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  Daily Search Forum Recap: July 1, 2010

  Posted: July 1st, 2010, 11:00pm CEST by rustybrick

  Tags:  Search Forum Recap  

  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.

  
  

• 

  Google Says New Links In Webmaster Tools Are Correct & Will Grow

  Posted: July 1st, 2010, 4:02pm CEST by rustybrick

  Tags:  Google Optimization  

  Monday we reported that the link reports in Google Webmaster Tools appeared to inflated.

  Many users started noticing huge increases (few noticed declines) in the number of links being displayed in the link report in Google Webmaster Tools. Most thought the spikes were unbelievable and had to be a bug. Some suspected it might have to do with the new Caffeine index launch.

  Well, Google finally replied telling us it is Caffeine related. JohnMu of Google said in a Google Webmaster Help thread:

  Yes, we revamped the data behind the backlinks feature in Webmaster Tools -- it has started using more data from "Caffeine" for some sites and is planned to continue with a bit more data in the next week or so. The goal is to have more fresher & up-to-date data there :-).

  So it seems like you can now expect a heck of a lot more data to be shown in the link reports and likely the other reports as well.

  Good stuff!

  Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.

  
  

• 

  BP's Google AdWords Ad Goes Against Display URL Guidelines

  Posted: July 1st, 2010, 3:55pm CEST by rustybrick

  Tags:  Google AdWords  

  This is interesting, if you search for [oil spill] in Google, you should see an ad for BP. The display URL on that ad is www.BP.com/OilSpillClean but if you click on it, you are taken to YouTube.com and not BP.com.

  This clearly goes against Google AdWords display URL policy that reads:

  Your display URL must accurately reflect the landing page URL of the website you're advertising. It should match the domain of your landing page so that users will know which site they'll be taken to when they click on your ad.

  It seems like BP is getting away with this either through some sort of bug in Google's ad system or they were given a special consideration for this?

  Here is a picture of the ad:

  If you click on it, you go to YouTube.com, specifically to the BP channel on YouTube.com.

  Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

  
  

• 

  Google News Redesign Now Live : Do You Like It?

  Posted: July 1st, 2010, 3:46pm CEST by rustybrick

  Tags:  Google Search Engine  

  Google has been testing a new design for a while now, those who see it and write about it, have been complaining. We posted early pictures of the design in February. But now, anyone who goes to [news.google.com] will see the design.

  The Google News blog explains why and shows before and after pictures, including a video. Danny also does an excellent analysis of the change. Here is the video:

  Here is a picture, of the full page as I see it today for archive purposes.

  So, do you like it?

  Do You Like The New Google News Design?customer surveys

  Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld and Google News Help.

  
  

• 

  Google Confusing 301 Redirects?

  Posted: July 1st, 2010, 3:36pm CEST by rustybrick

  Tags:  Google Optimization  

  A WebmasterWorld thread has reports that Google is confusing 301 redirects as 302 redirects. This can be a serious issue, because 301s are the type of redirects SEOs and webmasters use to properly pass link juice and page factors from an old URL to a new.

  If Google considers these 301s as 302s, temporary redirects, it can cause pretty large issues with passing link value from one URL to another. At the same time, there can be sticky issues that may lead to hijacking URLs and so on in the Google search results, when using 302 redirects. So this can lead to some serious issues, from what I understand.

  A senior member in the forum said:

  I have set such a redirect over a year ago, and still several thousand of the redirected URLs show in the SERPs.

  There's something broken in their system.

  This morning I also saw Dave Naylor write on Twitter:

  .bbpBox17489263787 {background:url(http://a3.twimg.com/profile_background_images/113704743/bg.jpg) #000000;padding:20px;} p.bbpTweet{background:#fff;padding:10px 12px 10px 12px;margin:0;min-height:48px;color:#000;font-size:18px !important;line-height:22px;-moz-border-radius:5px;-webkit-border-radius:5px} p.bbpTweet span.metadata{display:block;width:100%;clear:both;margin-top:8px;padding-top:12px;height:40px;border-top:1px solid #fff;border-top:1px solid #e6e6e6} p.bbpTweet span.metadata span.author{line-height:19px} p.bbpTweet span.metadata span.author img{float:left;margin:0 7px 0 0px;width:38px;height:38px} p.bbpTweet a:hover{text-decoration:underline}p.bbpTweet span.timestamp{font-size:12px;display:block}

  @neyne have your seen all the 301 fuck ups at the moment ..less than a minute ago via webDave Naylor
  DaveNaylor

