Is Ask.com's Web Search Technology Falling Apart?

A WebmasterWorld thread has pretty sad reports about the current status of Ask.com's web search technology. The thread reports the following issues:

* Search results per page shift between 10 per page and go down to about 5 per page, depending on the page you are viewing.
* Many of the results for one-keyword search terms return results with a matching title tag, exactly - they call this a huge "page-title correlation."
* Many of those results are very outdated, even showing 404 not-found results.
* WebmasterWorld moderated added that many of the binoculars statistical results are outdated, slow or just don't work anymore.

The issue with WebmasterWorld is that you cannot post specific examples.

It is sad to me that whenever I report news or topics related to Ask.com these days, they are always negative.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Why People Fail at Search Engine Marketing

You hear a lot now of days about people saying that they are doing SEO on their site. SEO has become so over used as people start to market their websites. What has become common place is website owners not understanding the fundamental aspects of search engine marketing.

For example you create a commercial and then air it on either national or local television. You get an instant result whether your commercial worked or not. This isn't the case with SEO.

Why most people fail at optimizing their websites is that search engine marketing is lifestyle like good fitness. It isn't just I did one thing now I am done. Have you ever been on a diet for only a month? How did that work? SEO is the culmination of all your work you do on a daily basis.

Before you start paying to do SEO work make sure you are committed to not just the next month or 90 days, but to creating a business lifestyle of daily contributions to your website that never end.

Live Search Is Updating, Expect Ranking Changes

Live Search September 2008 Update Underway from the Search Engine Roundtable reports discussion at WebmasterWorld that Live Search is undergoing a major index and ranking update.

The Live Search results seem to have changed, and webmasters and SEOs are taking notice. I personally noticed referral increases and drops from Live Search on some of the sites I monitor. The update seemed to have started at about 9:30am (EST) yesterday, but we currently do not have any official word from Microsoft on this update.

Does keyword density matter in Google Search

The question was asked if keyword density was important in search results. The quick answer is yes. Keyword density is the number of times a specific keyword is used on an entire page. The bigger question is there a minimum or maximum amount of times that you want to use a targeted keyword in a particular page.

When looking at keyword density there is no magic number. How could there be? Let’s say the magic number is 10 times for a specific keyword. If this were true then ever person wanting to rank for that term would use it 10 times and then how would Google understand who to rank.

To determine what is the right now number for a keyword, we have to look at many factors. If you want to rank for “I like Authority SEO blog posts” you probably only have to put that phrase in the title. Though if you want to rank for highly competitive terms like supplements, seo, or watches, you need to do more than just add it a few times in one page. The more competitive the term the more you need a site dedicated to that term.

The true number for keyword density is an ebb and flow depending on the term targeted. What is important is pay attention to how you are using your targeted term and how your rankings are being affected. There are also many other more important factors that can affect a term’s rankings, so don’t put everything in that basket. The goal is always just to do it better either lower or higher than the next guy.

What is Google Personalize Search

There is a lot of buzz about Google’s efforts on personalizing search results. Though it is a phrase being kicked around, most people don’t know what personalize search means, and why it is important.

Why do I need to know what personalized search is?

Personalized search offers search results that are more relevant to each individual searcher, or that is the goal any way. Google uses past search behavior to better understand what websites and information is important to each user. With personalize search two users will get different results from typing in the same keyword.

Take the word personal trainer and type it into the Google search bar. Personalize search will give different people different results. You may think why would that be good. Well a broad word like personal trainer could be an individual looking to hire a personal trainer, a personal trainer looking for training ideas for clients, or an individual who wants to get certified as a personal trainer. In theory if Google based on past behavior knew more about what you were looking for it could tailor the search results to sites that would interest you.

Why are search engines moving to personalize search?

The goal of search engines like Google is to make search results the most effective for its consumers. Personalize search may allow people to find the information they are searching for faster and easier.

Right now search engines treat each search as a separate event. Personalize search may make it easier to find the information you are looking for with less searches as you narrow down the keywords you are using.

There are some concerns on personal privacy though it looks like personalize search is on its way and here to stay.

How does Google do personalize search?

Google’s personalize search comes from a startup company Kaltix which Google bought in 2003. Personalize search works by creating multiple website relevance rank lists, and then tailoring each list to interest of different people.

Google’s personalize search is learning about your patterns based on every search query you do. Using profiles that it creates, Google will use your past behavior to attempt to send you more relevant websites specific to you.

8 Ways to Combat Email List Fatigue

Many on your e-mail list receive and read your newsletter. Other addresses fall prey to spam filters, bulk folders, and dormant e-mail accounts. Let's look, however, at subscribers who become disinterested, who no longer open your e-mails. They haven't unsubscribed officially nor do they want to sever the relationship entirely, but interest has waned. This is called "list fatigue," using a term that comes from the direct mail industry to describe a list that is less and less responsive.

You won't be able to prevent list fatigue entirely, but you can slow its erosion. Keeping active readers begins with the proper attitude -- yours! Subscribers are not yours to exploit, but are yours to serve. You promised to help them. Now you must keep your promise or lose their loyalty. Here are ways to combat list fatigue:

1. Provide Fresh, Engaging, Relevant Content

The single most important thing you can do is to provide top-notch quality content in every newsletter -- something new, fresh, relevant, important. Engage your readers with good writing. Ask yourself: Would you want to read this if someone sent it to you?

