I-Search #071: Y! IE7 (beta 2)

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                    SearchReturn Discussion List
             "Understanding Internet Search Technology"
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Moderator:                                          Published by:
Disa Johnson                                       SearchReturn
               http://www.searchreturn.com
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June 13, 2006                             SearchReturn Issue #071
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                   .....IN THIS DIGEST.....

// -- ESSENTIAL NEWS -- //

            "Yahoo! Customized IE7"
            "Possible Google Index Changes"
            "Horrid SEO Past And Present"

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// -- ESSENTIAL NEWS -- //

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==> Yahoo! Customized IE7

http://downloads.yahoo.com/ie7beta/index.php

Essentials: Yahoo! has customized IE7 beta 2 and released their
version of the software to users. The browser will open to
Yahoo!, and a second tab will load Yahoo! Mail. The default
engine in the search pane is Yahoo!, though it all remains
perfectly changeable. This ties Yahoo! users closer to IE7,
similarly as in the past when Yahoo! has developed customized
versions of IE in partnership with ISPs.

It should be noted that the new Yahoo! homepage design initially
only worked with IE. Firefox users had to contend with a short
delay, and it is remains unavailable to Firefox 2 beta users.
This is key information because it hints that Yahoo! is not
neglecting the IE browser as a platform to integrate with their
future site and services, and is perhaps looking more to it
instead of Firefox.

Since IE and ActiveX allow Web extensions that are unavailable to
other browsers, certain future Yahoo! services may depend on IE,
but Yahoo! is not likely to abandon any browser with significant
market share. On the other side of this battlefront, Google and
Firefox have tremendously strong ties since the lead developer of
Firefox was recently hired by Google. Google has an advertising
agreement in place worth tens of millions of dollars to Mozilla
Corporation. This all makes Google's recent complaints about
unfair default search practices by Microsoft in IE7 seem wrongful
considering Google is the default search in Firefox. Google
doesn't control the desktop however, Microsoft does.

The importance of this subject cannot be understated. If Yahoo!
(and AOL) decide to develop extensions with Microsoft, and Google
with Firefox, the browser wars are headed for another big round,
(this time with search and portal Web services at stake).
Microsoft's previous victory against Netscape may have seemed
totally unfair, but antitrust regulators recently gave them a
pass on tying their new search to IE7's default.

So far, the IE7 browser is not up to par against Firefox, mainly
because the fears that Microsoft would rest on its laurels after
defeating Netscape came true. Major security patches were all
that Microsoft really did to update their browser, while makers
of Opera innovated with tabs and other neat features that are now
the standard.

Yahoo! may have chosen IE7 because of their foray into media such
as music and video. Security issues aside, consider that with
programming ActiveX controls, extended features can enhance the
user experience well beyond the much lauded AJAX and Web2.0 look
and feel. But let's not forget that Microsoft themselves want to
compete in the music and video space as well.

Microsoft, however, has a judgment against them with respect to
unfair practices tying applications to their operating system.
They are watched very closely, and required by the US Department
of Justice to compete fairly, (especially with regards to tying
software to their dominant operating system). This permits Yahoo!
to safely develop with the IE engine as AOL has. AOL famously
switched from using the Netscape engine to IE, (the final blow),
thus ending the original browser war for Netscape.

 

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==> Possible Google Index Changes

http://www.seroundtable.com/archives/003931.html

Essentials: Anecdotal reports indicate some sites neglected by
Google during the previous BigDaddy infrastructure update are
showing back up. Matt Cutts explained that sites with few or no
backlinks were not going to get crawled as often after BigDaddy.
These reports may not hint that a full Google Dance is underway,
instead Google may be reacting to complaints from site owners. It
is always a good idea check your own listings in anticipation of
a full-fledged update when reports of changes flare up. Stay
tuned in case a bona fide update is imminently close.

 

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==> Horrid SEO Past And Present

http://www.threadwatch.org/node/6942

Essentials: Although the author would have you believe the type
of spammy SEO pointed out is something new, it most certainly is
not. Many have pointed out the keyword stuffing nature of such 
bad writing since the turn of the millennium. Heather Lloyd-
Martin has presented at Search Engine Strategies a Cashmere
Sweater keyword stuffing example as writing that must be avoided
since those times. Regardless of not being new, spam-style SEO
continues today totally unabated.

Those companies unconcerned with stuffing titles (because it
barely changes the visible appearance of what users see), should
bear in mind the text in the title represents their result on
the SERP. This writing style negatively affects click through,
which is important for maintaining rankings and traffic from
search engines. Spam writing for search is also simple to detect
and can be cause for removal, (since the content is low-quality).

 
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