24 replies to this topic

[azs]

With Google representing 80% of the internet traffic why bother optimizing for other engines besides Goolge? I realize Yahoo will soon change that, but for right now - doesn't it make sense to only optimize for Google?

Also, has this forum touched upon the differenences in criteria each of the major engines use?

[compar]

With Google representing 80% of the internet traffic why bother optimizing for other engines besides Goolge? I realize Yahoo will soon change that, but for right now - doesn't it make sense to only optimize for Google? 

I agree with you. Google is where it's at man!

In another thread we are talking about the new free Zeal directory which may be a cheap and easy way into some of the other SEs. But the only engine to optimize for in my opinion is Google.

[Scottie]

Just remember- there is nothing constant but change.

Microsoft seems to have set it's cap at getting into the search game, and Yahoo definitely is gearing up to replace Google. At any time, we could have a new engine elbowing it's way in.

That being said, I think the rules of optimization for Google are going to be basically the same for any major engine that wants to compete. You can't go wrong with working on good content and good inbound links.

[mcanerin]

I always optimise my pages for Google and then make small adjustments (like metatags) for the others. But Google is the base for me right now.

Ian

[MakeMeTop]

To be fair, Google does not represent 80% of the traffic on the 'net worldwide. It has the majority of the traffic (over 50%) and for many sites it supplies nearly all the traffic. However, consider this - for people who use just Overture for their listings (silly as this may seem to be), Google often supplies none of their traffic. For sites using just PFI and with dynamic sites - it is possible that Inktomi supplies more traffic (via MSN) than Google.

On sites I do, Google never represents more than 60% of traffic - so 40% comes from other search engines on average. On a recent PFI site I did, they were receiving over 500 uniques a day from AJ - as compared to 1500 from Google, and another 1K from MSN - add on another couple of hundred from other sources like AV/ Lycos and Freeserve and there was more traffic from PFI sources than Google - but if I hadn't gone PFI - Google would have been nearly 100% of the traffic for the foreseeable future.

So bottom line is, it is worth being on other search engines. The traffic is there if you want it.

[compar]

but if I hadn't gone PFI - Google would have been nearly 100% of the traffic for the foreseeable future.

My dyslexia is kicking in again. What is PFI?

[mcanerin]

I've noticed one thing - you can often tell who the surfer is by the SE they use.

For example, I've noticed that the more advanced and computer literate types (or people who have friends that are) will often use Google. Many of the people who got into the web big time a few years back use Yahoo, and I've noticed that a lot of people with brand new computers (within a year or so) use MSN - mostly because it's what the browser defaults to. Many Netscape users still use the Netscape search.

I posted a link to some research on another thread about whether or not people were aware that many of the results on SE's were paid.

Once they found out it was, all of them were upset - but not one of them said they were going to switch. I guess as long as you are happy or comfortable with your current SE, why switch?

This may have implications in the future for the popularity of MSN, like it or not.

Ian

[qwerty]

I've noticed that the more advanced and computer literate types (or people who have friends that are) will often use Google.

That's probably true. At least it was about a year ago. Part of my job at my old company was tracking our web site, and the sources of our leads. The vast majority of web-based leads we got were from Google, split about evenly between organic and paid results.

However, at least according to our sales department, the vast majority of the leads that came from Google were more or less worthless, since the people requesting more information were generally technical people rather than executives (who were likely to be the people making the decision about whether or not to buy our software).

The big shots -- the one's who'd make the decision about whether to spend money -- more often not came in through MSN (often from Overture ads). I assume this is because, on a Windows PC, MSN is the default search engine, and these people were generally not technical enough to bother customizing such things.

And Bob -- PFI is Pay For Inclusion.

[mcanerin]

I've noticed that too - shhhhh! You are giving away all my secrets... It's not the visitors, it's the buyers that count

Ian

Edited by mcanerin, 31 August 2003 - 07:55 PM.

[dzinerbear]

I think Scottie made a very good point about change.

Remember Napster. Had you been relying on Napster for any strong percentage of your business, overnight you would have lost big time.

Likewise, when Flash was growing like crazy, if your design firm specialized in it and didn't diversify in other areas, then it must have been tough when everyone started dumping Flash.

