====================================================== All the tricks of the search engine trade and more ... ====================================================== vol. 4/issue 018 _ _ ___ __ __ _ | \ | | __/ / /(TM) / _| _ _ | \ | ||_\_\ / /_____ / /_ __ _ ___ | |___ _____| \| | __/ \/\/ / ___| | _/ _` | \| / - \/ _ _ \|\ ||__\ /\ / \ ___ \ |_| \ _,_|_|\_|_\___/_| | |_|| \_ |___/\/ \/ |_____/ ====================================================== 2002-12-20 --- Sent by subscription only! Circulation: 17,712+ very special readers, and growing ====================================================== < mailto:fantomNews@fantomaster.com > ------------------------------------------------------ This newsletter may be freely redistributed by email in its unedited form. Please do share it with others! ------------------------------------------------------ SPAM FILTER ALERT: If your mail provider or your email client software is protected by anti-spam software such as SpamAssassin or Spamnix, make sure to whitelist messages from < fantomNews@fantomaster.com >! ------------------------------------------------------ ************************************************* * A gentleman is one who never hurts anyone's * * feelings unintentionally. - Oscar Wilde * ************************************************* ------------- IN THIS ISSUE ------------- <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< fantomAd >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "This is a truly incredible SEO daisy cutter!" ------------------------------------------------------ Just released: fantomas shadowMaker(TM) - the most powerful tool SEO has ever seen. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> = News Flash: Release News: fantomas shadowMaker(TM) * Release News: fantomNews Premium Edition * Release News: fantomas spiderSpy(TM) SQL Premium Service * Major Site Revamp * Season's Greetings = fantomas shadowMaker(TM) Released - Changing The World of IP Delivery! = fantomNews Premium Edition Launches January '03 = FAST Indexing MS Word Documents = Teoma/Ask Jeeves Expands Reach, Is Web's Number Two = HotBot Revamped - Turns Meta. Kind Of. = Google's "SEO" Information - More Of the Usual Boo-Boo = fantomTip Time To Duck Under? Join the Anonymous SEO Forum = Free Submission to Lycos = fantomTip Submission Fees for Search Engines and Directories = Google Acknowledges fantomaster As a "World Authority On Search Engines" = How to Recover Your Lost 404 Traffic And Convert It Into Sales = Google Uber Alles - Froogling E-Commerce = fantomTip Google Update History - Checking For Patterns <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Sponsorship Notice >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> THE ULTIMATE SEARCH ENGINE BOOK - And why you shouldn't miss out on this one <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> = fantomTip Does SEO=SPAM? = fantomaster's Ten Commandments of SEO According to Google = How To Optimize HTML Tables for Search Engines = fantomTip All the Skins On Alltheweb = fantomSpot: Featured SE Site Campus Search for German Academia * Search Tools <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Sponsorship Notice >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> FASTEST SUBMISSION - FASTEST RESULTS Don't wait for ages - get instant qualified search engine traffic NOW! Guaranteed 48 hour inclusion to Altavista, HotBot, Inktomi, Looksmart, MSN, whatUseek, WebWombat, Slider, Corporate Yahoo and other search engines. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> = fantomTip Don't Get Deleted - Use This E-Mail SpamCheck Report! = Teoma Implements New Search Syntax = Disturbing Search Results = SEO/SEM Isn't Everything - Try Other Venues, Too = fantomFAQ How to find the best keywords for your web site = The Search Engine Grapevine: News 'n Stuff = Classified Ads = Guest Columnist Andrew Gerhart: "Calculating Your SEO Campaign Return on Investment" = Guest Columnist Ammon Johns: "New Overture UK Rule: 5 Searches Per Month Minimum" = How to Be Featured as Our Guest Columnist = fantomAd "Spying On the Spiders: Our Landmark Online Service" <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Sponsorship Notice >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> KEEP ON TRACKIN'! Real-life search terms are YOUR instant gold mine <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> = Spider IPs: Lots of New Exotic Spiders Detected = Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< fantomAd >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "This is a truly incredible SEO daisy cutter!" ------------------------------------------------------ Just released: fantomas shadowMaker(TM) - the world's first fully automatic Shadow Domain Generator, the most powerful tool SEO has ever seen! Instant Cloaking - another webmaster dream come true. Get it here for our introductory firesale price: < http://fantomaster.com/faorder0.html > <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++news flash+++news flash+++news flash+++news flash++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Release News: fantomas shadowMaker(TM) * Release News: fantomNews Premium Edition * Release News: fantomas spiderSpy(TM) SQL Premium Service * Major Site Revamp * Season's Greetings ------------------------------------------------------ (rt) Another jumbo issue to make it your way - seems we are living, as the old Chinese curse goes, in interesting times. So let's contribute: we have no less than four great fantomaster news items for you this time! - #1: We've finally released our new automatic Shadow Domain generator product fantomas shadowMaker(TM) and it's available per immediately. Also, it comes at a firesale introductory price - see our article below: "fantomas shadowMaker(TM) Released - Defining The Future of IP Delivery!" Or, order it immediately here - Online order form: < https://khedive.com/fantomaster/faorder/faorder.cgi > Offline Order Form: < http://fantomaster.com/faorderoffl1.html > - #2: The release date for the first issue of our new fantomNews(TM) Premium Edition has been set to 2003-01- 07 - see our article below: "fantomNews Premium Edition Launches January '03". Or, subscribe immediately here - Online order Form: < https://khedive.com/fantomaster/faorder/faorder.cgi > Offline Order Form: < http://fantomaster.com/faorderoffl1.html > - #3: Scheduled for January - the SQL Premium version of our fantomas spiderSpy(TM), offering even more powerful customization, automatic downloads, and, of course, the world's most comprehensive database of verified search engine spider! - #4: Major site revamp forthcoming - this new site design is sure to blow you away! A major 100% CSS job, fully scalable, compatible with all standard browsers, etc. etc. -let's stop drooling! :-) Make sure to revisit our site so you won't miss the switch! And finally, wherever you may be in the world - the fantomNews crowd extends its cordial best wishes for an enjoyable festive season and a roaringly successful Happy New Year! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++news flash+++news flash+++news flash+++news flash++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== fantomas shadowMaker(TM) Released - Defining The Future of IP Delivery! ------------------------------------------------------ The fully automatic Shadow Domain(TM) generator is out now! Shadow Domains are dedicated web properties focused on offering optimized content to search engines while redirecting human visitors to another site, typically a company's Core or main domain. So, technically speaking, Shadow Domains are web sites consisting entirely of cloaked pages not intended for human perusal. While they may arguably constitute the most powerful techniques of search engine optimization, creating properly optimized, highly effective Shadow Domains requires a ton of expertise and weeks of manual labor - no longer: enter fantomas shadowMaker(TM)! Right - this was the past tense, yesterday's news. So join the future of IP Delivery! Because now you can automate the whole process of Shadow Domain creation from A to Z! This powerful server based application lets you generate an unlimited number of highly optimized Shadow Domains in a whiffy. Core features: -------------- – automatic generation of relevant fillertext – automatic fillertext sanitization – unlimited number of fully crosslinked phantom pages – 10,000 unique pages per hour and more* – customizable keyword density and page weight – automatic scheduled search engine submission – automatic recognition of search engine spiders – world's largest search engine spider database – individual real time redirection of human visitors by search term – fully customizable (* may vary by system capacity) Includes (as integrated modules) the functionality of: ------------------------------------------------------ – fantomas spiderSpy(TM) (12 months sub) – fantomas shadowSniper(TM) – fantomas keyMixer(TM) – fantomas subFrog PRO(TM) Regular price: $1,560 Special introductory offer (valid till 28 February 2003): – only $1,280 >>> Save $280! Which you can do right here - Online order Form: < https://khedive.com/fantomaster/faorder/faorder.cgi > Offline Order Form: < http://fantomaster.com/faorderoffl1.html > ------------------------------------------------------ fantomNews Premium Edition - "The Full Disclosure - The Full Control!" ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== fantomNews Premium Edition Launches January '03 ------------------------------------------------------ The fantomNews(TM) Premium Edition announced in our last issue is scheduled for launch on 2002-01-07! The professionals' version our newsletters will cover: – Search Engine Marketing – Search Engine Optimization – Industrial-Strength Cloaking – IP Delivery – Webmaster Tools – SEM Case Studies – Hard Stats (Traffic, ROI, etc.) - Search Engine Spider IPs - Web Server Security Issues ... and lots more. There will be NO duplicate content between the Standard and the Premium Edition of fantomNews! The fantomNews(TM) Premium Edition will also be free of ads and affiliate program links. A 12 months subscription will cover 10 issues. Regular price is $36 per year. However, here's our special introductory offer (valid till 28 February 2003): only $24 So you'll save $12 if you sign up now! Which you can do right here - Online order Form: < https://khedive.com/fantomaster/faorder/faorder.cgi > Offline Order Form: < http://fantomaster.com/faorderoffl1.html > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== FAST Indexing MS Word Documents ------------------------------------------------------ (rt) FAST/Alltheweb has begun indexing documents in MS Word's ".doc" format. They are labeled "MS Word" next to the title on the SERP. This also covers Lycos, the recently revamped HotBot, the huge InfoSpace network (Excite, Dogpile, WebCrawler, Metacrawler), as well as Lycos Europe, Eniro (formerly Scandinavia Online), T- Online, and Tiscali. So: from an SEM/SEO standpoint, start submitting your web site's MS Word content to FAST and advise your clients to do the same. Read their press release here: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=fas03 > And here's their search engine home page: < http://www.alltheweb.com/ > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== Teoma/Ask Jeeves Expands Reach, Is Web's Number Two ------------------------------------------------------ (rt) Business Wire reports that Ask Jeeves (Ask), owners of Teoma, and InfoSpace have announced an agreement to add Teoma's search results to the InfoSpace meta-search imperium. While Teoma's search results are already being featured on Metacrawler, they will now be added to Webcrawler, Dogpile and Excite as well. According to a recent Nielsen/NetRatings report, Ask Jeeves (Ask) is now rated the second most frequently visited search engine on the Web. Teoma, technologically far more advanced in the field of theme based ranking than Google, while currently featuring a far smaller index, is obviously deemed to hold great future as a coming major player in the search engine industry. Just one day before the InfoSpace announcement HotBot was relaunched -featuring Teoma as one of its quasi-meta search options - can't well expect much more increased coverage in that short a time. Incidentally, this may make Ask Jeeves' PFI program, not exactly the most popular among SEMs, a lot more attractive in the coming months as well. Business Wire full text article: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=buw01 > Teoma direct: < http://teoma.com > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== HotBot Revamped - Turns Meta. Kind Of. ------------------------------------------------------ (rt) Some more news beyond Google for a change! Terra Lycos, Spanish owners of search engine veteran HotBot, long deemed more or less dormant, has launched the next generation of look-and-feel for the search portal and added some unexpected new features. Searchers can now choose between Inktomi (default), Google, FAST and Teoma indices by simply clicking on the radio buttons of the horizontal navigation bar. This effectively makes HotBot a meta search engine displaying results in parallel, not in aggregated form. Alternate results are displayed instantly - a very neat comparison search feature. Overture results are displayed above as "Sponsored Links" across the board. Thus, HotBot now offers an alternative to PositionTech's "pure Inktomi" search - a very welcome addition to the SEO/SEM world as it was never quite clear for how long PositionTech would continue to keep this feature accessible. (After all, it was only quite recently that they switched from a mere IP address to a full domain name.) Download speed compares very well with the likes of Google and FAST/Alltheweb. All in all: cool! Main page: < http://www.hotbot.com > Search results can be customized (e.g. to include "Related Searches" or "Related Categories", etc.) in the Preferences section: < http://www.hotbot.com/prefs_results.asp > There's also a variety of filters available which may find special favor with professional researchers and power surfers. These include language, domain style, word inclusions/exclusions, date, file types and profanity filtering: < http://www.hotbot.com/prefs_filters.asp > Similar to FAST/Alltheweb, HotBot now offers a selection of CSS powered skins (including a text-only design). What's more, this way HotBot actually enables you to skin-design Google, Fast, Inktomi and Teoma. Skins are available here: < http://www.hotbot.com/prefs_skins.asp > More on site info: < http://www.hotbot.com/new.asp > Terra Lycos is promoting the relaunch with a print and online campaign from Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos in Boston featuring the slogan "More search. More engine". Here's an AdWeek article analyzing this campaign: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=adw01 > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== Google's "SEO" Information - More Of the Usual Boo-Boo ------------------------------------------------------ (rt) In their recently uploaded SEO tips for webmasters, and following a direct inquiry by Google's senior software developer Matt Cutts with the fantomaster, Google has chosen to adopt our term "Shadow Domain" for dedicated cloaking web sites: a wonderful compliment - were it not embedded in the usual boo-boo about not ever daring to make use of such domains and stressing "ethical practices" - meaning anything Google wants you to comply with as a webmaster. Mandatory denunciation included, it goes without saying: "Ethical SEO firms report deceptive sites that violate Google's spam guidelines." So the veritable Google fan and partner will by default double as a snitch, eh? To make matters worse, this sentence is actually preceded by the verbatim admonition: "Ask your SEO firm if it reports every spam abuse that it finds to Google using our spam complaint form [...]" - hear, hear! So not ratting on your colleagues and competitors - and anyone else for that matter - (might this not violate many people's religious convictions?) will actually disqualify you as an SEO agent in Google's eyes? Rub your eyes and read it again - this is what it actually says! What twisted kind of self-gratifying "ethics" is this supposed to be? Conceivably, there are some brighter minds in the SEO industry who might actually find this attitude and its overall implications quite nauseous. But this type of brouhaha cannot really come as a big surprise as it merges seamlessly with Google's less than savory political censorship track record - widely covered all over the Web and on this site, too - same attitude, same Big Brother servility ... But hold it! Hasn't Matt Cutts been reported as holding a top security clearance with the NSA and other spook agencies? Sure figures. Not that they're actually offering anything useful beyond badmouthing those SEO companies they deem dubious (though they do shun publishing names - wouldn't it be a cool spectacle watching the ensuing law suits if they only dared!), warning no end against employing their services. Else, it's fire and brimstone all the way. Bashing all types of doorway pages in one fell swoop is yet another non-endearing characteristic of this "information". To top it all, Google even makes bold to assume an authoritative stance on SEO industry business practices by actually advising its readers: "For your own safety, you should insist on a full and unconditional money-back guarantee." Ah yes, and no matter the costs of site development on clients' behalf, the hours spent on in-depth keyword research, the resources devoted to advising clients on how to style and layout their pages, to name but a few standard services offered by present day SEOs? How about asking Google for a refund if their AdWords don't perform as they should, e.g. by generating only a fraction of the traffic promised? We can't seem to detect such a clause in their advertisers TOS. Here's another gem of Google advice: "You should ask how long a company has been in business and how many full time staffers it employs." Knowing full well that most SEO agencies are one-man or one-woman setups, this is tantamount to a declaration of war on the vast majority of the SEO industry. And never mind the faulty logic involved - why should the number of full time staffers or the age of a company constitute a reliable indicator of their SEO skills? And why make things so hard for ambitious, SEO savvy upstarts? By Google's own admission, this is a "far from a