Requesting status of www.home-loans-n-mortgage.com

Hello to all.

Requesting an insider's POV ... www.home-loans-n-mortgage.com has been online for 3 years with many submissions to DMOZ. We have never been able to get this site listed so I am wondering what the problem could be. I realize that not all sites are able to be listed. I would be grateful for an insider's perspective of the reasons that hl&m.com doesn't make the grade so that I can fix and resubmit. Thanks to all. Marcus

Several submissions to Business: Financial Services: Mortgages: Regional: United States were rejected.

The reason will not be so easy to fix, because it is in your business model and our guidelines.

On your homepage, you write: Click here to complete our fast 3-minute form [...] and leave the rest to us. We'll research the best competitive home loans programs [...] - all you need to do is be there to answer the phone when your lender calls!

And here are some words from our Site Selection Criteria: ODP editors should enter sites that represent [...] original, unique and valuable informational content that contributes something unique to the category's subject.

This means your business model and our directory model are incompatible. You collect information, but we list sites that offer information, which is pretty much the opposite.

I hope you understand our decision not to list your site.

Yours,
Robert

With all due respect, every mortgage company listed in the category you mention collects information. The online form collects info for our lenders to research the applicant's needs before calling back, so our business model is pretty much the same as everyone else who uses an online form. We do offer some niche products, namely mortgage financing in the United Kingdom and Canada and financing for european vacation homes. Also, we specialize in reverse mortgages. Would it be of benefit to mention these niche products and the requirements needed to apply? Other wording can also be amended as needed.

Regards,
Marcus

Re: Requesting status of www.home-loans-n-mortgage

According to this forum's rules, discussion about the merits of an editorial decision is not allowed.

Because of massive abuse, this kind of website has gotten special attention. Because of the amount of fraudulent information added to many of the sites in order to make sites appear to be eligible for listing, I think it improper to explain how we check them out, but we do check them much more carefully than most sites. This site has been checked at least four times by editors with experience in this kind of abuse, and our consensus should be regarded as final.

You should pursue other promotional venues.

Well, a lot of sites collect information about the surfers and their behaviour. We have no problem if that is being done in conjunction with actual unique content.

However there is nothing I can see on the site that is unique and provides information to the viewer.

Click here to complete our fast 3-minute form online - no information provided to the user on site, must provide contact details to be sent information.

Mortgage Glossary & Definitions - pretty non unique content available anywhere.

Rate calculators - again not unique

refinance experts - a link to another of your sites

submit your site - application for reciprocal link farm - non listable, non unique

Sorry, but you should concentrate your seo efforts elsewhere, or rebuild the site to offer unique information to the viewer.

<change hats>

As someone looking for a loan I personally would not use this type of site, but rather deal with a company that provided me with information I was looking for without inviting them to dinner.

Since I don't know from the site where you are based, how to contact you if things go wrong, what liability you assume, I wouldn't fill in the form.

Re: Requesting status of www.home-loans-n-mortgage

Post deleted. According to this forum's rules, accusations (and this includes vague insinuations) of corruption are not allowed.

There is a mechanism for reporting inappropriate listings; most straightforward cases are resolved within hours. There is a mechanism for reposrting patterns of bad edits; these take longer but are always reviewed.

But don't that Durl-McBride "I know about millions of lines of ODP listings that were copied directly from spammers-R-us directories....but you can't see them" garbage here. Put up or shut up. Your choice, it's a volunteer project.