2. Avoid Over Promotion

I have a friend who used to offer interesting information about her niche topic. Now every newsletter is some kind of promotion. Promotions aren't bad, but they must be accompanied by enough great content to keep readers from "turning off."

3. Modulate E-mail Frequency

If you're sending e-mails too often, it's easy to overwhelm readers who already experience e-mail overload. Only e-mail when you have something worth saying. Don't e-mail too often, but send a newsletter at least once a month so they don't forget who you are and delete your e-mail.

4. Retain the "From:" Name and E-mail Address

People decide what to open based on the "From:" information. If they don't recognize you, they won't open your e-mail, so be consistent. Think of it as building a trusted "brand."

5. Energize Subject Lines

Your subject line will be the deciding factor between open and delete. It needs to walk the fine line between dull and cutesy, between deceptive and bland. It must be intriguing, promising, inviting. Spend time to formulate the very best subject line you can.

6. Select Co-Registration Partners Carefully

Only select co-registration partners whose readers have a lot in common with yours. Otherwise you risk rapid inactivity from these subscribers.

7. Make It Easy to Unsubscribe

Make it extremely easy for a person to unsubscribe from your list. Of course, you don't want to lose them, but would you rather have them stay on your list and never read your e-mails?

8. Grow Your List Aggressively

Since interests change, some list fatigue is inevitable. The only way to keep high your percentage of active readers is to constantly sign up new subscribers who are interested in your topic. That's not easy, but it will help keep your list from dying through attrition and disinterest.

8 Ways to Combat Email List Fatigue

SEO Tips and Tricks

To get on top of a search engine list, any person or company must make the right choices and invest in the right strategy. Be willing to spend cash on what may produce the best results, as well as be observant in understanding the rules of the trade. In this way, any starting or flourishing business can say that the Search engine optimization is effective in its part.

One good example is enrolling in a link exchange program or finding a fast market affiliate. The former does not involve payment – a home site simply promises to provide a link to another page and vice-versa. This ensures that interested costumers will browse through the similar sites. The latter, on the other hand, can be relied on in advertising a certain page by providing a link for a set fee. Make sure that you find the popular or frequently visited affiliates to increase the probability that the site will be clicked.

Another way is to make the web design user-friendly: make sure the company or personal motto is encoded in the title page and content page and not just flashed on the screen or seen in images. Remember, search engines filter mostly by recognizing words, and not pictures or videos unless specified.

To be ranked high in the list requires new tactics – it is not enough to have original content, great ideas and good items. After all, many other companies may be selling the same items or employing the same advertising schemes. This is why optimization calls for different tips and tricks.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article marketing success, ‘Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide‘

Download it free here: Secrets of Article Promotion

Sean Mize is a full time internet marketer who has written over 1574 articles in print and 11 published ebooks.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sean_R_Mize

Does the title matter in search engines

How much thought do you put into the titles of your pages on your site? You probable answer is a lot as you think what would be the best title to get across your message that you want to convey. You have this great page with a great title and then you find out noone is finding it and reading it.

When titling a page especially one that is important on the site that you want people to find in the search engines it is important to create a title that is good for the site and reviews and good for the search engines. I come across tons of primary pages on sites that have good titles from the owners point of view though are not good at all for search.

Understanding how people search your industry is essential in properly naming your pages. The title of the page is the biggest key for a search engine before any other factor is taken into account. It is how Google or Yahoo know what the article is about instantly.

Through proper SEO research, an effective title can be created for users and web crawlers.

Check out this websites title on their fitness plans page.

Are meta tags important for Google

The latest buzz around meta tags is that they are not as important as they once were. I find meta tags are still vital. The reason people believe they are not important is that now most people use them so it doesn't seem to matter. The problems lies with those that don't know what meta tags or don't have them. If you don't have meta tags on your website for each individual page you are at severe disadvantage.

The second aspect of meta tags that is overlooked is what you title each page. This is critical to SEO success. A change in one word can me not ranked at all on Google for the terms you want to rank for. Really good SEO experts understand how to use meta titles to their advantage.

Want more info contact me at bryan@authorityseo.com

Be careful where you get links - Link Farms

Every where you read about seo people are looking for how do I get links to my site. Now that has become common knowledge that the more links pointing to your site the more power your site has to get ranked in Google. The big issue where are your links coming from and what kind of links are they.

The key to all link building is solid one way links from good quality websites. This isn't always so easy which makes proper SEO so important.

Link Farms can get your site crushed by Google. So what is a link farm? The easiest way to explain it is site A puts a page of links on their site to sites b through z. Then sites b through z put the same duplicate page of links to each other sites on their website. This can mulptiply by the thousands and we have a link farm.

Don't confuse link farms with directories. Directories is one site that has links to many different sites based on categories. The key difference is that you won't find that same page copied on all the sites that the directory links to.

Does Google Spider Your Site Well

One the major error in search engine optimization occurs before the site is even live. Once the site is live most people realize, wow, people just don't come because I built a beautiful site. The reality is that how attractive your site may be makes no difference to Google. When Google comes to your site and searches for content it is called a spider or web crawler. Sixty percent of all web traffic comes from Google which makes them the big player in either getting you traffic or not.

There are many factors that go into a proper site to allow Google's spider. The goal is to set them up from the beginning as they become more challenging once the site is built. This doesn't mean your site won't look attractive. Most SEO improvements are not even seen as a visitor.

Starting with how to get traffic and convert traffic is the best place to build your site from.