You either need to place the Sims in the "Saved Sims" Folder which is inside your EA Games folder OR you can save them in the "Downloads Folder which should also be inside the EA Games Folder. If neither folder is in there, you should create them.
EA Games>Downloads OR
EA Games>Saved Sims (preferred for Sims)
Also: do you have the Sims2 Pack Clean Installer? This is ideal when downloading Lots and Sims and organizing custom content (CC).
If not, here's the link:
http://sims2pack.modthesims2.com/index.php?page=1Remember to read up on how to install and how to use it using the menu in the upper left hand corner of the website.
Hope this is helpful.