Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
- The Google Keyword Tool is Useless for SEO, and Here's Why
Michael VanDeMar wrote an interesting post on his blog about the uselessness of the Google Keyword tool for SEO. He explains that while we reported that the tool is showing keyword numbers, it still isn't helpful. His rationale is that the numbers refer to PPC search behavior only, not overall Google.com search behavior, and then he explains how past research has given him this perception. He writes: For instance, for [birthday poems] the tool gave - Viacom Lays Off Demands for YouTube Viewing Records
Earlier this month, we reported that Viacom ordered Google to turn over YouTube records. Google will now have to give Viacom the records, but in a compromise, without data that will identify users, according to BBC News. Many people are now breathing sighs of relief. But others think that this is Google trying to forge for itself a victory that was already assured and think it was just a public relations play: But: (1) Viacom - Potential Threat: Your Yahoo Keyword Prices May Increase Due to Yahoo-Google Deal
CNet reports that the search advertising agreement between Google and Yahoo can seriously impact advertisers -- in a bad way. CNet's report states that "A Yahoo-Google deal could drive up Yahoo keyword prices by an average of 22 percent." The end result: Google and Yahoo win, but the smaller people (read: the advertisers) may not necessarily fare well. Advertisers are starting to feel the heat of the potential "monopoly" as one forum member puts it. - Google Continues to Yo-Yo the Search Results
Part two of the WebmasterWorld thread on the July 2008 Google update discussion is virtually all about how Google is yo-yoing the results. Meaning, one day a site can have top positions for a keyword phrase in Google, the next day it would drop off and then it would come back. This yo-yoing continues to cycle back and forth according to many many webmasters. WebmasterWorld administrator, tedster, has confirmed the issues himself: The most perplexing - YahooSarah Goes MIA - Blame Yahoo Publisher Network?
Yahoo has been having a rough time over the course of the past several months. But that doesn't mean the company stops working and competing, at least that is what you would think. YahooSarah, the official Yahoo representative at WebmasterWorld, has not posted a response at WebmasterWorld in exactly a year from today. YahooSarah's last post was in a thread named Publisher broken? on July 16, 2007 at 3:50 pm (EST). She said: I wanted - Tips For Outsourcing Link Building
There is a newish WebmasterWorld thread that is just getting started on the topic of tips on outsourcing link building to India, South America or other countries outside of your local region. Here are the initial tips this SEO learned and wanted to share: Do not pay in advance...Sign a contractTry to have exclusivity for your nicheForce your SEO to not ask links to your competitorsGive them a real email from your domain nameWhen possible, - Duplicate Sitemaps Should Not Cause a Problem with Google
A Google Groups thread asks if having two Sitemaps for the same site will cause an issue with Google. In short, Google said no. Why does this site have two Sitemaps? Well, the only way for multiple Google Accounts to gain access to the Webmaster Tools verified access to a particular site, is for Google to verify both sites with unique verification codes. In each of those verified accounts, the account holder does have access
Other Great Search Forum Threads:
- Domain Age: How Important Is It for SEO?, Sphinn
- Google and Yahoo Defend Ad Alliance at a Hearing, WebmasterWorld
- I Am Running Out Of Money, HighRankings Forums
- McAfee SiteAdvisor tileover persistence, Google Groups
- Microsoft Voices Concerns about Google-Yahoo Deal's, DigitalPoint Forums
- Notifier widgets died, WebmasterWorld
- Using Social Media to Promote Social Media Promoting Crap About Nothing, Sphinn
- Whats Normal Price For Seo Work?, HighRankings Forums
