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.
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Google
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Official Google Webmaster Central Blog (325 unread)
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Search Engine Roundtable
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Search Engine Roundtable (9 unread)
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Daily Search Forum Recap: December 31, 2008
Posted: December 31st, 2008, 10:00pm CET by Tamar Weinberg
Tags: Search Forum Recap
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Tough SEO: SEO For Sites You Don't Manage & Leftover SEO
Posted: December 31st, 2008, 3:29pm CET by Tamar Weinberg
Tags: Search Engine Optimization
If you're about to take on a prospective SEO client and they start taking the initiative on their search engine optimization (in ways you hadn't even thought of), should you proceed with the client -- especially if you're going to disagree with them (since their initial implementation was probably a measure to cut costs and keep their spend down?)
Probably not. But before you lose the client, make sure to educate them. Show them why you are doing something. Eventually, both you and the client may have a good relationship as goals and objectives are clearly defined.
What about an SEO client whose site is not accessible for you to actually perform the SEO? The other option may be link building, but on-page SEO is still very important. If you can't do that, try creating "microsites" that you actually can SEO.
What would you do?
Forum discussion continues at High Rankings Forums and Cre8asite Forums.
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Danny Sullivan Gives Microsoft The Hard Truth
Posted: December 31st, 2008, 3:06pm CET by Tamar Weinberg
Tags: Microsoft MSN Search
Danny Sullivan writes about the problems about Microsoft search at Search Engine Land, and he explains what they need to do in order to get it together.
Some reasons are that Microsoft's key executives don't care about search. For example, in Danny's experience doing conferences, Microsoft has yet to send a key player such as Bill Gates or Steve Ballmer run the keynote conversation. They simply don't think it's worth it. (On the other hand, other conferences are fair game for these guys.)
Another reason for Microsoft's failure is that they seem to emphasize that they care about search, but they certainly aren't practicing what they appear to preach. Danny points out the following taglines: Google's tagline is "Search, Ads & Apps" and Microsoft's is "Software + Services." Where's search, Microsoft?
A third reason Danny cites is that Microsoft still doesn't get search. At least not the way we see it. He says that Microsoft perceives search as software, and that's not it. Search updates are rolled out on Google on no schedule, but with Microsoft's (cough) bureaucracy, it seems that changes must be done on some sort of schedule.
Danny goes into a lot more detail, explaining that there are executive inconsistencies, lousy advertising, requiring integration of services, and lame distribution deals that are not swaying people away from Google.
All in all, Microsoft in the search market is destined to go down. Or maybe the key players in Microsoft should take a good read at Danny's honest and forthright opinion so that they can make some real changes that can actually improve the perception of Microsoft in the eyes of searchers.
Forum discussion continues at Sphinn.
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Google AdSense Now Pushing Fat Ads: Is this Offensive?
Posted: December 31st, 2008, 2:55pm CET by Tamar Weinberg
Tags: Google AdSense
If you're fat and get offended easily, don't use any service that uses Google AdSense. That's what WebmasterWorld members are spotting -- ads targeting the "fat" people of America. Apparently there's a conception that the holidays may have gotten people overweight. Or perhaps this is a way to ring in your New Year's Resolutions.
But that isn't satisfying publishers who are using Google AdSense. On top of other offensive Google AdSense ads, this isn't faring well for Google.
In reality, though, not every publisher is that disappointed in these ads. Some are considering clicking on the ads because they are looking to lose weight. Others are seeing a fair share of earnings from other clicks. It's certainly not as bad as ads featuring naked people, but it's not necessarily in the best taste for everyone.
Forum discussion continues at WebmasterWorld.
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Google Recommends Product Ideas for Your Google Mobile Suggestions
Posted: December 31st, 2008, 2:46pm CET by Tamar Weinberg
Tags: Other Google Topics
Want Google to implement a new feature for Google Mobile? You no longer need to venture to Google Groups to make the request. Simply hop on over to [productideas.appspot.com] and submit your product ideas. So far, according to the stats, "805 people have submitted 313 ideas and cast 9,772 votes."
