MSN #1; Google #69 after 3 months

[joncase]

Hello,
Does anyone know what we did to deserve such a high result in MSN?
We went live with a new site at the end of July. This was a new domain with no history. Hallandale FL Hotels - Mar Bay Hotel - Hallandale / Hollywood Florida We optimized, as usual, for G. Historically, our sites do not do all that well in MSN. Within weeks, we were #1 in MSN for "hallandale fl hotels", our preferred search term. Please feel free to snoop around the site. We would like to be able to reproduce this effect.
Thank you, Jon

[cw1865]

MSN has much better results for the term, google is serving a bunch of generalized 'expediaesque' type of sites. You appear to be an actual hotel located in the target area. I think your relatively quick success in msn can be attributed to the fact that there aren't that many non-expedia sites gunning for the term.

[LobsterWebDesign]

As long as you get the Title and H1 tag right on the page you're more or less certain of success on MSN as long as its not a highly competitive phrase.
I tell all my clients not to worry initially about getting good results on Google as you can easily and quickly get results on MSN and its around 15% of the search engine market and therefore a possible 15% of the market for them too.
Get results on MSN then plan long term for success on Google.

[Mondo]

Its a total fluke I'm afraid to say and as for being able to repeat your success there is no gaurantee! Trouble is MSN is totally screwed right now and will reindex in the next few weeks to correct its problems. Don't rest on your laurels and keep working hard on getting IBL's for your site.

[joncase]

Hi Mondo,
I have no laurels to rest on, but my client is enjoying the traffic while it lasts. I suspected it was a fluke that I stumbled upon, but hoping/wondering if it could be repeated. I guess not likely.
Thank you All,
Jon

[mit]

Originally Posted by cw1865

MSN has much better results for the term, google is serving a bunch of generalized 'expediaesque' type of sites. You appear to be an actual hotel located in the target area. I think your relatively quick success in msn can be attributed to the fact that there aren't that many non-expedia sites gunning for the term.

Is it so? but not for me...

[incrediblehelp]

The fact that your website is somewhat new could be the reason for the recent success.

[joncase]

Incrediblehelp--That's funny, no? Google likes aged domains/sites, MSN likes new domains/sites. File that in the "Can't Win" box.
Jon

[Kloans]

Originally Posted by incrediblehelp

The fact that your website is somewhat new could be the reason for the recent success.

Yeah that is funny...My site is 2-3 months old and I just recently got one page indexed by msn and I am in the top 5 for many of the terms that I optimized for. I am somewhere near 30-200 in google for those terms....and I have 88 pages indexed on google and 500-700 links.

[mitosblog]

MSN bring the least visitors to my site as far as I am concerned. I would spend more time on Google. For me Google is still the best.

[activeco]

Good to bring this thread back.
The site is now, after eight months, #1 in Google & MSN and #2 in Yahoo for the phrase "hallandale fl hotel" as well in top results for the plural, "hallandale fl hotels".
Although not so huge competition, it's nice to see a site doing excellently in all three major engines. Congratulations.

[Peter (IMC)]

MSN has 83 pages indexed with that phrase in the title. Google has 2750 pages indexed with that phrase in the title. Huge diference in competition.

Your site is the only site in MSN with that phrase in a backlink text. Google has 9170 pages indexed with that phrase in the anchor text. Again related to a huge diference in competition.

Probably a combination of MSN indexing a lot less than Google and luck. It doesn't look like you did something specific to gain this result.