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SearchReturn Discussion List
"Understanding Internet Search Technology"
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Moderator: Published by:
Detlef Johnson SearchReturn
http://www.searchreturn.com
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May 16, 2006 SearchReturn Issue #063
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.....IN THIS DIGEST.....
// -- MODERATOR COMMENT -- //
"New Features"
~ SearchReturn
// -- FEATURED POST -- //
"Textbook SEO"
~ Danny Sullivan
// -- CONTINUING DISCUSSION -- //
"Google Snippet Control"
~ Cayley Vos
"Textbook SEO"
~ Dan Thies
// -- ESSENTIAL NEWS -- //
"Yahoo! Homepage Update"
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// -- MODERATOR COMMENT -- //
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==> TOPIC: New Features
Hello everyone,
The launch of Google Co-op can help SearchReturn readers access
threads and the archive easier. We published simple Co-op XML to
facilitate reader subscriptions. A Google account is required,
then you will need to subscribe at the following page:
http://www.google.com/coop/profile?user=005597861154319831551
What this enables is SearchReturn subscription results triggered
when you search Google. For example, if you Google [threads], a
SearchReturn subscribed link to the thread archive will appear
for subscribers. If there's advertising, subscribed links appear
just below it. We'll continue expanding our Co-op use keeping it
clean, neat and handy for subscribers.
We've also added SiteInfo standardized XML for use in some
toolbars, a notable Firefox extension and other applications.
SiteInfo provides a sitemap-type experience via menu items, and
can interface with site search. Our first implementation makes
available links to threads and FAQs. One easy way to check it out
is through a Firefox extension by the A9 team, available for
download via Mozilla:
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2075/
Stay tuned.
-SearchReturn
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// -- FEATURED POST -- //
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==> TOPIC: Textbook SEO
"And please feel free to point me to a tail term page which is
ranking without any links at all. Yahoo!, Ask or Google, you
choose."
From: Danny Sullivan
Love ya, Mike -- and totally understand where you are coming from.
But textbook SEO ain't dead (but neither is it a guarantee). But
to the point:
http://www.google.com/search?&q=oreo+dunkers
http://www.searchreturn.com/digest/refs063.shtml
OK, that's a page I wrote, people do come to me for those terms
(not a lot, but that's what a tail term is all about, the onesies
and twosies add up). Second link is Yahoo Site Explorer showing I
have nine links -- most all from the same blog in Japanese. Hey,
it's not a competitive term in terms of counts -- but then again,
that's also the tail term. Why do I do well? Maybe my personal
blog is more trusted, sure. But I do think it helps that I do
things like use the terms the page is showing well for in the
title and in the body copy of the page -- textbook on-the-page
SEO.
http://www.google.com/search?&q=0x800ccc7d
http://www.searchreturn.com/digest/refs063.shtml
Even less competition, and only two links externally. Yet plenty
of people reach me through it. I note that many of the pages not
on the first page fail to use the term in their titles (though
there are exceptions to those on the first page).
I still hear from people all the time who simply made HTML title
tag changes and saw traffic increases. That's text book SEO. It's
also the bedrock for further success. A good content rich page,
using terms in the title especially, that helps those who find it
decide to link to it using the page title -- and then the links,
of course, are the killer to doing well on the competitive head
terms. But for the far end of the tail? Sure, text book SEO is
more relevant there.
cheers,
danny
----------------------------------
Danny Sullivan (danny@calafia.com)
Editor-In-Chief, Search Engine Watch
http://searchenginewatch.com
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// -- CONTINUING DISCUSSION -- //
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==> TOPIC: Google Snippet Control
"One of our clients has a long-standing DMOZ entry, and the
problem is that Google displays his DMOZ text instead of text
from the website (web text, or META tags)."
From: Cayley Vos
It is possible to force google to use your meta tags for your
website description in the search result pages.
<META NAME="GOOGLEBOT" CONTENT="NOSNIPPET">
One adverse effect is you will remove your site from the cache.
http://www.searchreturn.com/digest/refs063.shtml
Thanks,
Cayley Vos
http://www.netpaths.net
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==> TOPIC: Textbook SEO
From: Dan Thies
After sitting this debate out for a while, I have to weigh in. A
lot of what has been described as textbook SEO is really just
pointless keyword stuffing. We shouldn't call that textbook SEO,
[it's] what you might do if you've had your head stuffed
somewhere warm and dark for several years.
If title tags are textbook SEO, well, they still work. If the
search engines start ignoring the title tag in ranking pages, we
would still use keywords in page titles, because it improves the
click-through rate on SERPs. We often "pause" SEO campaigns by
removing search terms from the page title, and "activate" those
campaigns again by putting the search terms back in and returning
to page one rankings.
Would that be possible without strong links from the community?
Of course not, but "textbook SEO" ought to include real natural
promotion and linking by now.
Mike Grehan works for a large SEO firm, whose competitors often
try to sell clients on [questionable] SEO. Mike's employer has,
in the past, used the same methods, and if he's been able to make
some changes, that's great. Let's not kid ourselves that Mike is
a neutral commentator.
--
Dan Thies, SEO Research Labs
http://www.seoresearchlabs.com/
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// -- ESSENTIAL NEWS -- //
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==> Yahoo! Homepage Update
http://www.yahoo.com
Essentials: There is a sneak preview link on the Yahoo! homepage
that loads the new look for site. Notably different are the
category links now appear along the left side, much like what
you'd expect from a typical navigation style, and the focus of
the design is on a 4-tab content section with news below. The
search field appearance hasn't changed, although it is reportedly
"enhanced." Mouseover buttons off to the right that access Yahoo!
services, and a "personal assistant" drop-down field contains
information for users. The rollout starts with the US, UK,
France, Germany, Spain and Italy.
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