Kotdwar Business Directory: How UK15 Lists and Ranks Shops
People ask us two things more than anything else. Where does this information come from? And why is that shop above mine? This page answers both, plainly.
What UK15 is
UK15 is a free directory of Kotdwar: shops, services, schools, hospitals, temples, hotels and government offices. It currently lists more than 3,700 places across more than 70 categories and over 280 areas, from the main bazaar out to Lansdowne, Dugadda and the villages in between.
Nobody pays to be listed, and nobody pays to rank higher.
Where the listings come from
Every listing comes from at least one of these sources, and each page says which:
- Google Maps. Public business details such as name, address, phone, hours and ratings.
- OpenStreetMap. The open, community-built map, which is strong on roads, temples and public places.
- Official sources. Government websites, for things like helpline numbers and offices.
- Owners and readers. Corrections and new listings people email us.
We clean the data before it goes live. We merge duplicates, standardise area names (so "Jhanda Chowk" and "Jhanda Chauk" become one place), and drop listings that are clearly junk or closed.
How the ranking works
On any category page, the default order is "Top". Here's what that means:
- Emergency services first. On police, fire and hospital pages, the main police station, the fire station and the government Base Hospital are pinned to the top, followed by anything open 24 hours. In an emergency, nobody should have to scroll.
- Then by trust-weighted rating. We don't sort by star rating alone, because a shop with one 5-star review would beat one with 4.8 from 500 people. Instead, every rating is blended with a neutral starting score as if it had ten average reviews already. A place with only a handful of reviews stays near the middle. A place with hundreds of good reviews rises to the top.
- Then alphabetically, for places with no ratings yet.
You can always switch to A to Z sorting, or filter by area and "open now".
How "open now" works
When a listing has opening hours, we read them and compare them with the current time in Kotdwar, including split shifts (like 9 to 2 and 4 to 8) and late-night hours that run past midnight. If we don't have hours for a place, we don't guess. It simply won't show as open or closed.
What we don't do
- We don't sell top positions. If we ever show a promoted listing, it will be clearly labelled "Sponsored", and it won't change the ranking of free listings.
- We don't let thin pages clutter search results. Listings with almost no information stay on the site but are kept out of Google until they have more detail.
Fixing a listing
Details go out of date. Shops move, phone numbers change, timings change. If you spot a mistake, or you own a business that's missing, email kotdwarauk15@zohomail.in with the correct details. We update listings as soon as we can check the details.
Shop owners should also read our guide to getting on Google Maps. A good Google profile improves your UK15 listing too.
Who's behind UK15
UK15 is an independent directory made for Kotdwar, with no ties to any business it lists. Read more on the About page, or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Common questions about UK15
Is UK15 free for businesses?
Yes. Listing a business on UK15 is free, and free listings will stay free.
How does UK15 rank businesses?
Emergency services come first on their pages. Everything else is ranked by Google rating weighted by the number of reviews, so well-reviewed places rise above those with only a few reviews.
Where does UK15 get its data?
From public Google Maps and OpenStreetMap data, official government websites, and corrections sent by business owners and readers.
How do I correct my listing on UK15?
Email kotdwarauk15@zohomail.in with the correct name, address, phone and timings. The listing is updated once the details are checked.
Spotted a wrong number or a place we missed? Email kotdwarauk15@zohomail.in and we will fix it.