comprehensive list, so if you have any doubts, you should trust your instincts." Unfortunately, they decline to specify what kind of "instincts" you are supposed to rely on here. You certainly won't find them in anthropological textbooks, so much is for sure. So what's new? And while we're talking ethics here: no kudos given for our trademark protected term "Shadow Domain(TM)" - how come we're not surprised? But thanks, Googlers, for the unintended compliment anyway! They've also underlined their general (guess what: anti-)stance on cloaking in their recently expanded FAQ page. Of course (and again: quite expectably), this meets with the unabashed delight and downright applause of all the self righteous do-gooders in the forums where primarily those SEO artists seem to convene who have never had to deal with anything more challenging than your down-the-street mom-and-pop sweet shop site and similarly "competitive" outfits for SEO clients. However, the real pros are fairly less amused: in his carefully worded take on the subject, Brett Tabke on WebmasterWorld Forum argues that this document actually negates the progress made in recent years with search engines and SEOs tentatively moving towards another. His conclusion: "The document by Google, takes a bit of those efforts back many steps. It could be viewed as a signal to return to the days of open unfettered antagonism between webmasters and search engines. I think we are beyond that now and would not like to see the previous good work we've done together wasted. It would be nice if there were a bit more balance to the document." And, later on in the thread: "And now we have a document about our industry on Google. I can't view it any other way than an fear spreading attack piece. As a whole the message is simple: we are liars and cheats not to be trusted." Amen, yeah, and amen! But hey - didn't we always advise against cloaking for Google because they don't like it? So we did, Matt, so we did - and we have plenty of witnesses to prove it! Not that we'd ever imply that it won't work, though, as this would really be asking a bit much ... :-) * Google's SEO information page: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=goo01 > * Google's FAQ page: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=goo02 > * Brett Tabke's WebmasterWorld Forum comment: < PULLED FOR REASONS UNDISCLOSED > More controversial discussions - * On Cr8aSite Forums: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=cre02 > * At Jim's World's Search Engine Forums: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=sef01 > * At Chris Ridings's Search Engine Optimization Support Forums: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=seos01 > < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=seos02 > - And fantomaster's posted comment: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=seos03 > * And do make sure you don't miss out this excellent parody by Chris Ridings himself: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=seos04 > * Some discussion on JK Bowman's Spider-Food Forum: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=sff02 > * At the new, anonymized SEO Forum: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=seof01 > * SearchKing Bob Massa, web marketing veteran of recently enhanced PR0 lawsuit fame has a bash at explaining "all the Google bashing" currently going on: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=sek02 > * Finally, here's Danny Sullivan's take, with more additional and well-commented links (beam! :-) than you can shake an automatic doorway page generator joystick at: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=sew06 > * And if you haven't done so yet, do sign up here via our affiliate link for the full version, reserved to paying subscribers - a definite must for any serious SEO/SEM: < http://www.fantomaster.com/tj.cgi?ln=sew > Note how Google's Matt Cutts is being quoted in this article, offering a toned down "everything's quite harmless" exegesis to just about every controversial point in their SEO advice piece - if anything, this certainly smells like one major effort at damage control. Little wonder ... 'nuff said. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== fantomTip Time To Duck Under? Join the Anonymous SEO Forum ------------------------------------------------------ (rt) Seeing that Google's heavy-handed SEO policy is relying strongly on denunciation (see article above) and personal identification of whomever they in their fundamentalist Manichean worldview may consider to be "SEO evildoers", the time seems to have arrived for dissident webmasters to duck under and anonymize their forum participation. Come the time when this may well be the only viable option for an unbiased debate on SEO techniques not endorsed by the likes of Google and other SE control freaks. And this exactly is what the brand new SEO Forum "for the anonymous, risk-free discussion of all SEO techniques and methods" is offering. Check it out here: < http://webworkshop.net/seoforum/ > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== Free Submission to Lycos ------------------------------------------------------ (rt) Try this link (requires free signup) for a free submission of your web site to Lycos: < http://insite.lycos.com/searchservices/lite_step1.asp > For paid submission (certainly the more professional and reliable approach), we recommend our own affiliate link (thus helping support fantomNews and keep it free): < http://fantomaster.com/tj.cgi?ln=tr0 > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== fantomTip Submission Fees for Search Engines and Directories ------------------------------------------------------ (rt) Keeping up with search engine and directory submission fees is gradually turning into a full time job, and a pretty confusing one at that. Here's an excellent resource maintained by the sweetest lady in search, Kim Krause ("Search Engine Optimization is akin to shooting darts at a dartboard with a moving center." And, just as good: "Today's sad news: Google is still in the news.") This page keeps you up-to-date on how much mullah the search portals will charge for your contribution to expand their indices and improve their search results. (Shouldn't it actually be the other way round? Oh, well...) Check it out here: < http://www.cre8pc.com/search_fees.html > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== Google Acknowledges fantomaster As a "World Authority On Search Engines" ------------------------------------------------------ (rt) Well, sort of - but check it out for yourself while it's still on :-) < http://www.googlism.com/who_is/f/fantomaster/ > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== How to Recover Your Lost 404 Traffic And Convert It Into Sales ------------------------------------------------------ (rt) Microsoft's IE Browser is stealing your 404 traffic! Did you know that web browsers are hijacking your potentially lucrative 404 traffic? Well, they really are -and here's what you should be doing about it: < http://www.fantomaster.com/tj.cgi?ln=404 > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== Google Uber Alles - Froogling E-Commerce ---------------------------------------- (rt) Being the world's undisputed #1 search engine now, Google maintains a huge database of web sites, plus tons of user data collected via their toolbar and their AdWords Select service. Now, it seems, the time has come to capitalize on these assets wholesale. With its recent launch of the "Froogle" service (still in beta), Google has made it perfectly clear which way their e-commercial cookie crumbles: Froogle is a shopping catalog that finds product information from retailers by name and price range. It is currently limited to U.S. based companies only, and affiliate partner sites are specifically not qualified for listing. Inclusion is free, but it remains to be seen whether Google will actually uphold this format in the long run. AdWords are displayed as usual, so the service is being monetized already. Participating merchants can submit their catalogs as XHTML feeds, which, of course, is a very welcome feature. However, affiliate program partners' reception has been less than enthusiastic: most affiliates are voicing fears that this will effectively kill their marketing efforts in favor of large corporations' increasing domination of the e-commerce marketplace. Out of the plethora of articles covering this new move by Google, it seems to us that The Register has best pinpointed the issues involved. Read "Frugal Google aims to be catalog, e-commerce lynchpin": < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=trg01 > The Froogle merchant information page can be found here: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=goo03 > In the meantime, here are the first Froogle optimization tips on WebmasterWorld Forums: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=wmwf05 > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== fantomTip Google Update History - Checking For Patterns ------------------------------------------------------ (rt) Brett Tabke's neat chart documents Google Updates since July 2000 - part of an ongoing search for discernible patterns (even including moon phases!) which, however, has been unsuccessful