Google uses DMOZ listing's Anchor Text as the SERP Title!!!

dilipsam · #1 (**permalink**) 03-30-2005, 12:00 AM

Hi,

This time the DMOZ description was spared but if anybody did a search, you'll find that that Anchor text for the DMOZ listing is now the Title in the Google SERPs.

Regards,
Dilip Samuel

DMC_34 · #2 (**permalink**) 03-30-2005, 12:14 AM

I have also seen this on another site. I am not a big fan of DMOZ, but I would imagine most people would not want the editors description of their site in SERP's. Just like the crappy listings which show in Yahoo. Which is exactly why I will not sign up for Yahoo on any of my new sites.

cbp · #3 (**permalink**) 03-30-2005, 12:24 AM

Its been happening for almost 2 months now.

CBP

LinkMaster · #4 (**permalink**) 03-30-2005, 03:07 AM

One little piece of the great big puzzle.

ambermoon · #5 (**permalink**) 03-30-2005, 09:53 PM

Does anyone know if this phenomenon will be the future of google results ? Some but not all key word searches on Google use the DMOz title, but I can't find a pattern, it seems to be random. needless to say that I am not happy with this at all since I have spent time and energy on optimizing the tile for optimal click-through rates and the DMOZ title is less than ideal.

cbp · #6 (**permalink**) 03-30-2005, 10:08 PM

It possible they are testing. I have not seen a pattern to it yet. It does not happen that often.

Quote:

optimizing the title for optimal click-through rates and the DMOZ title is less than ideal.

Maybe thats why they are doing it!!!

CBP

montytx · #7 (**permalink**) 03-30-2005, 11:31 PM

Mine just changed to the DMOZ a few days ago. It seems like some sort of update they are doing. I have also notice that while my PR has not changed in the lower right I now have the DMOZ site icon present. SO Google now knows that my site is listed iwth DMOZ.

JonOSteen · #8 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 03:10 AM

I am noticing the same thing, but it only occurs during certain searches. For instance, if I type in the business name, I will see the DMOZ title and description. However, if I use a phrase from the <title> tag I still see the regular title tag in the SERPS.

I hope Google abandons this quickly -- I would prefer not to have title tags that are only the company name.

cbp · #9 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 03:26 AM

Quote:

I hope Google abandons this quickly -- I would prefer not to have title tags that are only the company name.

Google are obviously testing it - I assume they will go with the method that provides the best presentation of results to the user .... which is unlikely to be the one we want for our SEO efforts.

CBP

greeneagle · #10 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 01:31 PM

You are right I just got hit too.

But it is a lot worse than that! The Title is the same as DMOZ but the description now is predominately image alt text from the top of the page, my header graphics.

Have they lost it completely?

Look at this mess:

Fresh GOOGLE Listing:

Mountain Eagle Web Design and Consulting
MEM Logo, Mountain Eagle Marketing Header. ADVANCED CUSTOM WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING.
Horizontal Line 425px. Vertical Line 1340px, Custom Website Design, ...

All colored text are different "alt" tags for my header graphics. This means that anyone who has taken the care to publish clean, validated code is getting a description "heave-ho" right now, if they have any header graphics at all.

It's happening to more and more of my pages the last few days.
Have they lost it completely?
Do they want "alt" text spamming now?
The dirtier the better?
Alt text is now equal to Titles and metatag descriptions?
Everything is in linear order as seen down the page?

This one is really screwy!

This is the worst "jogging" I have ever seen right before an update.

Ken

s_clay · #11 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greeneagle

IMO

This whole thread is baloney!

There is nothing further from the truth!

Ken

Not baloney, at least not 100% Oscar Mayer balogna.

My google Title is fine - BUT the description changes throughout the day, alternating between the dmoz/google directory description and my meta tag description.

Has been this way for several weeks at least.

The dmoz description is obsolete and cannot be changed as there is no editor in my category. Not the best source of info IMHO.

Steve

greeneagle · #12 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 01:53 PM

s_clay

I edited after checking again this morning (while you were posting). You may want to reread my post - I did an "about-face". It's even worse than I thought..

I had already seen one of my pages get the new alt tag weighted description last night, but the Title didn't change being a secondary page.

The alt tag heavy description is much worse, if the trend continues, any page with header graphics will have a description "leveling" across an entire Site.

Ken

s_clay · #13 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 03:02 PM

Ken;

That's interesting. Just checked your G listing and it looks fine here.

The issue you describe doesn't apply to dmoz descriptions being used in G results. But, perhaps it is indicative of a broader shift in the way G is looking for description info. Or maybe your issue is just a "glitch".

Looks like LSI has a way to go yet. :)

Steve

greeneagle · #14 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 03:56 PM

Steve:
"That's interesting. Just checked your G listing and it looks fine here."

Are you telling me that you are not seeing the new Title and Description for my site looking at "Mountain Eagle Marketing" that I am?

I am picking that "biz" up the "alt" text descriptions up on several pages now.

Ken

s_clay · #15 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 04:03 PM

Yes, you look fine here; result for Mountain Eagle:

Advanced Custom Web Design, Marketing and Website Financing ...
... Mountain Eagle Marketing provides Custom Website Development. We do not start with a pre-formatted template. ... About Mountain Eagle Marketing. ...
www.mountaineagleweb.com/ - 20k - Cached - Similar pages

greeneagle · #16 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 04:17 PM

These differences between data centers always happen just before an update.

Ken

**incrediblehelp** · #17 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 04:59 PM

I see it eagle:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...=Google+Search

It is happening to your second place ranking not your first with the query above.

Has anyone seen it happening with any top-tiered fortune 500 company websites yet?

greeneagle · #18 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 05:14 PM

Incredible

Looks like different results all over the different data centers.

The "testing returns" are too ugly right now.. IMO -No update for a few days!

Here's another:
http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...t+and+hunt+ltd

What do you see?

Ken

**incrediblehelp** · #19 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 09:59 PM

I am getting those same results right now as well.

We will see how this shakes out after (if) the update happens.

idansh · #20 (**permalink**) 06-02-2007, 09:06 AM

For me to they have many datacenters , but there is suppose to be one that is most updated than the others anyone has the ip address ?

martty · #21 (**permalink**) 06-02-2007, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by idansh

For me to they have many datacenters , but there is suppose to be one that is most updated than the others anyone has the ip address ?

What has this got to do with this thread from 2 years ago?

Webnauts · #22 (**permalink**) 06-03-2007, 02:03 AM

Can't we force the search engines to ignore the ODP information by including the robots meta tag <meta name="robots" content="noodp" />?

Or do I need to update my article? Using NOODP and NOYDIR

So, is someone using those tags and still have those problems? If so, we have to find a way out.

Lets go for it.

idansh · #23 (**permalink**) 06-03-2007, 03:02 AM

poor google with that decision, but if that;s the way google wants it thats the way it goes

martty · #24 (**permalink**) 06-03-2007, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Webnauts

Can't we force the search engines to ignore the ODP information by including the robots meta tag <meta name="robots" content="noodp" />?

Or do I need to update my article? Using NOODP and NOYDIR

So, is someone using those tags and still have those problems? If so, we have to find a way out.

Lets go for it.

This thread is two years old. It was bumped by an irrelevant message. I would have thought that a moderator would just delete the message that bumped the thread.

The discussion above occured a year or so before the noodp tag was an option, so is totally irrelevant.

Webnauts · #25 (**permalink**) 06-03-2007, 08:37 AM

OK. Then the thread is closing here.