Forum Sigs and SEO

**ctabuk** · #1 (**permalink**) 02-27-2007, 06:05 AM

Using www.google.co.uk and searching Homebuy Brokers brings up www.moneysupermarket.com link at about number 3 or 4 - In fact I have loads of positions on Google/Live/Yahoo/Ask that relate to my forum posts.
So it would appear that my username is pretty well known. So in your opinions are the SE's picking up on my posts because of that name or is this pure coincidence? Moneysupermarket are advertising like crazy on TV and this is really helping my SERP - but now the question is WHY?

**crankydave** · #2 (**permalink**) 02-27-2007, 07:43 AM

Hey David...

In the example you gave, homebuy brokers, it's really nothing to do with your user name.

Take a look here...

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en...okers%22&meta=

I see the forum at #1 for a general search.

Dave

**ctabuk** · #3 (**permalink**) 02-27-2007, 07:51 AM

I'm really pleased that you have replied as no one knows more about links in my book.

Firstly I disagree - I think it was my username as the script on the subject came from my post on that topic in that forum. It was the first time EVER that the topic on Homebuy came up. So it was not a linked topic by 'keyword' definition. I have had this discussion as you know before with PhilC and I can only draw the conclusion that..
1 - CTAB UK as a brokerage are Homebuy Approved one of only 20 or so UK Mortgage Brokers.So Google must have recognised my name.

2 - Google referenced my username and the Company name and produced the link. But as always I am open to alternatives.

3 On Open search Wikipedia gets 4th place and guess who wrote it LOL and who's link is there.

**crankydave** · #4 (**permalink**) 02-27-2007, 08:01 AM

I think in this instance, it's a matter of Google only knowing about a total of 4 instances in their entire index of the exact phrase being used. Since Google does give preference to exact matches, naturally those instances should rank high.

It could be any user name. Yours, mine, anyones.

Dave

**ctabuk** · #5 (**permalink**) 02-27-2007, 08:06 AM

Dave - Google does not recognise Phrases - My site is listed under Homebuy Scheme - page 3
Social Homebuy - Shared Ownership Schemes Information by CTABLatest Info about Shared Ownership Schemes. This site is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Mortgages for Council House Purchase.
http://www.counciltenantsmortgages.c...ownership.html - 13k - Cached - Similar
so it cannot be anyone elses username. Impossible

**crankydave** · #6 (**permalink**) 02-27-2007, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctabuk

Dave - Google does not recognise Phrases - My site is listed under Homebuy Scheme - top by memory so it cannot be anyone elses username. Immpossible

Google certainly can recognize phrases. Anything you search in "quotes" returns only pages that use that exact phrase.

Dave

**ctabuk** · #7 (**permalink**) 02-27-2007, 08:14 AM

Michael Martinez and I are discussing this very subject - but NOT this same topic on usernames - here is what he says on phrases and having checked it out I tend to agree.
Live is displaying weird results. Here is a quick "phrased-based indexing" test that tells you whether a search engine may be indexing by phrase. Search on:

http://search.live.com/results.aspx?...n-US&form=QBRE

http://search.live.com/results.aspx?...go.x=12&go.y=9

If you see similar results, the engine is NOT indexing by phrase. I would say that there is insufficient evidence in these search results to support the "phrase-based indexing" point of view. However, one typo in the reverse expression query produces null results:

http://search.live.com/results.aspx?...n-US&form=QBRE

That could be an indication of phrase-based indexing. But Microsoft uses an artificial intelligence (or so they say) so their indexing methodology should differ from traditional indexing. If you try the reversed query test in Google:

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

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...ts&btnG=Search

You get virtually the same results, and if you introduce the typo:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...+right+Tenants

So Google is clearly NOT indexing by phrase.

An AI system might actually be more inclined to index phrases on the basis of aggregate query analysis without actually having to favor phrase-based indexing schema. It would discern a pattern and create a rule to look for phrases of particular structure.

Google's proximity- and frequency-based relevance rankings clearly don't incorporate phrase-based indexing at this point.

**ctabuk** · #8 (**permalink**) 02-27-2007, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crankydave

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctabuk

Dave - Google does not recognise Phrases - My site is listed under Homebuy Scheme - top by memory so it cannot be anyone elses username. Immpossible

Google certainly can recognize phrases. Anything you search in "quotes" returns only pages that use that exact phrase.

Dave

OH I agree with the "" I have been using that for ages - but this is not "" phrases - this is 'phrases' from text - all together a different can of worms.

**crankydave** · #9 (**permalink**) 02-27-2007, 09:00 AM

David...

You are confusing 2 different concepts.

A SE does not have to utilize phrase based indexing in order to recognize phrases as they appear on a page, words that appear next to each other, when delivering results.

Dave

**ctabuk** · #10 (**permalink**) 02-27-2007, 09:07 AM

Ok - If we assume that you (as I have known you for years and consider you a good friend)are correct.
It still does not answer the premise.
1 - we have an active forum where a totally new question is asked and I replied to it. How did Google reference my reply to the topic?
Are you saying that if you had replied that it would have given the same result?

