Archive for the ‘Search Engines’ Category

Google, Bing or Yahoo?

Monday, June 6th, 2011

Of the three top contenders, Bing vs Google vs Yahoo, which is the best? Where should an internet marketer focus their efforts for maximum results?

Results are not necessarily identical on the three top contenders. It is important to understand that a high Google ranking make generate a poor ranking on Yahoo or Bing and vice versa.

GOOGLE. Google is the most used of all the search engines. It is used by millions of visitors each month and for free.

Its popularity is due to the fact that it delivers well. Highly relevant results are returned almost immediately.

Search results are updated daily to ensure that content stays fresh and current.

If you make a Google inquiry using a longtail keyword phrase, you are v assured of finding what you want on the first page of a Google responsive page.

As a result, most internet marketers toil hard to maximize their Google results, believing that their energies will deliver maximum returns. Many use Google alone.

BING. Bing employs a sitemap similar to Google’s.

Bing responds to same match domains through inbound links, just like Google.

Bing shopping costs, unlike Google.

Bing uses a manual system for its best matches, unlike Google’s which is based on algorithm applications.

Bing’s ranking criteria is based on importance and the relevance of site content. As a general rule, it is harder to get a higher ranking on Bing than on Google.

Bing also gives higher rankings to theme oriented links than Google and places greater emphasis on domain age than Google does.

Still, in the competitive process, Bing is a contender and will continue to make changes to assure that it becomes an even stronger presence. You can expect to see changes that will make it more user friendly. Don’t count Bing out yet.

YAHOO! Yahoo used to be Avis, in second place. It has been overtaken by Bing.

Some web masters feel that Yahoo takes too long to update its search indexes. Yahoo employees are working overtime to make changes to this perception.

Be attentive to all of the rules governing each site as you don’t want to get slapped by any.

This is important because, while Google may presently be king, there is no assurance that this status will continue forever. You want to remain active in all of them as you never know when the game will change.

Just as Facebook is becoming a strong contender in its Google face-off, the possibility remains-powerfully so- that Yahoo and/or Bing will make a change that is game changing as well.

What gives a top result on Google today may not be the case tomorrow. Continue to employ keyword strategies and relevancy in your content. That premise is one absolute that is constant in today’s frenzied efforts to get top rankings.

The three top search engines don’t necessarily yield identical results but none of them should be dismissed as ineffective or useless. Working all three is your best strategy.

SEO from Onit Solutions will ensure you get your business on to page 1 of these 3 major search engines.

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What Are Search Engines?

Monday, April 18th, 2011

There are four basic types of search engines:

Automatic: These search engines are based on information that is collected, sorted and analyzed by software programs, commonly referred to as “robots”, “spiders”, or “crawlers”. These spiders crawl through web pages collecting information which is then analyzed and categorized into an “index”. When you conduct a search using one of these search engines, you are really searching the index. The results of the search will depend on the contents of that index and its relevancy to your query.

Directories: A directory is a searchable subject guide of Web sites that have been reviewed and compiled by human editors. These editors decide which sites to list, and, in which categories.

Meta: Meta search engines use automated technology to gather information from a spider and then deliver a summary of that information as the results of a search to the end user.

Pay-per-click (PPC): A search engine that determines ranking according to the pound amount you pay for each click from that search engine to your site. Examples of PPC search engines are Overture.com and FindWhat.com. The highest ranking goes to the highest bidder.

There are a few downfalls you should know about using PPCs:

  1. The use of PPC search engines as part of your search engine optimization process will not improve your search engine positioning in the regular editorial search results. Instead, they will most always appear in a “Sponsored” or “Featured” area located at the top or side of the regular search page results. Even though your paid listing will appear at the top of the search page, many users will not click on paid listings because they look at it as an advertisement. In the past, people used to always click on banner ads, but now they are seen more of as a nuisance. Similarly, the same thing is happening with PPC listings. Also, PPC listings are not always as relevant to a query as the editorial search results.
  2. If your site is not effectively search engine optimized before you begin to submit it to a PPC, it will still be poorly advertised afterwards. The optimization of your Web site is critical to the success of your rankings.
  3. When you stop paying for a PPC submission, your listing disappears and so does the traffic.

PPCs can be an effective short-term solution for gaining exposure and driving immediate traffic to your Web site while you wait for full indexing, but it can become expensive if you use it as a long-term solution.

How Do Search Engines Work?:

Search engines compile their databases with the aid of spiders (a.k.a. robots). These search engine spiders crawl the Internet from link to link, identifying Web pages. Once search engine spiders find a Web site, they index the content on those pages, making the URLs available to Internet users. In turn, owners of Web sites submit their URLs to search engines for crawling and, ultimately, inclusion in their databases. This is known as search engine submission.

When you use search engines to find something on the Internet, you’re basically asking the search engine to scan its database and match your keywords and phrases with the content of the URLs they have on file at that time. Spiders regularly return to the URLs they index to look for changes. When changes occur, the index is updated to reflect the new information.

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Search Engines?

Pro: With the vast wealth of information available on the Internet, search engines are the most effective and efficient way to find information based on your specific search requests.

Con: Because search engines index mass quantities of data, you are likely to get irrelevant responses to your search requests.

Are Search Engines All The Same?

Search results vary from search engine to search engine in terms of size, speed and content. The results will also vary based on the ranking criteria the search engines use. If you aren’t getting the results you need, try a different search engine. While the results may not be wildly different, you may get a few search results from one search engine that you didn’t from another.

How Do Search Engines Rank Web Pages?

When ranking Web pages, search engines follow specific criteria, which may vary from one search engine to another. Naturally, they want to generate the most popular (or relevant) pages at the top of their list. Search engines will look at keywords and phrases, content, HTML meta tags and link popularity — just to name a few — to determine the value of the Web page.

 

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