Likewise, with Google. You never know when the Internet crowd will grow tired. You never know when the next kewl thing will appear on the horizon. You never know when the president of Google will say something stupid and piss off 50% of the world. And if we're all too reliant on Google and not taking care of other engines, we'll be sorry.

I try to submit to other engines and be mindful of their quirks, but I don't lose a lot of sleep over it. And if they make it too difficult, then I just figure, they don't get it and they'll never go anywhere.

Shoot, I try to sign up with Zeal the other day and their site kept freezing up. And Alta Vista, they took about four months just to get my sites indexed.

I hope that helps.
Dzinerbear

[Newtron]

Certainly, G is the all important SE for now but, aren't there changes on the way?
How will Yahoo modify the Inktomi algo...or, will it? And what will MSN do to enter the fray?

I just pulled these numbers from one of my sites for August...Awstats...MSN 1074, Google 562, Yahoo 507, AOL 103, others are 47 or less (a small potatoes site to most of you, but big to me). I've been in the top five on both Google and Inktomi for over a year for this site, so the ratio is not an anomaly. (I hate not being able to spell)

The aggregate of Google, Yahoo, and AOL is more than MSN, but not by all that much. So, when Yahoo dumps Google, as it almost certainly will, the overall numbers shouldn't change by much.

However, if/when MSN drops Inktomi and brings in their own SE, well, things could get interesting.

I expect that Ian and Qwerty's observation about surfers is responsible for not having a large majority of visits from Google on this particular site because they do on others.

I can't imagine placing all my client's eggs in one basket...and Inktomi is a pretty easy placement compared to Google....so, to answer azs's question, I do both.

Larry

[compar]

And Alta Vista, they took about four months just to get my sites indexed.

Alta who??? Must be my dyslexia again

All of what you say about change is true. But Google rocks today. They won't go out in 24 hours and until they do I don't see much sense in spending inordinate amounts of time trying to get indexed favorably in all the other engines.

[qwerty]

Change is almost definitely afoot. I'd say that in less than a year (probably sooner than that) Yahoo will be using INK (or some combination of the technology in INK, Fast, and AV), and MSN will have something that will use MSNBot. Will Google be gone? No, I'm sure it'll be around for a long time (unless they sell out to MSN, as a few have predicted). But the playing field will be different. Google might still be number one, but it won't be so far ahead that people will talk about ignoring other SEs.

I live in Massachusetts. It used to be a one-party state. People used to call us "the People's Republic of Massachusetts". We're now on our fourth Republican governor in a row. Things change. What is it the boy scouts say?

Edited by qwerty, 31 August 2003 - 11:08 PM.

[Mel]

Yep Google rocks today, but all the SEO emphasis on Google is making good placings on MSN and ATW relatively easy to get.

There are going to be changes to the search engine scene in the near future, and it only makes sense to prepare for them in advance.

All the sites I have optimized recently have had an optimized keywords tag (no not one of those 200 word dictionaries you so often find but two or three relevant phrases) in place. It takes less than a minute per page to do, and when/if Inktomi results start to show up on Yahoo, I will be just a bit ahead of the game.

[Newtron]

Qwerty, You're absolutely right...Google is not about to go away and will likely remain #1. I hadn't considered Yahoo using anything but INK to provide their SERPs because, IMO, they provide the second most relevant returns. Using a hybrid of INK, FAST, and AV could certainly muddy the waters.

Mel really nailed it...it's just not that hard to get good placement on INK and FAST. If I spend 8 hours on G, it only requires another 15 minutes to tweak for INK and FAST....2-3 relevant keyphrases go a long way. I really don't get much traffic from FAST, but I do from INK and I like my clients to see that they show up in all the engines and am doing everything I can to drive qualified traffic to their site.

Keeping the numbers round, my average sites get 50% of their traffic from Google, 30% from other SEs, and 20% from links. It just doesn't make sense to NOT optimize for other SEs...at least, INK and FAST.

I have no idea how INK and FAST will change since they are now owned by the same company, but face it, the only constant in our industry is change...what was that Boy Scout motto again?

Larry