so far. Seems that Google's index updates are triggered manually or, at the very least, erratically. See the chart here: < http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum3/2657.htm > And follow the discussion: < http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum3/5211.htm > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Sponsorship Notice >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> THE ULTIMATE SEARCH ENGINE BOOK And why you shouldn't miss out on this one - a must-read for any webmaster! ------------------------------------------------------ This killer publication is setting an industry standard for years to come. Already, Mike Grehan's "Search Engine Marketing: The essential best practice guide" is breaking all sales records, and deservedly so! This book offers a plethora of in-depth information you won't find elsewhere. It can help you avoid numerous costly traps tied to all that dated and faulty advice circulating widely around the Internet. Mike Grehan effectively debunks many of the search engine optimization industry's fondest myths, presenting realistic, viable alternatives instead. If you're serious about efficient search engine marketing, this is definitely the best book money can buy. An indisputable must-read. Check it out here: < http://fantomaster.com/tj.cgi?ln=sem1 > <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ====================================================== fantomTip Does SEO=SPAM? ------------------------------------------------------ (rt) If you'd like to follow one of the most intelligent SEO discussions we've seen in recent years, go have a look the "Does SEO=SPAM?" debate on Cre8asite Forums. Yes, there's some white noise involved, as such discussions go, but you'll find more than one pearl of wisdom and hands-on practical knowledge in this thread. Read it up here: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=cre03 > Plus, here's Kim Krause's posting on the history of SEO, now a full article titled "You Build The Search Portal, I'll Send The Sites", available at SearchEngineGuide: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=seg01 > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== How To Optimize HTML Tables for Search Engines ------------------------------------------------------ (rt) Not all tables are created equal - and if you don't build them correctly, your search engine rankings may suffer considerably. Keep your navigation on the left and maintain SE optimization efficiency without sacrificing design concerns. Find out how here to set about this in all detail: < http://www.fantomaster.com/tj.cgi?ln=tab > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== fantomaster's Ten Commandments of SEO According to Google ------------------------------------------------------ (rt) Preface ------- Thou shalt accept unequivocally and unwaveringly that Google is King and Queen and Emperor and the Mother of All Search Engines. So shalt thou strive to make Google happy and content and avoid Its wrath like the plague It is. 1. I am the Lord thy Google who will lead thee into Search Engine Heaven if only thou obeyest and heedest Me and My commandments unwaveringly, and if on top of that thou applaudest even the intellectually most challenged and trivial of My PR stunts such as Mine Holiday Logos or My Mother's Day pictures or Mine SEO advice pages. Those, however, who dare to Think For Themselves, or those who will Criticize My divine will, or those who will deem Mine Holiday Logos talentless and My PR gimmicks tasteless and pointless, or those even whom I Love Not simply because so it pleases Me, shall I toss into the foulest depths of eternal Search Engine Hell, never to recover from Mine utter chastisement. Their web sites shall be barren and forgotten and untrafficked until the end of time. For I alone shall define business practices and ethics requirements for thee and thy breed. Thou shalt not have other search engines before Me. 2. Thou shalt not reverse-engineer My ranking algorithm or attempt to inflate My PageRank(TM) for thine own or thy clients' web sites by signing up for link farms or any other link popularity enhancing programs I refuse to define at this place and at this point in time. For I the Lord thy Google am a jealous Search Engine, visiting the iniquity of the home sites upon the mirror sites and the Shadow Domains(TM) unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me. And showing mercy unto thousands of them that cringe before Me, and keep My commandments to the dotcom without ever making bold to question Mine ulterior motives. 3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy Google in vain in thought, word or deed, lest thou shouldst run afoul of Mine almighty index ban policy. 4. Remember the days of the Google Dance, to keep them holy and free from page submissions. Thou shalt rely alone on My spiders to find thy pages at their own whimsy, and ne'er shalt thou question the faulty logic of My PageRank(TM) nor My positioning of thy pages. 5. Thou shalt not scavenge My bandwidth by employing automatic rank checking software lest I shall ban thine IP from Mine index forever. Neither shalt thou promote, discuss or mention in public any such program or service or other software displeasing to Mine eye, nor shalt thou link to it in any way, or I shall visit My wrath upon thee day and night and assign to thy pages the dreaded PR0. 6. Thou shalt offer an "unconditional money-back guarantee" to thy clients. For the love of Me the Lord thy Google shalt thou not heed the costs of site development on clients' behalf, the hours spent on in-depth keyword research, the resources devoted to advising clients on how to style and layout their pages or any other services offered to clients by thine SEO agency: surely shalt thou bear the brunt of the risk and the labor, and thou shalt rejoice therein, even if thy clients should fleece thee braindead in this manner. For I the Lord thy Google have ordained such in My infinite wisdom and, thus, so mote it be. 7. Thou shalt not write or publish or contrive, and be it only in thought, any positive articles on cloaking or doorways or link exchanges or any other practices abhorrent to Me the Lord thy Google, for verily, I am a jealous Search Engine. 8. Thou shalt heartily recommend thy competitors to any client or lead inquiring about them in the most glowing of terms. If thou shouldst lose their business in the process, thou shalt not grieve or make bold to curse My clueless ethics guidelines. Rather, thou shalt rejoice in the warm, fuzzy good Google karma this will surely bestow upon thee. And get an honest nine-to-five job somewhere else instead to make ends meet lest thy children should starve therefrom. 9. Thou shalt bear witness against all thy competitors, spying and snitching and ratting on them whenever thou perceivest a purported spam causing grief to Mine index and My corporate ego. And My profits. For thus shalt thou spare Me labor and the expense of attending to Mine Own job. And if thou wilt not lay it to heart to give glory to My name in this manner, behold, I will corrupt thy ranking, and spread dung upon thy name, and castigate thee as unethical, and thine SEO agency shall be damned and misranked in all eternity. For verily, I am a jealous Search Engine. 10. Lest thou shouldst run afoul of My wrath, and lest I - as has always been My own free pleasure - have not told thee the whole story by a long shot, thou shalt rely on thine instincts and on mere hearsay in all other matters SEO. And may the stochastic grace of the Lord thy Google be with thee, and may it guide thee in this for want of other clear-cut rules of the game. For Mine online support team resteth not except when challenged to reply by the likes of thee. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== fantomTip All the Skins On Alltheweb ------------------------------------------------------ (rt) Alltheweb/FAST offers a set of downloadable free CSS generated "skins" which allow users to customize the search engine's look and feel. Following a CSS design competition, the winners' contributions are on display now, too. Here are the links to the various types of skins for you to try out: Alchemist(TM) Design Contest Winners' Layouts --------------------------------------------- + "Gradients" (Arild Andersen) - 1st Place < http://www.alltheweb.com/?1039528905 > + "All Yours" (Wilson C. Alba) - 2nd Place < http://www.alltheweb.com/?1039528991 > + "Five Shades of Gray" (Daniel Kastrup) - 3rd Place < http://www.alltheweb.com/?1039529076 > Find more here: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=fas01 > Alltheweb's Own Layouts ----------------------- * Classic < http://www.alltheweb.com/?1036131727 > * Halloween 2002 < http://www.alltheweb.com/?1036131693 > * Alchemy < http://www.alltheweb.com/?1036131675 > * Denim < http://www.alltheweb.com/?1036131176 > * Kiwi < http://www.alltheweb.com/?1036131593 > * Martini < http://www.alltheweb.com/?1036131593 > * Steel < http://www.alltheweb.com/?1036131555 > * Tattoo < http://www.alltheweb.com/?1036131528 > * Orange Creme - beta < http://www.alltheweb.com/?1036131033 > * No Skin < http://www.alltheweb.com/?1036131378 > Special occasional skins are available