Proof that Yahoo Dir Listing Harms You On Yahoo Search???

[! !]

Yahoo Search SERPs and Inktomi Search and Altavista and Overture SERPs are the closest it has EVER BEEN


The time is right to explore the "observation" that a Yahoo Directory Listing will potentially harm you for the SERPs for Web Pages that are well optimized.


Analyzing about 50 sites - it appears that they are prominent on MSN and ALTAVISTA and Overture (organic) for the same keywords - but do NOT appear on Yahoo SERPs for those same keywords


If the Yahoo editors REALLY LIKE your site - they will "hand manipulate" it for SERPS that correspond to the directory that it is in. (but those are very, very few sites)

The problem is whether you should use a new domain or NOT use your Homepage when submitting to Yahoo

OR

Whether the Directory Link will REALLY help you in Google SERPs


http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/041223-084744 :confused:

[longcall911]

[COLOR=Navy]If the Yahoo editors REALLY LIKE your site - they will "hand manipulate" it for SERPS that correspond to the directory that it is in. (but those are very, very few sites)
Hogwash.... this is how rumors get started. Do you have some evidence of this claim?

Y! editors simply use your company name as the title and their own 'non-promotional' description, then add it to the correct directory listing.

As for the overall conclusion that the directory hurts. . . not true in my experience. My site is 7.5 months old. I'm #1 for my keyphrase (3 words) in a pool of 1.2 million. I'm also #1 on MSN, MSN.b, AltaVista, AllTheWeb,and WiseNut. (I've got a long way to go on GG.)

I see no evidence that a Y! directory listing helps, or hurts at all.

[! !]

http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/041223-084744

You have to question whether Search Engine Watch would let HOGWASH appear
_________________________________________________

In the directory listings - they do have two sections, one for "Most Popular" and the "Alphabetical"

http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Business_to_Business/Marketing_and_Advertising/Internet/Promotion/Search_Engine_Optimization__SEO_/



What is the consensus among everyone on Yahoo appearing 1st on

search engines

and

Search Engine

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=search+engines&fr=FP-tab-web-t&toggle=1&ei=UTF-8

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=search+engine&fr=FP-tab-web-t&toggle=1&ei=UTF-8


DO THAT SAME SEARCH ON
ALTAVISTA
ALLTHEWEB
AND MSN

[kepa]

While it may not help your organic serps it will not hurt either. My site is listed simultaneously at 3 (organic) AND 4 (directory) consistently now for the last week -- proof enough to me that it doesn't influence the organic listing.

[Blogmaster]

If the Yahoo editors REALLY LIKE your site - they will "hand manipulate" it for SERPS that correspond to the directory that it is in. (but those are very, very few sites)
I do have evidence but none that should be shared in a public forum.

Every REAL seo knows exatly what I'm talking about!

[barrow]

Can one of the REAL seos shed some light on this please.

[symetrix]

Every REAL seo knows exatly what I'm talking about!

No, we think your a troll. :p

[! !]

http://www.content.overture.com/d/USm/ays/bjump/sm.jhtml

Site Match™ and Site Match Xchange:
- Ensure that your web pages are included in the Yahoo! Search index.
- Guaranteed quality review by editors for relevance.
- Not intended for placement or ranking in search results.

Not intended for placement or ranking in search results

is it possible that THESE pages are the ones that are manually manipulated it would make sense - because as REVIEWED sites - they have that Relevancy Approval Stamp

[mopacfan]

!_! put your tin foil hat back on, they're tracking you.

[Danno]

paranoia will destroy ya

[reppy]

I've never heard of this before.

So much folklore in the world of SEO. :tinfoil hat:

[Bernard]

Yahoo Search SERPs and Inktomi Search and Altavista and Overture SERPs are the closest it has EVER BEEN.

This does not mean that they either have the same index nor use the same ranking algorithm.