These include:
* "An native iPhone App of Google Reader (include a mini browser), more fast and no problem of reloading page after open a link"
* "Google Talk with multiprotocol capabilities."
* "A "Google Product Ideas" for all google services."
* "i want to be able to see my friends on maps on my phone"If you have your own suggestions for your mobile device, go to the site and start contributing. You never know!
Forum discussion continues at Google Groups.
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Search For Child Day Care Site & Google Suggests Porn Site
Posted: December 31st, 2008, 2:28pm CET by rustybrick
Tags: Google Search Engine
Conduct a search for the child day care site KindyList and you might be presented with a "Did You Mean?" suggestion from Google. The issue is that Google is suggesting you search for Candylist instead, which is far from a child friendly site, it is a pornography site.
Here is a screen shot of me searching for KindList:
Notice the Did You Mean? at the top. When you click on Candylist, you get this search result:
If you click through, you get nudity, pornography and so on.
Yes, Google's "did you mean" results are purely algorithmic, but I agree with the webmaster here. The webmaster complained in a Google Webmaster Help thread saying that this is just not appropriate. I agree. The did you mean algorithm is nice and very useful, but it needs checks for these types of cases. Should the did you mean ever return a X-rate set of results for a non-X-rated originating set of results? I don't think so.
Forum discussion continued at Google Webmaster Help.
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Google Webmaster Helps Tries Live Lively Event, Before Lively Shuts Down
Posted: December 31st, 2008, 2:15pm CET by rustybrick
Tags: SEO Forum News
Googler, JohnMu, suggested in a Google Webmaster Help thread that they give Google's Lively, Google's failed attempt at a SecondLife virtual world, a shot before it closes down.
Yesterday, John posted a thread announcing an "Informal End Of Year live-chat over at Lively." I missed it, and so did most people. In fact, I don't think it actually worked.
Looking over the thread, it seems like the event really never happened. I did see a chat room URL in there, but I don't see it anymore. So it seems like the Lively event, wasn't too lively. But it was a great idea to give Google's Lively a last whirl.
Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.
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Google AdWords Requiring Some Advertisers to Login Twice
Posted: December 31st, 2008, 2:13pm CET by rustybrick
Tags: Google AdWords
A WebmasterWorld thread reports that advertisers are having to login twice to the Google AdWords console to gain access. I have confirmed the issue on my Mac running Firefox.
In short, you go to adwords.google.com and type in your username and password. Then you click login and it takes you back to the login screen. You then enter in the information in again and it let's you in. Second time a charm? Nah. It seems to be a cookie bug of some sort.
One user said Google is aware of the issue and recommended the user switch to a different browser. But the user said that Google said it was an Internet Explorer issue, which is not the case.
In any event, member RhinoFish suggested:
go to this url: https://adwords.google.com/select/
And try and login (don't use your password manager if you use one).
If it lets you in the first time, check your password manager (or bookmark) that you've been using and see what the url is that you have been using. if the url above works, rebookmark or edit the url in your password manager.
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.
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Google Confirms PageRank Update (New Years 2009)
Posted: December 31st, 2008, 1:58pm CET by rustybrick
Tags: Google PageRankSERP Updates
Over Christmas and the holidays, we reported early signs of a Toolbar PageRank Update. Those reports have now been confirmed by Google's Matt Cutts via Twitter. Matt said about 6 hours ago:
Yes, Google updated our toolbar PageRank values today. Consider this the confirmation.
You can then see other Googler's like JohnMu, "liking this" on Matt's FriendFeed page.
Of course, we have a whole new slew of PageRank update threads and posts now. They include:
The folks over at the brand new Google Webmaster Help section are happy to see their new forum reach a PageRank of 7, in a matter of just weeks.
So there you have it, as expected, the Toolbar PageRank update has been confirmed.