Here are FOUR techniques that should help speed the process of persuading Yahoo! to change your existing listing. Yahoo! is a very busy company, so getting a listing changed is not as easy as you might think.
Step 1: Change Form
First, request your change using their online form:
http://add.yahoo.com/fast/change
In regards to changing your existing listing, you'll likely have better luck if it's perceived as something serious instead of simply requesting that your description or site title be re-worded for the sake of improving your ranking (which they could care less about).
You might want to combine your request to update your description with a "serious" reason for the change if you can find one. This could help improve the odds that they'll act on your request. For example, if you've created a new domain name for your site, request that the description be updated, and the new domain name be used as indicated in the change request form you filled out.
Other credible reasons
you could offer would be:
1. A real change in your company name. This must be clearly
reflected on all aspects of your Web site.
2. A change in the emphasis of your business, thereby requiring a
new description or category. For example, if you sell something entirely
different, explain politely how the current description is outdated and is now
incorrect because of recent events.
3. A typo or factual error that needs to be corrected.
4. You've expanded your business justifying a listing in an additional
category. Be careful though. Yahoo! is hesitant to list any site
in more than two categories. They may add you to a new category but then
remove you from one of the existing categories, so keep this in mind.
Yahoo! only cares that their listings fairly represent the Web sites they link to and do not mislead their surfers. Yahoo!'s allegiance is to their surfers, NOT to you the Web site manager. Therefore, write your argument from how the change will benefit their visitors by correcting a serious problem.
Do NOT mention in your message that you are requesting a "keyword" change, or a change to improve your ranking! They will intentionally ignore such requests!
Step 2: Phone Call
You might then wait a 4-5 days to give them a chance to make the change. If you hear nothing from them (which is common), proceed to Step 2 by calling Yahoo!'s Directory Listing Customer Support list:
408-349-3333
Press Option 3 for "Changes to existing Yahoo listing"
(Note: they could change the "menu" at any time, so listen for the right prompts)
Wait for the very long recording to end. Leave a message with your URL, date you filled out the change form, and any other information they ask for.
Try this technique if nothing happens after four to five business days from your on-line change request. At least in one instance that we know of a change that was made within four days of the call -- very fast by Yahoo! standards.
As with the change request form, do NOT mention in your voice mail message that you are requesting a "keyword" change, or a change to improve your ranking! They will intentionally ignore such requests!
Step 3: E-mail them
If several weeks pass and a change that meets our guidelines has not been made, e-mail the Directory Support Department with the precise URL and a short description of the changes you are requesting. You might want to re-submit the change request just in case some editor decided to delete the first one. Mention that you originally submitted on 'X' date and re-submitted today. Politely summarize why it would benefit Yahoo to make the change. Thank them for their time.
Step 4: The Sponsorship Backdoor
If the above strategies do not work, then sometimes it pays to establish an inside contact with Yahoo!. Yahoo! has a Sponsored Listings program where you can pay as little as $50 a month (depends on the category) to have your listing highlighted near the top of the category in the Sponsored sites box. We've heard that people have had good luck with these sponsorships. It doesn't take too many visitors to pay for itself.
However, the other advantage beyond the advertising is that they will e-mail you after you're sponsorship has been processed. Reply to this e-mail and explain how your sponsored listing is inaccurate and needs to be changed (reiterate why). Politely explain how although you filled out the change request form, you never heard anything in response.
We've heard that Yahoo! is much more attentive to requests from people who are wanting to spend monthly advertising money with them (imagine that). Obviously you don't want to pay X dollars per month for your existing listing to be highlighted in the sponsored section of the site if the listing is wrong or inaccurate. Yahoo! knows this, so you should get a more favorable hearing than you otherwise would.