7 replies to this topic

[scolling]

Hi

I've been asked to look at a website to increase its ranking across all SE's. It currently appears to have PR5 on Google, but it is hardly listed on any search engines and has no significant inbound links. Here's what I've found:

The domain home page actually uses a frame that loads the content from another domain (presumably to ease content management), is this an OK thing to do?

When searching Google using allinurl: it only comes up with 3 pages, none of which have any viewable content looking at either the cached or linked page.

I've looked at the website using the lynx viewer and I can't see any content at all and the <NOFRAMES> link doesn't show anything either.

I've selected a unique phrase from the home page and conducted exact match searches on MSN, Google, Yahoo and Alta-vista with no results found anywhere.

Google reports only 9 inbound links to the home page, all from the same 3rd party domain that also has PR5.

So how has this invisible website, with hardly any backlinks, content sitting on another domain, and not listed on these main search engines managed to get to PR5?

Thanks,
Simon

[Steve Sardell]

Hi Scolling,

I think you have given yourself the answer

Google reports only 9 inbound links to the home page, all from the same 3rd party domain that also has PR5.

If the page linking to the questionable site does not have many outbound links from its linking page, a good potion of its PR will be passed. Simply, another falacy of G's current PR method, and another indication it takes more than PR to get ranked

[Randy]

Well, if there's no text on the physical page, the search engine spiders won't have anything to look at ! Do the framed pages use a NOFRAMES tag at all? This will help the bots know what the pages are about at least.

Framed sites can be optimized, but you have to make sure you've crossed all of your t's and dotted all of your i's.

[scolling]

Thanks for your reply Steve - does Google really place that much emphasis on so few links from just one site?

Randy, in answer to your question the NOFRAMES tag just points back to itself, not even to the domain that has the content.

One other thing I'm curious about, is the issue of hosting the content in a sub-folder on a completely different domain - does this have any negative impacts from SE's?

Simon

[Randy]

One other thing I'm curious about, is the issue of hosting the content in a sub-folder on a completely different domain - does this have any negative impacts from SE's?

It could Simon, but the answer depends upon how the server is configured and/or what coding is in the page. From what you describe, it may even be a case where all of the PR and everything else is being directed to the other domain instead of one you want to benefit.

[GuyFromChicago]

Hi

I've been asked to look at a website to increase its ranking across all SE's. It currently appears to have PR5 on Google, but it is hardly listed on any search engines and has no significant inbound links.

PR doesn't have anything to do with being listed in the serps.

For the most part I try and ignore PR and focus on quality links and key word density/structure. Get those things right, and PR will follow.

[scolling]

Thanks for your throughts GuyFromChicago

PR doesn't have anything to do with being listed in the serps

This is true, it's just not often you find websites with a decent PR and no SERP listings at all. If there's nothing about the website that makes an SE want to list it in its SERPS why would it attract any PR?

For the most part I try and ignore PR and focus on quality links and key word density/structure. Get those things right, and PR will follow.

I totally agree, only at the moment I'm trying to understand the current situation before rushing in with my size 12 boots!

[Steve Sardell]

Hi Simon,

If there's nothing about the website that makes an SE want to list it in its SERPS why would it attract any PR?

G's PR is merely an indication of the quantity and the PR of the linking sites, notice I did not say quality. It is one of many factors for placement and indexing. A portion of the PR from these linking site is passed to the linked site. You need the links inorder for G to find and spider your site and then hopefully index it. Once indexed you have a chance of ranking.

Since you already have a decent PR, you now need to concentrate on your content and usability. In between building your content get your site into all the major directories such as Joant, Skaffee, Goguides, Dmoz and others.Then attack your industry specific directories.

You will find some usefull tools at this site. Use these to check how spider friendly your site becomes. Good Luck--having a PR5 you are already ahead of most sites starting out to get placed.