Analyzing about 50 sites - it appears that they are prominent on MSN and ALTAVISTA and Overture (organic) for the same keywords - but do NOT appear on Yahoo SERPs for those same keywords

This does not prove anything. There is no support for a logical induction either.

If the Yahoo editors REALLY LIKE your site - they will "hand manipulate" it for SERPS that correspond to the directory that it is in. (but those are very, very few sites)

You state this as fact without any evidence or support = worst post ever.

[Catfish]

This reminds me of a Steve Martin story about when the Earth blew up a few years ago and the government decided not to tell the stupid people that we switched planets...

[luisfernandez]

Yahoo's algo was never nowhere close to G's

[Bernard]

I'm guessing ! ! is still lurking around. I got a neg rep for my previous post with a comment, "Don't lie". I'm not sure what part the member considers a lie, but I would be more than happy to discuss the issue. I have never had a problem speaking my mind, asking potentially embarrasing questions, etc., but I have never knowingly posted a lie. IMO, that comment is a bit below the belt.

Anyway, Yahoo owns Inktomi, Alta Vista, Overture, but they do not all use the same index or ranking algorithm. If they did, they would have the exact same SERPs. This seems rather logical and is easy to verify by a simple comparison of the SERPs.Posted Feb 18, 2004
Today, both AltaVista and AlltheWeb continue to maintain separate indexes, and Yahoo isn't saying publicly whether this will change with the introduction of the new Yahoo Search Technology index.
http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php/3314171July/August 2004
What is this new Yahoo! database? Does it come from Inktomi, AltaVista, AlltheWeb, or some combination of all three? According to Tim Mayer at Yahoo!, the new Yahoo! Search is a new database, built with technology and engineers from all three. It seems to be primarily Inktomi-based, but it is different than the old Inktomi.

Beyond the Yahoo!-owned sites, various partners also use Yahoo!'s database. For example, both Lycos and HotBot (when using the "HotBot" database) use Yahoo!, although still under the Inktomi name. MSN Search continues to use Yahoo!'s database, even while working on building its own.

So, is the database at Yahoo! exactly the same as the one now at AlltheWeb, AltaVista, Lycos, and MSN Search? No. There are some differences. The AltaVista, AlltheWeb, and Lycos Web databases now seem identical, but the ranking can differ. HotBot is very similar, but I have found a few different records there. MSN Search is also quite similar, but it will often find a few records that the others do not. But the biggest difference is that Yahoo! itself finds more records than any of its partners.

http://www.infotoday.com/online/jul04/OnTheNet.shtml

Furthermore, an analysis of 50 web pages (out of several billion?) does not lend support for an inductive proof. A lot of people used to think the Earth was flat too because it fit with the limited information they had at hand.

If you have proof to back up this statement:If the Yahoo editors REALLY LIKE your site - they will "hand manipulate" it for SERPS that correspond to the directory that it is in.you have not presented it here.

[goplanit]

Well being in the directory is not harming my site at all, I think your conclusion is incorrect. I regularly monitor my and my competitors positions and can see no evidence that those in the directory have worse SERPS.

[ProductivePC]

Actually Guys, read this thread
http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=14778

Not saying that raider presented this correctly however he is on to something

[forums]

Yahoo Directory is Dying, being replaced by PPC.

Looking at the "new" sites, there are only a few add per day, a few years ago, it was HUNDREDS added daily.


http://dir.yahoo.com/new/

Yahoo has improved in relevancy, however, so much that it does not even resemble the Yahoo or yesteryear.

[Web Gazelle]

It is dying because they charge way too much for a silly link in their directory.

[Lisa White]

I agree with you, they charge way to much

[thesaddleryshop]

What a thread! I have been debating whether to submit a link in their directory, you have made my mind up not to, Thank you so much for ending my mental turmoil :D I will spend my money elsewhere where it will give me something for my money. I LOVE this forum........

[Blogmaster]

if you get a good editor, your listing can get you traffic big time