if I can share some generic information in the hope that you can apply it to your site.

Someone builds a site about shoes. They don't make shoes, but they do try and provide information about shoes from a variety of suppliers. So far, so good, but they are not the first, nor the last website to provide this information.

So they submit their site, and an editor looks it over.

OK, does it seem that this site has a lot of shoes, or just a few. How many shoes does the best other site in the cat have? [Because we look for sites that compare with the best, not for sites that are just better than the worst]. OK, we either decide that there is "sufficient mass" or not. If there is sufficient mass, we move forward, if not....

So now we begin to look at the content itself. Do you have original photos and descriptions, or can I find the exact same descriptions and photos on half a dozen other sites? If there is a lot of original content there, we move forward, otherwise....

Hmm., there are a few pages on the history or the shoe. Is this content original, or will it pop up on half a dozen other sites?

And so it goes.

Thanks

spectregunner


Thanks for your reply. It was helpful. I will take it into account and re-submit my site in 6 months when I have added more unique content.

Thanks for your efforts, Paul