Main Category and Regional

[cyberbear]

Hi Everybody

If a domain has a listing in one of ODP's main categories, can it also go for a listing in the regional directory for the same domain? Thanks.

[Laisha]

Generally speaking, yes.

[cyberbear]

Ok Laisha

Thanks for the general answer, just kidding. I will try and submit the same domain to the regional category. Is it ok to change the description or will I have to leave the same description? Thanks Laisha.

[Laisha]

Well, it's up to the individual editor, but I would think that you would want a different description for two reasons:

1. It makes sense to use a description which plays up the regional aspect of the site; and

2. Another description is another opportunity to be found using different words.

Generally speaking, of course. :)

[cyberbear]

I agree on the different description as I am always looking for more keyword possiblities. Thanks for all your help.

[mivox]

When I submitted our site to both a top level and regional category, I used the same description for each submission (it wasn't actually that cut-and-dried, bu that's another story)...

The only change the editors made was that the regional editor removed the "in Alaska" from the description, because he/she felt that it was self explanatory that a site in the Alaska regional categories would serve customers in Alaska.

So a regional editor may actually edit the description to play down any regional aspects that he/she feels are already implied by the category itself.

[Bentler]

ODP regional guidelines try to minimize redundancy of the region name from the category, the title and the description. If you have a region as part of your site name it typically stays, but the editor will check your site to make sure it's a legitimate title. A region name in the description is supposed to be edited out though.

[Brett_Tabke]

It is tricky when the region name is in the title but the site is actually global. I've never known what to do there, but submit and hope.

[ashkenaz]

ODP practice varies, of course, but little if any of the submittor's proposed description typically finds its way into my site descriptions. Per guidelines, descriptions focus upon the site, not the underlying entity.

I guess this could be reverse-engineered from a SEO perspective: where there's a choice, opt for the category with the least guidelines-compliant/most hype-fillled descriptions and hope that yours will be "clicked-though" by a swamped or complacent editor. Then hope that no one will come by to clean up the mess.

[markd]

I am always nervous of a trying a second listing with ODP, as I thought that their 'rules and regs' states that any site trying to list more than once may be removed completely (or words to that effect).

Obviously, if I am refused a second listing then that's part of the game, but to be removed completely for a request does worry me.

Laisha, is it definite that I won't be penalised for even asking for a second listing for a domain?

Thanks

[Bentler]

<<I am always nervous of a trying a second listing with ODP, as I thought that their 'rules and regs' states that any site trying to list more than once may be removed completely>>

I've never seen a site removed because of a second request for a listing-- typically the new request is just deleted if the editor judges it as unnecessary.

There is a firm rule against listing under multiple regions (though there's an occasional exception where doing so makes sense), and a generally accepted guideline not to list under multiple topical categories unless it really fits the cat. However, 1 topical fit and 1 regional fit is often not difficult to demonstrate.

The ODP tries to strike a balance between database size and usefulness of the directory-- they mainly shoot to satisfy their customers (other websites that use ODP data) and the end users of their directory. So, a second listing would really need to tip the balance toward being really useful for end-users within the requested category, and this would be the editor's judgement call.

[hutcheson]

>>I am always nervous of a trying a second listing with ODP, as I thought that their 'rules and regs' states that any site trying to list more than once may be removed completely (or words to that effect).

Trying for a regional and a topical listing will not be a problem. Too many people ignorantly submit to both, say, DMOZ and directory.google.com: we can't cut them all off for that...

The people who worry about a second submission are not the ones that _we_ worry about. It's the pond-scum lawyer-spawn that _don't_ worry about the 20th submission that cause problems for everyone....including listing delays for the honest submitters.

[markd]

Thanks for the sound advice everyone.

I'll try for that second regional listing!

All the best.