13 replies to this topic

[turbinator]

I'am optimizing a sandboxed site so I'm concentrating my efforts on the 'other search engines'. I understand that Google likes links from higher PR sites more than lower pagerank sites. Is the same true for Yahoo and MSN and to what extent?

The sites I'am looking to buy links from are relevant to the content of the site and so I'am looking at them as both a means of providing decent traffic and as a means of boosting my rankings. Thanks to anyone that can provide some knowledge...

[Jill]

All search engines give a preference to sites that are popular. That's all that PR tells you, so yes, they all like them.

Of course, none of them (including Google) dislike low PR sites.

[turbinator]

Thanks very much Jill

[Randy]

I certainly wouldn't let PR alone be a determining factor.

• The toolbar display is wonky and simply not correct too often.
• I would rather have a link from a PR1 site that is going to actually send me quality traffic than a PR9 that doesn't attract my target audience.
• The PR2 site of today may well be PR4 or even PR7 when the next toolbar update happens along.

In other words, I use a PR --or really the total lack of PR indicating potential ban that I need to look into further-- as a check. But I never look down my nose at a site simply because it's not a mega-PR site.

[Jill]

Yep, which is why I said none of them dislike pages with low PR also!

[Debra]

If you haven't already, pop over to the ODP and submit your sandboxed site. A link from DMOZ goes a long way with Google and can only help.

And then go buy yourself some Adwords to help during your sandbox period!

All the engines use link popularity in their algos, so it's important to continually cultivate quality links.

[turbinator]

Thanks Debra, ODP was my first stop... I submitted the site about 3 months ago and still nothing.. I've submitted a query to the ODP forum to see where the thing is up to. I've heard of sites waiting 18+ months for inclusion, others seem to have no problem.... Seems to depend upon your luck with the editor of your category?

The yahoo directory is expensive but do you think it holds much weight in google? I would be more confident of it's value but now that Yahoo doesn't use the directory as the default search method I think it's too expensive..

[Michael Martinez]

Yahoo!'s directory, since it remains selective, should still provide a boost in Google's algorithm. But if all you have is DMOZ, you should be okay.

You might try JoeAnt or one of the smaller directories, though.

[Debra]

Seems to depend upon your luck with the editor of your category?

<lol> Yeah, well... if your cat even HAS an editor. Seems you've done the right thing in submitting, waiting and then posting in the forum. You might want to try writing a nice note to the cat editor and ask about your submission. And if there isn't a cat editor, go up a level and try there.

The yahoo directory is expensive but do you think it holds much weight in google? I would be more confident of it's value but now that Yahoo doesn't use the directory as the default search method I think it's too expensive..

I tend to answer this question "yes" since I consider a Yahoo! directory link a very credible link. Another good one to try is the MSN directory. http://sbd.bcentral.com/addsite.aspx

Caveat here though......read their TOS carefully and know what types of sites they won't take because if you mistakenly submit a site they don't have cats for (gambling for example) - you won't get your money back. They'll keep it and never tell you've not been accepted. (bad grammar but you get the point .

Guess Bill Gates needs the dough more than we do.

[incrediblehelp]

Forget about PR number. People put to much stock in it. Getting links from relevant websites to your industry and you will rock the house!

[Betty]

Thanks Debra, ODP was my first stop... I submitted the site about 3 months ago and still nothing.. I've submitted a query to the ODP forum to see where the thing is up to. I've heard of sites waiting 18+ months for inclusion, others seem to have no problem....  Seems to depend upon your luck with the editor of your category?

The yahoo directory is expensive but do you think it holds much weight in google? I would be more confident of it's value but now that Yahoo doesn't use the directory as the default search method I think it's too expensive..

About ODP - you might want to know that the search feature of the site has been broken. It's impossible to tell if you've been listed unless you go to the category you submitted to and check. Even then it's iffy. I posted on the message board that we were still waiting six months later and they replied still in the queue. Then, just by chance, I was looking around the directory and there we were - in a slightly different category. When I searched for our URL in their box, it said it wasn't there. I asked on the board and was told it's been broken for awhile. So - just because your site doesn't come up in the search box, doesn't necessarily mean it's not listed in there somewhere.

[qwerty]

A handy trick for searching the ODP: use Google. Because the ODP gets spidered pretty regularly by Google (just check the cache date on any page in there and I doubt you'll see anything more than a couple of weeks old), Google has a pretty good cache of everything that's in there.

So all you have to do is run a search on site:dmoz.org "company name" and you should find out whether the site's listed in ODP, and if so, where.

For example: site:dmoz.org "high rankings"

[Debra]

About the broken search feature at the ODP......if you try to search from the main dot org page, it comes up error/busy. Click inside to any page and run the search. Works from there.

On second thought - do what Qwerty says.

Wish one of the big four would buy the damn thing and fix it. Hellooooooo anyone from G/Y/M/AJ listening?? Wouldn't it be a perfect fit for Ask Jeeves? Could re-name it Ask all the Jeeves......

[searchlogix]

So all you have to do is run a search on site:dmoz.org "company name" and you should find out whether the site's listed in ODP, and if so, where.

For example: site:dmoz.org "high rankings"

Thanks qwerty,

I've been doing search for my company name on DMOz and always got not found. I was really upset untill I read your post.

I did a search with your suggestion and voila! my company is there.

I was preparing for my next submit.

Thanks a lot.