Search Engine Optimisation Web Log (BLOG)
Editor: Matt Paines

| This News Blog is dedicated to bringing news, information and innovations targeting the Search Engine Optimisation industry.

AnchorText.
Individual page content for "strong" terms is almost irrelevant. "AnchorText" from a high number of internal pages would appear to be fairly critical though, along with links from authority sites.
There appears to be a dilution factor in the new algorithm, a site with a small number of LocalRank backlinks scores higher than the same site with the same localrank + additional non related links.
That is that the "whole" has increased so the percentage LocalRank is diluted by non localrank pages- if true this would certainly put pay to the link farms.

Hidden Text.
Some webmasters hide text by making it the same color as the background of the page they are working on. The thinking is that one can put a collection of keywords on their website that are “invisible” to most site viewers but will be perceived and recorded by search engine spiders.
This technique actually worked on first generation search engines but was heavily exploited by the adult entertainment industry, forcing search tools to make this technique totally illegal and punishable by banishment. The easiest way to find hidden text on a site is to hold down the left mouse button and drag your mouse across the entire body of the page you are looking at. This will highlight all text and images on the page, including any text that may be the same color as the background. If you find hidden text on your site, delete it or make it visible by changing the text color.

LocalRank.
Localrank is the new PageRank. It is all about the connectivity of pre-florida SERPs for a given keyword. It is believed to be based upon the top pages of the old serps. What this means is that the results of the top pre-Florida SERPs (old algorithm) get put through a new filter which then forms the basis for the current SERPs. The localrank is calculated by the amount of incoming links a website has from websites that were previously ranked well in the old SERPS. In other words, are websites on your theme/keyword that were previously well ranked, linking to you?

Post Florida.
Some webmasters hide text by making it the same color as the background of the page they are working on. It is widely suspected that the "Florida" update included a filter that specifically looks for hidden text, and also for 1x1 pixel hyperlinks.

LookSmart leaves Britain
LookSmart, the search company that started out as a Yahoo!-like directory and ended up as a pay-per-click search engine, is closing its UK offices. The reason is that the company looses its main customer, MSN, on January 15 next year. From that day on MSN will no longer include LookSmart listings in its search results. The UK version of the LookSmart site will remain and LookSmart has decided to keep the current listings in that directory. The company will not charge for clicks beyond January 15, however. The US offices of LookSmart will not be affected.

Florida update
The latest Google update "Florida" has been completed. The new algorithm has decimated many of the top sites in the SERP's , and just before Christmas
.

Google OUCH.
What happend!

Google has started to dance.
The new dance is in full swing.

Google Databases.
3 of Googles Datacenters (that help SEO's predict when Google dances) have disappeared. Leaving 7 functioning.

PageRank.
With regard to PageRank and how it migrates from page to page, each link irrespective of PR forms part of the calculation. However it must be remembered that just because a page has PageRank doesn't mean that by gaining a link to your site that PR will migrate.

Google Dancing more than once a month.
There is no Google Dance - not in the traditional monthly sense. Think of it as a continuos dance- It should be possible to get pages on indexed sites into the index in days- but the static Google index with a monthly flux hasn't completely gone. Freshbot, Googles robot must be kept interested in your site - if you have sufficient PR you can pretty much count on being crawled continuously.

Yahoo has its sights on Overture.
Earlier today, Yahoo!, Inc., a leading global Internet company, announced plans to acquire Overture. This combination will create a global marketing powerhouse with the most compelling and diversified suite of integrated marketing solutions, providing you with new opportunities to connect with customers online.
As you know, Yahoo! is also one of Overture's top affiliate partners in the US, attracting millions of search users who are an excellent source of qualified traffic for our advertisers. Through the close of the acquisition and going forward, Yahoo! will continue to provide you with targeted traffic by displaying Overture's paid search results to its users. In addition, by combining our powerful and complementary assets, we believe we will be in a stronger position to offer advertisers and distribution partners even greater value by rapidly developing and deploying innovative marketing solutions.

Yahoo has acquired Inktomi.
On the 19th March Yahoo!Inc. announced completion of its acquisition for Inktomi. Inktomi is now a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of Yahoo!
Below is an excerpt from their full press release...
"Bringing together a powerful combination of Yahoo!'s global audience and unmatched breadth and depth of services with Inktomi's leading search technology, will allow us to create one of the most relevant, comprehensive and highest quality search offerings on the Web for both our affiliate partners and Yahoo!," said Terry Semel, Yahoo! chairman and CEO. "The acquisition enables Yahoo! to integrate Inktomi's world-class technology throughout the network as well as offer more value to consumers and businesses through programs such as paid inclusion, which provide higher-quality commercial search results," Semel added.

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