Titles:
Do start the title off with a capital
letter unless it is a proper name. For example, a
site created by Widgets, Inc. could show "just
widgets" as the title. We will capitalize it
to show as Just Widgets in our description
title. Company names (proper names) such as eBay
which begin with a lower case letter will also begin
with a lower case letter in our description titles.
Capitalize
each word in the title except for articles (a, an, the)
and prepositions of three letters or fewer (at, on, for)
unless these words are at the beginning of the title.
Do not start the title off with "The" or
"A". If it is a proper title (book, magazine,
movie…), put "The" or "A" at the
end, following a comma. e.g. Lord of the Rings, The.
It should still be capitalized. If it is not a
proper title, omit the articles at the beginning.
Do use the title of the Web site.
The title is not always what shows in the browser
title bar. It will usually be what shows at the
top of the index page of the site. Titles should
be in the language of the site but the descriptions must
be in English.
Do not include additional information in the title.
The exception would be if there are more Web sites with
the same title under a particular topic. In that case,
include to whom the site belongs, the company name or
from where it originates. e.g. World Super Bike:
Speedvision and World Super Bike: ESPN
Some special circumstances require special
arrangements. To avoid confusing or duplicate titles,
the following types of sites will have their titles
listed in a specific way.
For celebrity sites, if the person's name is listed
in the title, use the given title. If not, list first
name last name: site title. e.g.: Mel Gibson: Captive
For real estate listings use realtor's name followed by
their company affiliation. Joe Martin:
RE/MAX.
Do
not begin titles with punctuation marks or other
symbols. For example, !!Joe's Web Designs!! will be
shown as Joe's Web Designs.
Descriptions:
Use standard
sentence format. That means use complete sentences, start
with a capital and end with correct punctuation (no
exclamation marks, please). Do not use all capitals, do
not capitalize words for emphasis, and
do not capitalize each word of the description. Proofread
for correct grammar and spelling before submitting.
Be brief. The
maximum allowed length of a description is 35 words.
The goal is to
write a summary of what the Web site offers and to let the
user know why this site would be useful to them. Start
with a short overview and include a few main aspects.
Anything that makes the site unique should also be
mentioned. Describe the features, not the product or
service. Everything listed is a
Web site, so making
statements such as, "This site" or "Site
offers" is redundant.
Summaries should be written
using American English spelling,
but mention if the site itself is in another language.
The exception to this is when the description shows that
the site is clearly marketing only to an audience
who uses British spelling. In this case the British
spelling may be used. For example, a search engine
optimization company marketing only to British Webmasters
may use "optimisation" rather than
"optimization". If the same company
markets to site owners worldwide, the description will
need to use American English. Sites of general
interest must use American English spelling.
Do not copy
descriptions from other directories or search
engines. In general, the metatag description should
not be copied since most will not meet our guidelines and
this is the description that will show up in many search
engines. If you have questions about this, check the
sites listed in our Plagiarism
topic.
For the sake
of consistency and accuracy, use Web site (instead of
website), Internet (instead of internet) and online
(instead of on-line) in descriptions. Titles with
these words should be shown the same way that they appear
on the site.
Example of
a good description:
Livinghome
http://www.livinghome.com/
Information
from experts, personalities, and others about remodeling,
decorating, and gardening. Offers tools for calculating
the amount of paint, grass seed and wallpaper. Offers free
email, forums, and Web hosting.
Example of a poor description:
Grate Site! LOVED it! Since 1995 we've been a Yahoo Top
Ten Home & Garden site. Now we're launching this new
place. We're about the views of experts, personalities and
.....
