Google is sucking up an old DMOZ title for our websites. We are now down by 60% on AdSense revenue as a result. How do I get DMOZ to de-list our sites? They point-blank refuse to update the titles to be correct, so we'd like to get removed, please !!!!!! PLEASE !!!! And how can I PREVENT them re-listing our sites in future?
Remove your website from the internet? Eventually, an editor will discover that your site isn't working and will delist it. Alternatively, you could change the title of your website to reflect that which you think the title should be - instead of asking an editor to violate the title guidelines by adding extra words to your listed title. Also alternatively, you could be satisfied with what looks to me like a very decent title and description.
I have no idea how get your site de-listed, but I know that you can prevent get listed by adding to your htaccess file the following line: deny from dmoz.org Code (markup): if your site has Cpanel, you can use the IP deny manager to get dmoz's IP banned if you prefer. This technique is useful to avoid also archive.org and annoying spiders
Why are they refusing to update the title? I've had titles and URLs changed in the past. Is your title a key word list etc? The only way I can see to get it removed is to use the Update Listing option and then request removal there?
That works, thanks.... BUT... Tell me, what are the repercussion from Google or other search engines and their spiders?
Mystique and mdValdosta Thanks! That was easy! Will DMOZ eventually de-list the site due to their not being able to get to it? Or will they try access from some other domain? Our homepage title is "Explore the Taj Mahal virtual tour", and they refuse to allow "virtual tour" even though many (50+) other sites use those words just fine! They refused to change the title, and they also refused to de-list it. Our board of directors hit the roof when I told them, and they authorised my barring DMOZ's links to us. Perhaps then they will eventually de-list us, and Google will Stop Using the stupid 5 years-old title and description.
This will likely cause the DMOZ bot that checks for dead links to show the link as not working and send the listing to back to the editor for review. If the editor clicks the link to your site from the DMOZ editor page then most likely he'll get a forbidden error. If he types it into his browser manually then he'll (or she'll) see your site just fine and probably re-list it. There's really no way to guarantee not being listed by the DMOZ. Your best bet would be update your listing asking for a different title. Really, I don't see how the DMOZ title could affect your adsense by that much, your serp positions matter much more for organic click-throughs. If your number one, you pretty much need a "don't click this crappy site" for a discription to get anyone to click #2 first... and even then it won't happen much. Maybe you should use a title that doesn't look like keyword stuffing. "Explore the Taj Mahal via a Virtual Tour" or "Virtual Tour of the Taj Mahal" would be more appropriate.
http://www.taj-mahal.net/ is now showing an error and so is armchair-travel.com (BTW, I'm not trying to view the site through the ODP listing).
Our Taj Mahal site was #1 for over 3 years for the search terms: Taj Mahal About two months ago, Google sucked up the old, incorrect DMOZ title, and we dropped to #9 within weeks. Google traffic dropped by 80% the same day and has not recovered. When we were #1 in Google "Explore the Taj Mahal online virtual tour - WOW! 5-Stars! says the Sunday Times of London" (Sunday Times article verified and linked in our site) that title "wowed" people when they saw it, and the clicked and got to visit a terrific and unusual site. Schools loved it because we have the Full Text with Pictures available as MS Word downloads for school kids to use. And our AdSense revenue matched the quality of the site. Now our revenue is down by 60%; what a pain! That's why we desperately want DMOZ to just go away and leave us alone!
Nope, they would accept NO change to "Explore the Taj Mahal" no matter what I offered to do. It's one of those "if 3 editors have stated an opinion" then all the others will not go against it. DMOZ is a Private Club with arrogant rulers. Well then, the .htaccess commands - "deny from dmoz.org" does NOT work...
You know, a few months ago there was a Google algo change... I'm pretty confident that the DMOZ listing has absolutely nothing to do with your Google ranking for that search term. Leaving out the "virtual tour" on your anchor text would help the weight of the "Taj Mahal" anchor. If anything, your ranking for the terms associated with "virtual tour" would suffer, not the other way around. Maybe your DMOZ blame is misguided.
I understand if you were to offer an editor a bribe to add a listing you can end up having all of your listings removed and sites permanently banned. Not that I'm suggesting you go this route as it's a bit extreme.
msValdosta, thanks. It's the fact that our title no longer says "virtual tour" in Google. When that change occurred, our click-thru rate from Google.com dropped by over 40%. Even if there's no connection between our SERPs listing, there SURE IS in visitors' minds!
LOL, thanks! That's thinking outside the box, I must admit! LOL again! Okay, please de-list us. I can verify my credentials via email or whatever, e.g. ask me to put some text on our website, e.g. "DMOZ De-List Please" at the top of the Taj Mahal site, which should prove who I am... Okay, I've put the text "DMOZ: De-List us please!" up on the Explore the Taj Mahal website homepage, just under the first graphic. I am now told that I can use .htaccess to block a range of IP addresses. Does anyone know the IP addresses that DMOZ use?
Ah, Photofox. Again we meet. Just like in East Berlin; let's build a wall so they can't get out. (de-list). I will soon be blocking DMOZ from entry to our sites. Why don't you just give me the IP addr range so I don't have to ask someone else? ( You know, if Google weren't stealing your titles, none of this would have mattered.)
How to get de-listed from DMOZ: You can try any of these options, all of it works. 1) Register in Resourceless zone and make a posting that you are going to sue DMOZ, AOL and all the editors in resourcelesszone. 2) Register in resourcelesszone, post that you want to be de-listed and then call the editors there, every name in the book. They will ban you and delete the post, register again and repeat. 3) Put a text on the page that DMOZ is the best directory for bestiality, underage illegal site, rape and torture. post in resourcelesszone and they will de-list your site.
This I don't understand boss, its against the guidelines to delist but its the business and income that is being affected. The owner of the site is requesting it. What is productive when the business is losing money and being affected. That really is counter productive by all means. With respect.