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.

Google refresh.
Google has made slight alterations to the look of its site. These changes are not radical however. The home page remains uncluttered, something Google is famous for. Froogle now has a link from google.com, but not from the regional sites (e.g. google.co.uk). To access the Google directory you must first follow the "more >>" link to the options page, where you may find a link to the directory and other services supplied by Google. Finally, another alteration is the boxes around the AdWord ads have been removed from the column on the right. They are still clearly marked as sponsored links though.

Yahoo! Kelkoo link.
Rumors are circulating that Yahoo! is in acquisition mode again. The target is Europe's leading comparison shopping portal Kelkoo, targeting ten European countries. In 2000 the current incarnation of Kelkoo was formed by the merger between the French Kelkoo and Norwegian Zoomit. Kelkoo has been developing its search technology, refining a shopping search engine that goes way beyond simple price comparisons and allows a broader search for products, services and vendors.

SERPs on AlltheWeb provided by Yahoo! .
With the acquisition of Overture last year, Yahoo! also acquired the AlltheWeb search engine that was born from Fast in Trondheim, Norway. For many searchers this is a disappointment, as the AlltheWeb search engine was one of the best and in many respects an equal to Google.

Google has updated PR.
Overnight significant shifts in the Google "dance servers" (to view for yourself get the DANCER), followed by a change in PageRank and this morning saw a major revision in BackLink status. PageRank and BackLinks haven't changed since the 11th Feb. If previous patterns of behaviour are adhered to the indications are that a significant Google update will be due in the next 3-4 days.

Microsoft experimenting with new Bot.
Mcrosoft has launched a beta version of its new search. Currently the results come from Inktomi, but with recent changes in Inktomi's ownership MSN have been looking into launching their own technology.

ASK Jeeves buys Excite.
Excite was one of the majors engines. Excite was powered by its own technology, it was not just a portal utilising others technology. Ask Jeeves already owns and uses the Teoma search engine. Ask Jeeves is expected to use the portal for promoting its own search engine technology.
Along with Excite, Ask Jeeves will be acquiring iWon site, My Way, My Search, My Web Search and MaxOnline.

AltaVista and AlltheWeb to go.
As part of the purchase of Overture last year, Yahoo! acquired AltaVista and AlltheWeb. Both AltaVista and AlltheWeb have their own search technologies, it is expected for these technologies to be replaces buy the new Yahoo! engine. The sites will most likely continue as portals.

Meta Tags are back.
There is evidence that suggests that Meta Tags are gaining importance for Yahoo! new search system. For some time search engines have been ignoring Meta Keywords, although the Meta Descriptions have always been important for each page of your Web site. Tim Mayor from Yahoo! posted at WebmasterWorld "Yahoo Search uses the Meta keywords tag . We did not use them at FAST or Altavista. It is important that you make the keywords and description different (targeted) on every page."

Yahoo! now showing Inktomi.
Yahoo! has made the jump showing Inktomi results in its search results. The move comes following much speculation following Yahoo!s purchase of
Inktomi last year.

XSEO new Dance Tool .
Over recent months predicting when Google "dances" has become more difficult following the changes in the structure of the 10 Google Datacentres. XSEO have identified where the datacentres now reside and have introduced a new tool which overcomes these changes and restores the facility of watching the whole dance unfold.

Lycos Moving out of Search Engines.
Lycos is officially closing it's search engine business, In two significant announcements this week, Lycos said it would be shedding its portal strategy. The company has inked a 5-year deal with Real Media to outsource display ad serving, ad sales and analytics for its Internet properties.

Yahoo! tests Inktomi.
We reported in January that Yahoo! is expected to finish its relationship with Google and start using Inktomi SERPS (Search Engine Results Pages) first quarter this year. The first signs have been identified.

Google PR update.
Significant shifts in PageRank and a revision in BackLink status has been taking place for most of the day.

Microsoft search.
Microsoft are rumored to be developing a search system to compete with the likes of Google within their new operating system "Longhorn". due to be released late 2005. Those who will remember the Netscape vs MS Internet Explorer battles of the 90's will be feeling quite nostalgic.
C.P.

Latest algorithms.
In February 2003 Google registered a new patent for technology for identifying duplicate pages, and more importantly, near duplicate pages. Running several domains with similar content in the past was difficult to differentiate, it would appear Google has the means, or is intending to implement the means, to identify and react.
Google has also been working on identifying sites that crosslink on multiple domains with the same server ip c-block. Many of the crosslinking merchants have lost their ranking because they hosted their multiple domains on the same c-block. Some of the professional spammers have not been affected in the SERPs because they have the budget to buy their multiple domains on completely different ip blocks.

Post "Austin".
The last Google dance has just been completed. Named the "Austin update".

Google Databases.
The remaining Database servers have now gone. The hunt is now on to identify the new servers.

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

Google Databases.
Another two Datacenters have now gone. This leaves only 3 functioning.

Google Databases
More Datacenters that help SEO's predict when Google dances have disappeared. This leaves only 5 functioning.

Yahoo!
The Wall Street Journal reports that Yahoo! will stop using the Google search engine index for its regular search results, probably during the next couple of months.

Google delays IPO.
It has been reported in the Timesonline:-
"Eric Schmidt, the Google chairman and chief executive, briefly let his guard slip, telling business leaders that an IPO was not his agenda "right now", only to decline to answer follow-up queries. Indeed, his lapse has only raised further questions, such as "if not right now, why not"? Some see it as a reflection of hopes for the technology sector, and that Google, valued by analysts at about $20 billion (£11bn), might gain more from delaying its flotation. Indeed, Ask Jeeves, the rival search engine, raised hopes of technology investors yesterday by announcing its an annual profit for the first time."

Google Adwords.
Google runs an algorithm to stretch its Adwords budget through the entire day. Because of this it turns an advert will be turned on and off to suit. The higher the per click price the quicker the budget is consumed, if your max budget isn't set correctly,due to Googles algorithm, the site will be "off" more per hour. By lowering the click price the position drops but because consumption of budget is less so the site is likely to be "on" more per hour. Googles algorithm divides budget from 12 midnight to 12 midnight EST, it tries to save budget spreading evenly across both peak selling times and non peak. Often it is best to switch campaigns on and off manually for peak selling times, play with the max budget and bid price to keep the site "on" during this period.

Happy New Year!

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