  .bbpBox17490942128 {background:url(http://a3.twimg.com/profile_background_images/56926447/lab_bckg_s.jpg) #fbfbfd;padding:20px;} p.bbpTweet{background:#fff;padding:10px 12px 10px 12px;margin:0;min-height:48px;color:#000;font-size:18px !important;line-height:22px;-moz-border-radius:5px;-webkit-border-radius:5px} p.bbpTweet span.metadata{display:block;width:100%;clear:both;margin-top:8px;padding-top:12px;height:40px;border-top:1px solid #fff;border-top:1px solid #e6e6e6} p.bbpTweet span.metadata span.author{line-height:19px} p.bbpTweet span.metadata span.author img{float:left;margin:0 7px 0 0px;width:38px;height:38px} p.bbpTweet a:hover{text-decoration:underline}p.bbpTweet span.timestamp{font-size:12px;display:block}

  @rustybrick check out Dave's tweet with SERPless than a minute ago via ÜberTwitterBranko Rihtman
  neyne

  .bbpBox17490376439 {background:url(http://a3.twimg.com/profile_background_images/113704743/bg.jpg) #000000;padding:20px;} p.bbpTweet{background:#fff;padding:10px 12px 10px 12px;margin:0;min-height:48px;color:#000;font-size:18px !important;line-height:22px;-moz-border-radius:5px;-webkit-border-radius:5px} p.bbpTweet span.metadata{display:block;width:100%;clear:both;margin-top:8px;padding-top:12px;height:40px;border-top:1px solid #fff;border-top:1px solid #e6e6e6} p.bbpTweet span.metadata span.author{line-height:19px} p.bbpTweet span.metadata span.author img{float:left;margin:0 7px 0 0px;width:38px;height:38px} p.bbpTweet a:hover{text-decoration:underline}p.bbpTweet span.timestamp{font-size:12px;display:block}

  @rustybrick @neyne I'm seeing 301 redirects ranking in google along with target sites like [bro.gs] seeing more pop everydayless than a minute ago via webDave Naylor
  DaveNaylor

  Are you noticing this as well?

  Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

  
  

• 

  Happy Canada Day From Google & Bing

  Posted: July 1st, 2010, 3:29pm CEST by rustybrick

  Tags:  Search Engine Industry News  

  Wanted to wish our Canadian readers a very happy Canada Day! Google Canada and Bing (even US) have special logos or themes up for the day. Yahoo Canada does not.

  Here is the outstanding Google Canada Day logo:

  Here is Bing USA for Canada Day:

  Here is Bing Canada Today:

  Forum discussion at Google Blogoscoped Forums.

  
  

• 

  Bing Releases Advanced Query Guide: SEOs Take A Look

  Posted: July 1st, 2010, 3:22pm CEST by rustybrick

  Tags:  Microsoft MSN Search  

  Bing has released a section explained their advanced search operators that can be used on Bing.com. Here is a list of those explained operators:

  • altloc:
  • AND
  • contains:
  • define
  • domain:
  • feed:
  • filetype:
  • hasfeed:
  • imagesize:
  • inanchor:
  • inbody:
  • instreamset:
  • intitle:
  • ip:
  • keyword
  • language:
  • literalmeta:
  • loc:
  • location:
  • meta:
  • msite:
  • near:
  • noalter:
  • norelax:
  • NOT
  • OR
  • site:
  • url:
  • -
  • &
  • &&
  • (
  • )
  • :
  • [
  • ]
  • |
  • ||
  • "phrase”

  Tedster in a WebmasterWorld thread explains the value of such operators:

  Bing just published (and publicized) an extensive list of Advance Operators. What a look into their search technology this offers! For example, here's a description of the advanced operator norelax:

  
  norelax: Only allow search word, phrase or word: in the constraint. Bing implements relaxcount for a 5+ word query by default; that is, the fifth word in a query and subsequent appears do not necessarily appear in results.

  Example: cry for you lyrics norelax:September

  Remarks The effect of the syntax in this example is to specify that all returned results must contain september. In the absence of the norelax: operator, since there are 5 words in the query, Bing would augment with a relaxcount=+1, that could return documents that do not contain september.

  SEOs, enjoy!

  Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

  
  

• 

  Google Drops AdWords Professionals Label In Help Forum

  Posted: July 1st, 2010, 3:13pm CEST by rustybrick

  Tags:  Google AdWords  

  About a year ago Google started to help Google Advertising Professionals stand out in the forums by giving them a special label by their name.

  Sarah from Google told us in a Google AdWords Help thread that this label is now removed. She explained, "recently revamped the old Google Advertising Professional Program and relaunched the Google AdWords Certification Program." Due to that change Google has "removed the 'Google Advertising Professional' label from forum users until we can find a scalable way to relabel users who meet the new program qualifications."

  So it may be back, but I don't expect it anytime soon.

  Here is a before and after on a profile avatar:

  I wonder if some will hold a revolt or not.

  Forum discussion at Google AdWords Help.