here: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=fas02 > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== fantomSpot: Featured SE Site "Campus Search for German Academia" * "Search Tools" ------------------------------------------------------ Campus Search is a search engine focusing on German university sites - an ideal source for the specialized academic and professional researcher. < http://www.campus-suche.de/ > Not a search engine but a prime resource for information on what's up in the information managemen (and, hence, search engine) world - highly recommended for anyone seriously interested in search technology and its encumbent issues: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=set01 > Also, check out their "Web Admin's Guide to Site Search Tools": < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=set02 > And,. of course, their home page, offering, among other things, a free newsletter: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=set00 > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Sponsorship Notice >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> FASTEST SUBMISSION - FASTEST RESULTS Don't wait for ages - get instant qualified search engine traffic NOW! ------------------------------------------------------ Guaranteed 48 hour inclusion to Altavista, HotBot, Inktomi, Looksmart, MSN, whatUseek, WebWombat, Slider, Corporate Yahoo, and other search engines. Save on regular rates, too! < http://www.fantomaster.com/tj.cgi?ln=tr0 > <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ====================================================== fantomTip Don't Get Deleted - Use This E-Mail SpamCheck Report! ------------------------------------------------------ (rt) Spamcheckers - they can be a real boon, saving you from growing crazy over the ever increasing daily spam flood. However, being the dumb programs they are, they can (and do!) create quite a few problems themselves - what if your own e-mail messages run afoul of their filter parms? More often than not, you will never even learn about it: most systems will simply trash your mail without informing you about it. And that's exactly what makes this new mail service so attractive! The free SpamCheck Report only points out the mistakes you may be making. Use the Report to eliminate that bad stuff. Avoid any of the "telltale" triggers that might label your mailing as spam such as excessive use of all caps in the subject line and message body of your e-mail, the use of no-no words, excessive use of punctuation, and lots more. To make use of it, simply send your e-mail (private messages, ezines, promotional mails, the works) individually to: < spamcheck-fantomaster@sitesell.net > < mailto:spamcheck-fantomaster@sitesell.net > IMPORTANT! ---------- Place the word TEST (in caps, no quotes) preceding your subject in the Subject Line! Let's repeat that because it's really important - Start the subject line with: TEST Else, the system will assume it's spam, which would pretty much defeat the usefulness of this fine service! That's all there is to it - you'll get a free, detailed spam-checking report via e-mail. Cool. To recapitulate: Send your mail messages for testing with "TEST" (all caps, no quotes) in the Subject Line to: < spamcheck-fantomaster@sitesell.net > < mailto:spamcheck-fantomaster@sitesell.net > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== Teoma Implements New Search Syntax ------------------------------------------------------ (rt) After expanding their database to 350 million pages, Teoma (which belongs to AskJeeves/Ask) has added new syntax features to its search setup. These include: * Ability to Limit By Language This is the language syntax: Danish = lang:da German = lang:de Spanish = lang:es French = lang:fr Italian = lang:it Dutch = lang:nl Norwegian = lang:no Portuguese = lang:pt Other features: Search on site = Site: Search in page text = Intext: Search in URL = Inurl: Search in page title = Intitle: Teoma will now also display your search terms in context now ("dynamic descriptions"). Finally, expect a spell checker to be available soon. Source: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=frp01 > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== Disturbing Search Results ------------------------------------------------------ (rt) This is quite a funny weblog, collaborative effort "dedicated to misleading search requests", discussing (and commenting - sometimes hilariously) on, well, you guessed it, disturbing search engine results. So much for SERP relevance ... Check it out here: < http://searchrequests.weblogs.com/ > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== Google: A Hacker's Best Friend ------------------------------------------------------ (rt) Thanks go to fN subscriber P.M. aka "circusboy" from < http://www.3ringstudios.com > for pointing out some interesting stuff showing that Google constitutes a prime security risk for very many web sites. For example, enter the following string (without the quotes) into the Google search box and expect to be surprised: "allintitle:index of / admin" Could this happen to your own site(s)? If so, don't waste time and do something about it! Next, try the following search strings (again, without the quotes): "top secret, site:mil" And: "confidential, site:mil" Granted that most of the links presented on Google's respective SERPs may offer only junk knowledge, you actually will find the odd gem or two - quite surprising for a search engine sporting such close ties to the U.S. government in general and the U.S. intelligence community in particular! As our source points out: "Talking Doorway Pages: These are doorway pages for hackers right into your server! Is this ethical for Google to allow this sort of thing to occur? Not to mention the blatant mass copyright infringement that occurs when they store my web pages and images on their servers ..." Read more about Google's unethical practices in the Flash site's "Whitepapers" section (article #3) at: < http://www.PenetrationTest.com > You can reach circusboy at: < paul@3ringstudios.com > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== SEO/SEM Isn't Everything - Try Other Venues, Too ------------------------------------------------------ (rt) As a subscriber to the fantomNews, you already know how important it is to "get it right" with your online marketing. You will also be aware that even the best search engine marketing can only do so much for your sales turnover. No web entrepreneurs worth their salt will limit promotional activities to this channel alone. That is why we're alerting you to what Time Magazine is saying about the ticklish subject of marketing via e- mail. Here's one of the statements in their Nov 3rd issue: "E-mail marketing is fast, effective and dirt cheap - a godsend for marketers in an economy that has crunched advertising budgets." They go on talking about how "the humble medium of e-mail is blossoming while flashier forms of Internet advertising are going the way of the Pets.com sock puppet." They also make this statement: "Little wonder that old-line companies like Ford and Procter & Gamble are joining early users of targeted e-mail pitches like Amazon.com and J. Crew." Remember, this is Time Magazine - that's about as mainstream as it gets. Translation: if you have yet to "correctly" integrate "permission e-mail marketing" into your online business plan, then you risk being thwarted by your competitors that do. It's just that plain and simple. To learn how we have successfully applied this outstanding strategy and how YOU can too, go to: < http://www.fantomaster.com/tj.cgi?ln=pem1 > There, you will also find a link to the entire Time Magazine report. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== fantomFAQ: - How to find the best keywords for your web site ------------------------------------------------------ Q: How can I find out the best keywords to use for my web site? A: Try the Copernic Summarizer (included in Copernic 2000) for starters. You can download a free trial version via our affiliate link here: < http://fantomaster.com/tj.cgi?ln=cps > It will generate a summary of your pages and will give give you a list of pertinent keywords. Then, check them out for frequency, variants, misspelled versions etc. at Wordtracker (affiliate link): < http://fantomaster.com/tj.cgi?ln=wt0 > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== The Search Engine Grapevine: News 'n Stuff ------------------------------------------------------ NOTE Shortlinks created with fantomas trackerJack PRO(TM): < http://fantomaster.com/fatrackjack0.html > ------------------------------------------------------ To keep this issue of fantomNews from busting your inbox, we've decided to post most Grapevine articles on a special page on our web site for a change - and yes, we regret any inconvenience this may cause. ------------------------------------------------------- The Kiwi SEO Weblog ------------------- For all you Aussies and New Zealanders out there, in case you haven't noticed yet, here's a link to the "New Zealand Search Engine Marketing and Optimisation Weblog", run by SEM consultant Gary Jensen: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=nzb00 > "Evil is what Sergey says is evil." Inside the Googleplex - And Sergey Brin --------------------------------------- Here's a sneak preview of the January '03 issue of Wired magazine! This insightful article takes a hard and sober look at Google today and tomorrow. It covers the censorship issues surrounding the world's current #1 search engine, co-founder Sergey Brin's philosophy behind their appeasement policy, and what's in the offing by way of business pressures once Google goes public, something all experts are expecting to happen very soon. Read "Google vs. Evil" here: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=wir01 > Google - the New Mogul On the Block ----------------------------------- This Optionetics investor-focused article spells it out as it is without a trace of acerbity: Google's rapidly turning into one giant, privately owned monopoly. Which has some serious implications, of course. Read on here: < http://fantomaster.com/fafngrapevine1.html#mogul > Yahoo! Ad Pulled In UK For Being "Homophobic" --------------------------------------------- A tv ad sponsored by Yahoo! in the UK has come under fire after several complaints launched by the gay community. Read on here: < http://fantomaster.com/fafngrapevine1.html#homophobe > Google's "Ghost Pages" Explained -------------------------------- In his article "Google Ghosts" on Search Optimization Support Forums Chris Ridings describes the phenomenon of "ghost pages" on Google, being temporarily indexed entries not yet fully ranked: an endless source of frustration for newbie webmasters unaware of what's actually going on. Full article: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=seos05 > Positiontech's New "Inktomi Pure Search" URL -------------------------------------------- Positiontech's Inktomi-powered "Pure Web Search" function, the only one on the which offers non- manipulated Inktomi search results, is sporting a new URL now. It also offers search restricted to documents in HTML, PDF, XLS and DOC format plus filtering for adult content, in line with Inktomi's recently launched "Web Search 9" technology. Check it out here: < http://search.positiontech.com/ > More on Inktomi's Web Search 9 program: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=ink02 > And here's a FreePint synopsis for a quick overview: < http://resourceshelf.freepint.com/ > For paid submissions to Inktomi (as well as Altavista, Looksmart, whatUseek, WebWombat, Slider, Corporate Yahoo and other search engines), we recommend our own affiliate link (thus helping support fantomNews and keep it free): < http://www.fantomaster.com/tj.cgi?ln=tr0 > fantomaster Interview Stirs Forum Controversy --------------------------------------------- Not quite surprisingly, the recent Search Engine Blog interview with fantomaster has stirred up a bit of a controversy in parts of the SEM/SEO community. Read on here: < http://fantomaster.com/fafngrapevine1.html#contra > fantomaster Interview With Search Engine Blog --------------------------------------------- Peter Da Vanzo did an extensive interview with the fantomaster ("the best beard in search" :-), covering a multitude of SEM related topics. Read up "Ten Questions with: Ralph Tegtmeier" here: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=seb01 > Inktomi Drops Enterprise Search to Focus On PFI ----------------------------------------------- Inktomi has sold its enterprise search division to Verity for $25 million and will focus on web search and its PFI model. Read on here: < http://fantomaster.com/fafngrapevine1.html#inkdrop > After the Revamp: AltaVista's New Features ------------------------------------------ In the course of its recent reassertive site revamp long-believed-dead AltaVista is offering various new features, making the search engine more attractive than ever - or so they hope. Read on here: < http://fantomaster.com/fafngrapevine1.html#avrevamp > AltaVista: More Googlesque Design, More Features ------------------------------------------------ Pandia Search Engine News offers an extensive overview of AltaVista's new search interface design (cloning Google even more than before) and its copious new features. Read on here: < http://fantomaster.com/fafngrapevine1.html#avoogle > fantomaster Featured in "Web Positioning Newsletter" ---------------------------------------------------- Following the Munich Search Engine Strategies conference in October, fantomaster.com was featured in an article by Gerda von Radetzky, reporting on the event. Read full article here (in German): < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=wpn01 > Google the Search Engine Bully? ------------------------------- In her recent weblog, Kim Krause covers the possibilities of being penalized by Google for trying to unfairly (in Google's view) boost your link popularity - many of the techniques in question being considered perfectly legitimate by the rest of the Web community. Read on here: < http://fantomaster.com/fafngrapevine1.html#boogle > Google's Top PageRank Sites --------------------------- Axandra.com offers a comprehensive overview of web sites enjoying PageRank 10 and 9 with Google, followed by a selection of PR 8 sites. Read on here: < http://fantomaster.com/fafngrapevine1.html#axandra > Trusted Feed Boosted at AltaVista After All? -------------------------------------------- Seems the cat's out of the bag now after all: According to Search Engine Watch guru Danny Sullivan AltaVista is actually giving a boost to Trusted Feed PFI pages after all, albeit under certain circumstances only - after vehemently denying the fact for months! Read full article "Paid Inclusion Listings May Get Boosted At AltaVista" here: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=sew01 > Search Engine "Perfect Page" Test --------------------------------- Chris Sherman and Danny Sullivan of Search Engine Watch have conducted a "Perfect Page Test", evaluating search engines' results pages and assigning them marks. Read on here: < http://fantomaster.com/fafngrapevine1.html#ppage > Ring Tones Search Engine Launched -------------------------------- German cellphone and WAP portal Jamba! has launched the world's first search engine for cellphone ring tones with about 10,000 files ready for (paid) download. Read on here: < http://fantomaster.com/fafngrapevine1.html#ringring > Inktomi Includes eLibrary Articles ---------------------------------- Alacritude, LLC, the Chicago-based start-up that purchased eLibrary.com and Encyclopedia.com earlier this year, has announced that documents available from eLibrary will now be indexed by Inktomi and included in search results on portals that use the Inktomi search engine such as MSN, About.com, Overture, LookSmart, HotBot, and others. Read on here: < http://fantomaster.com/fafngrapevine1.html#inkelib > Entireweb Goes Pay-For-Inclusion -------------------------------- Entireweb has announced a PFI program. Read on here: < http://fantomaster.com/fafngrapevine1.html#ewpfi > Overture's Auto Bid System Examined ----------------------------------- This hands-on article by Danny Sullivan examines and explains the somewhat confusing auto bid system implemented by Overture some months ago. Read on here: < http://fantomaster.com/fafngrapevine1.html#ovauto > Yahoo! Implements Major Changes to Y! Express --------------------------------------------- Yahoo! has implemented some dramatic changes to its Yahoo! Express paid submission program. Read on here: < http://fantomaster.com/fafngrapevine1.html#yahy > Google's Big Time Localized Censorship Exposed ---------------------------------------------- Google has done it again, and with a vengeance too: deleting web sites from their index i.e. censoring them. Only that they kept it more or less under wraps this time, probably because fearing the bad publicity it would generate Read on here: < http://fantomaster.com/fafngrapevine1.html#goocensor > Overture Expecting Profit Slump ------------------------------- While they are still well in the money for the running quarter, Overture executives are expecting a noticeable slump in profits through the end of the year after both AOL and Earthlink signed up with Google. Read the full story here: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=cnt02 > The Search Engine Freshness Showdown ------------------------------------ Here's an analysis of the major players in the search engine business and the freshness of their respective indices. More info: < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=ses01 > SearchKing Sues Google Over PageRank Ads Issue ---------------------------------------------- After seeing his web properties' rankings seriously demoted in the Google search index following the announcement of offering text ads based on PageRank, SearchKing's Robert Massa has filed a lawsuit today against Google on the grounds the organization arbitrarily and purposefully devalued his companies' and his customers' web sites, Read on here: < http://fantomaster.com/fafngrapevine1.html#skvsgoo > The "Google Sweat Shop" Under Increasing Fire --------------------------------------------- The Google Answers service is getting quite a bit of well deserved flak recently due to their business practices which seem to resemble a regular Southeast Asian sweat shop. Read on here: < http://fantomaster.com/fafngrapevine1.html#googsweat > ------------------------------------------------------ NOTE Shortlinks created with fantomas trackerJack PRO(TM): < http://fantomaster.com/fatrackjack0.html > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== Classified Ads ------------------------------------------------------ Inquire here for ad rates: fnads@fantomaster.com ------------------------------------------------------ WHY META TAGS WON'T GET YOU IN THE TOP 10 - HOW TO WIN THE SEARCH ENGINE WARS Learn why meta tags alone won't get you in the top 10 - and what you can do about it. Read the industry's most subscribed newsletter and book on how to win the search engine wars: < http://fantomaster.com/tj.cgi?ln=sh > ~~~~~~~~ THE USED BOOKS PARADISE Looking for used books, out of print books, rare books, discount books, antique books? Check out the world's largest repository: < http://verygoodbook.com/vgused_t1.html > Win $100 in books by signing up for the used books newsletter, too! ~~~~~~~~ The Globalnomads Campfire Site Unlocking Freedom - the smarter way! All things offshore: anonymous banking, offshore incorporation, tips & trick's for the PT's life, and more. < http://globalnomads.com > ~~~~~~~~ COLD CASH FROM THE PRINCIPALITY! The tax haven Offshore Lottery straight from the Principality of Liechtenstein * sponsor the Red Cross + Red Crescent * 100% tax free * ultra-confidential handling * everything bona fide + state supervised • $1 Million Jackpot lump payout guaranteed! • fast online access (multilingual) * simply grab your credit card and click along – and good luck to you! < http://fantomaster.com/tj.cgi?ln=lotto > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== Guest Columnist Andrew Gerhart: "Calculating Your SEO Campaign Return on Investment" ------------------------------------------------------ Intro: Andrew Gerhart is Director of SEO Operations of Top Site Listings, the Search Engine Optimization division of Orbidex, Inc. located in Providence, RI. Visit his web site here: < http://www.topsitelistings.com/ > You can contact him directly at: ------------------------------------------------------- Determining the return on investment (ROI) for any marketing campaign is an important part in the research and decision making process. Calculating the ROI for a particular marketing campaign can range from an extremely simple equation, to exquisitely difficult calculation. The same range applies when determining the ROI for different search engine optimization (SEO) campaigns. Below we will take a look at some of the different ROI calculations for SEO campaigns. Calculating ROI for E-Commerce Sites ------------------------------------ With an e-commerce website, determining the campaign ROI is quite simple. If a website sells a variety of products, you will need to determine the average price of the products sold. Let’s assume the average price of products sold is $75, and the site was selling 100 products a month pre-optimization. So, we can say that the website was grossing $7,500 from the sale of its products per month. After the search engine optimization campaign was launched, the site increased its sales to 250 products sold per month. The website is now generating $18,750 per month post-optimization campaign launch. The search engine optimization campaign is responsible for generating an additional $11,250 per month. If the search engine optimization campaign cost $25,000 for the year, we can then estimate that the ROI will be seen within 3 months of launching the SEO campaign. Calculating ROI for Lead Generating Sites ----------------------------------------- Not far behind from e-commerce website with regards to the simplicity of ROI calculations are websites developed to generate leads. If the value of the generated lead is known then the ROI can be easily determined. If the lead value is not directly linked to a dollar value, a dollar value will need to be determined. Let’s assume a website generates 25 leads per month pre-optimization, and each lead is valued at $50. The website was generating $1,250 per month before the search engine optimization campaign launched. Now, the website increases its leads generated to 100 per month post-optimization launch. We can then see that the search engine optimization campaign is responsible for an additional $3,750 in leads per month. If the optimization campaign cost $25,000, we can then estimate the ROI to be seen within 7 months. Calculating ROI for Informational Sites (with specified conversion points) While a search engine optimization campaign is easier to justify or warrant need with e- commerce and lead generating websites, they are also needed for informational websites. An informational website is a site that does not sell products, generate leads, etc., and is primarily used to broadcast company or product information, or direct the user to some other page or point within the site or within an external site. It is important for the website to have specified conversion points, or simply a goal for the websites users. It may be difficult to assign a dollar value to these conversion points as a dollar value may not be directly involved. To calculate the SEO campaign ROI, it helps to determine or estimate the dollar value of each converted user of the website. Let’s assume the website had unique 2,500 visitor sessions per month before the search engine optimization campaign was launched, and the website was converting 4% of its users. Before the SEO campaign was launched, the website was converting 100 users per month. After the campaign is launched, the website experienced increased visitor sessions up to 15,000 per month, with conversion rates increasing to 6% as a result of more targeted visitors (a very conservative increase). We can then determine that the search engine optimization campaign is directly responsible for converting an additional 800 users per month. If we were able to determine a dollar value for each converted user, we could easily determine the campaign ROI. Let’s assume that we have determined that each converted user is worth approximately $10. Using this as a base, we see that the website was generating $1,000 per month before optimization, and $9,000 post- optimization launch. The search engine optimization campaign is responsible for generating an additional $8,000 per month through converting website users. If the SEO campaign cost $25,000 for the year, we estimate that a ROI will be seen within 4 months. Conclusion ---------- To say that search engine optimization and online marketing campaigns are necessary for all websites would be untrue. There is simply no justification for optimizing some websites. A website operator or manager should be able to effectively evaluate their website, industry position, and opportunity potential, to then estimate a return on investment for an optimization campaign prior to signing on any dotted lines. At the same time, any legitimate optimization firm should be able to inform you of the opportunity potential for your website, and advise you as to whether or not you will see a ROI from your search engine optimization campaign. --- © Copyright 2002 by Andrew Gerhart. All Rights Reserved +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ====================================================== Guest Columnist Ammon Johns: "New Overture UK Rule: 5 Searches Per Month Minimum" ------------------------------------------------------ Intro: About the Author: Ammon Johns is an internationally renowned Internet Marketing Consultant. A lot more of his articles, tips and tutorials can be found at his non-profit Web Marketing and Site Promotion < http://www.webmarketingplus.co.uk/ > web site. Ammon is also a moderator at the Cre8asite Forums < http://www.cre8asiteforums.com/ > where webmasters can discuss issues such as website usability, design, marketing and promotion. ------------------------------------------------------- Today (9th December 2002) Overture sent out an e-mail that shows us that not all misers' actions are remedied by a Christmas Carol. Overture proudly announced their new scheme to screw more money from their advertisers while simultaneously providing less value to both advertisers, searchers and search partners alike. Overture's unseasonal e-mail greetings were as follows: "As a number of you may have noticed, our UK editorial review process is not running as quickly as it has in the past. Having looked into this in some detail, it appears that a significant proportion of these delays are unfortunately attributable to Search Engine Marketers in my channel. We are receiving a large number of submissions from SEMs (search engine marketeers) where the lion's share of the terms supplied have little or no search whatsoever. As a result, our editors are having to devote time to reviewing listings which will not drive any traffic or provide any leads! As you can imagine, their time would be better spent [more quickly] reviewing those listings which will actually bring your clients traffic. To this end, we are introducing a temporary ruling: No keyword submissions where the monthly search volume is less than 5 searches per keyword will be reviewed. All campaign / account submissions will be tested for monthly search volume and the individual listings in these submissions with less than 5 searches per month will not be eligible for review. I'm sure you will understand why this ruling has been put in place, and will, like me, look forward to seeing submission review-times reduce as a result." To explain properly why this is one of the biggest PR bungles ever seen, let's take the points of the letter one by one. ------------------------------------------------------ "As a number of you may have noticed, our UK editorial review process is not running as quickly as it has in the past. Having looked into this in some detail, it appears that a significant proportion of these delays are unfortunately attributable to Search Engine Marketers in my channel." ------------------------------------------------------ The biggest reason for editorial delay is that of having insufficient numbers of editors for the workload. We can prove this instantly by referring to Overture's own documentation about their service < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=ovu01 > ------------------------------------------------------ "... 73,000 advertisers, who bid for placement on relevant search results and pay Overture only when a consumer clicks on their listing. Following a rigorous screening for user relevance by Overture's 100-person product quality team ..." ------------------------------------------------------ So, with 73,000 advertisers and only 100 people to control the product quality (not all being editorial staff) we have less than one editor for every 730 advertisers! Frankly, that is nowhere near good enough. Period. Let's have a look at Overture's recent press statements to see what these say about the idea of the editorial control process being overworked and understaffed. No nothing about that found. In fact the latest document in the Overture UK Press Releases is: "Overture Announces Third Quarter 2002 Results; Company Reports 138% Revenue Increase and 88% Net Income Increase Over Third Quarter 2001" Oddly, although there is no mention of overworked editors, it is plain that there was an 88% increase in Net revenue (which I presume is from gaining more work for the editors) there seems to be no mention of a corresponding 88% increase in editorial staffing to match the increase in workload. Apparently, even though Overture have increased the workload by gaining new advertisers, and by encouraging existing advertisers to expand their campaigns, there has been no thought given to the common-sense idea of hiring more staff, using just a tiny slice of the 138% revenue increase shown for the third quarter of 2002 alone. It actually gets worse in terms of highlighting the insult Overture are giving to the intelligence of their advertisers. On a world-wide basis, advertisers paid Overture an average of $0.34 for each paid introduction during the third quarter 2002. On a world-wide basis, Overture facilitated 500 million paid introductions in the third quarter 2002. 500,000,000 paid clicks multiplied by the average PPC of $0.34 = $170,000,000 $170,000,000 divided by 3 = 56,666,667 and is the monthly amount spent by all advertisers Since we know there are 73,000 advertisers, they are spending $776.26 per month each on average. Less than one editor is employed per $566,670 spent by advertisers! I think it is time that Overture learnt to temper their greed, and start providing the levels of service that their customers are paying for. Let's move on with today's e-mail, because although the first paragraph alone damns Overture's greed, and hints at deception over the true cause of problems, the e-mail provides a lot more. ------------------------------------------------------ "We are receiving a large number of submissions from SEMs (search engine marketeers) where the lion's share of the terms supplied have little or no search whatsoever. As a result, our editors are having to devote time to reviewing listings which will not drive any traffic or provide any leads!" ------------------------------------------------------ The amount of search a term gets on Overture is unfortunately not independently verified. Even if it were, their success or failing in keeping partners, and not losing them to rivals who share more of the profits with their partners is hardly the responsibility of the advertiser. The only consideration in selecting and approving search terms should be relevancy. That is certainly the information Overture seem to be pushing in their tips to advertisers. < http://fantomaster.com/fn.cgi?ln=ovu02 > Let's examine the tips that Overture give to advertisers: ------------------------------------------------------ "Bid on as many search terms as are relevant to your site. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We've found that advertisers who bid on a range of relevant terms (especially 20 or more) experience the greatest success in reaching potential customers on Overture. Bid on Relevant Search Terms Relevance is our "golden rule." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It's good for our advertisers, because you're guaranteed "targeted traffic," and it's good for our users, because they find what they're looking for quickly and easily. Relevance means that the search term, search listing (titles and descriptions) and the content of your site all have to be relevant to one another. We define relevance as a site containing real, apparent content that specifically relates to its search terms. The search terms you request should reflect what consumers will find on your site, and your titles and descriptions should let them know why your site is a good match for their search. For example: Just because you have a picture of a panda on your site doesn't make your site relevant to the search term "panda." In order to be relevant, you would need to have information about pandas on your site. You should also know that our editors look only at the content on your own site. Choose a range of search terms (both broad and narrow) that are relevant to your site. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You want to make sure your site is seen by the group of people who are most interested in what you're offering, so choose a variety of relevant terms. But, be careful - don't make your terms too broad or you may choose a search term that isn't relevant to your site (for example, we don't consider the broad search term "travel" relevant to your site if it promotes only a single resort hotel in the Lake District). Likewise, don't choose only very narrow terms - people might miss your listing. If you sell theatre in Stratford, "stratford theatre" would be perfect, but people who do not live in the Stratford area and want theatre may just type in "theatre." So, in this example, you may also wish to bid on "theatre" and other slightly broader search terms." ------------------------------------------------------ Let's take a real world example. Imagine we have John Smith, who offers a washing machine repair service in Lincolnshire. He has been in business for many years and has recently gained an online presence in order to provide a high ROI boost to his advertising. He naturally wants to bid for such terms as "washing machine repair in Lincolnshire", "Lincolnshire washing machine repair", "washing machine repairers in Lincolnshire" and similar terms. He'd probably want to include bids that mentioned the specific towns within the county of Lincolnshire as well. Well, according to this new move by Overture, he can't. Despite the fact that those terms are spot on for relevance, and would suit the advertiser, the end-user of the search service, and Overture's search partners. No, according to Overture, there are not enough searches made for these terms, and so he should bid for broader search terms such as "washing machine repairs" even though the vast majority of people making such searches will be outside of Lincolnshire and therefore totally uninterested in his listing. It is not just that Lincolnshire is a small place. If we were discussing John Doe of Michigan we'd find the exact same problems with getting a listing for "washing machine repairs in Michigan". Jane Doe in Texas would have the same problems too. In short, Overture want to decrease relevancy, because by doing so, they will increase bidding on broader, less relevant search terms. ------------------------------------------------------ "I'm sure you will understand why this ruling has been put in place" ------------------------------------------------------ Yes, I think we all understand why this ruling has been put in place, and it has nothing at all to do with the reasons given. What can you do about this? Simple. Re-evaluate your ROI for Overture and if this change has affected your listings, your returns, or simply if you dislike dealing with companies that profiteer in this manner while attempting to blame advertisers, move more of your PPC budget to competitors such as Google AdWords, Espotting, FindWhat, etc. Google's AdWords offers a host of improvements over Overture, including that you can use broader terms with filtering by filtering out searches from certain countries, in certain languages, or that include other words you set (like the word 'free' or the word 'courses') which indicate no sale is likely. © Copyright 2002 by Ammon Johns. 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