**ctabuk** · #11 (**permalink**) 02-27-2007, 09:12 AM

I won't set traps - I was tempted - but Dave deserves better. Here are the 5 results from his search. In all cases My CTABUK post is the reason that google linked it.
Moneysupermarket.com - FTB Advice on Mortgages and FeesHave you considered the Governments Homebuy Initiative? Or the Flexishare Options? You will find my link in my sig - we are approved Homebuy Brokers. ...
forum.moneysupermarket.com/forums/thread/9719.aspx - 44k - Cached - Similar pages

Moneysupermarket.com - FTB Advice on Mortgages and FeesHave you considered the Governments Homebuy Initiative? Or the Flexishare Options? You will find my link in my sig - we are approved Homebuy Brokers. ...
forum.moneysupermarket.com/forums/9774/ShowThread.aspx - 44k - Cached - Similar pages

Homebuy housing scheme - MoneySavingExpert.com Forums... agent they will put you in touch immediatly with a registered IFA. The Nationwide Mortgages are available but only through recognised Homebuy Brokers. ...
forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=3996992 - 125k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages

MoneySavingExpert.com Forums - Search Results... agent they will put you in touch immediatly with a registered IFA. The Nationwide Mortgages are available but only through recognised Homebuy Brokers. ...
forums.moneysavingexpert.com/search.html?searchid=6434423 - 100k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages

Homebuy housing scheme - MoneySavingExpert.com Forums... agent they will put you in touch immediatly with a registered IFA. The Nationwide Mortgages are available but only through recognised Homebuy Brokers. ...
forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=3155092 - 128k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages

**crankydave** · #12 (**permalink**) 02-27-2007, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctabuk

Ok - If we assume that you (as I have known you for years and consider you a good friend)are correct.
It still does not answer the premise.
1 - we have an active forum where a totally new question is asked and I replied to it. How did Google reference my reply to the topic?
Are you saying that if you had replied that it would have given the same result?

If I used the exact same text you did... yes, most likely.

They referenced the text in the post, not who posted it.

Dave

**crankydave** · #13 (**permalink**) 02-27-2007, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctabuk

I won't set traps - I was tempted - but Dave deserves better. Here are the 5 results from his search. In all cases My CTABUK post is the reason that google linked it.
Moneysupermarket.com - FTB Advice on Mortgages and FeesHave you considered the Governments Homebuy Initiative? Or the Flexishare Options? You will find my link in my sig - we are approved Homebuy Brokers. ...
forum.moneysupermarket.com/forums/thread/9719.aspx - 44k - Cached - Similar pages

Moneysupermarket.com - FTB Advice on Mortgages and FeesHave you considered the Governments Homebuy Initiative? Or the Flexishare Options? You will find my link in my sig - we are approved Homebuy Brokers. ...
forum.moneysupermarket.com/forums/9774/ShowThread.aspx - 44k - Cached - Similar pages

Homebuy housing scheme - MoneySavingExpert.com Forums... agent they will put you in touch immediatly with a registered IFA. The Nationwide Mortgages are available but only through recognised Homebuy Brokers. ...
forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=3996992 - 125k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages

MoneySavingExpert.com Forums - Search Results... agent they will put you in touch immediatly with a registered IFA. The Nationwide Mortgages are available but only through recognised Homebuy Brokers. ...
forums.moneysavingexpert.com/search.html?searchid=6434423 - 100k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages

Homebuy housing scheme - MoneySavingExpert.com Forums... agent they will put you in touch immediatly with a registered IFA. The Nationwide Mortgages are available but only through recognised Homebuy Brokers. ...
forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=3155092 - 128k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages

David...

These 4 results are the only pages that use that exact phrase.

These 4 results are also the only pages that have the phrase used as anchor text...

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en...okers%22&meta=

That's why the pages rank.

Dave

**ctabuk** · #14 (**permalink**) 02-27-2007, 09:34 AM

Once I could agree with - 5 times too much coincidence. There has to be - by purely logical definition - something in my sig that Google picked up on. Maybe it was my forum link - that is one explanation. But I have yet to be convinced that Google does not tie the two things down to a 'relative subject search' from its database. Maybe we will never know, but so far the facts support my theory.

**crankydave** · #15 (**permalink**) 02-27-2007, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctabuk

Once I could agree with - 5 times too much coincidence. There has to be - by purely logical definition - something in my sig that Google picked up on. Maybe it was my forum link - that is one explanation. But I have yet to be convinced that Google does not tie the two things down to a 'relative subject search' from its database. Maybe we will never know, but so far the facts support my theory.

If this were true, then those 4 pages would be returned for a search for...

Home buy Brokers

Dave

**ctabuk** · #16 (**permalink**) 02-27-2007, 09:45 AM

I'm enjoying this
Dave Wrote
David...

These 4 results are the only pages that use that exact phrase.

These 4 results are also the only pages that have the phrase used as anchor text...

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en...okers%22&meta=

That's why the pages rank.

Dave
_________________Wrong - in each case the threads bore some of a similar text or even topic matter - but these did 'link' until I responded and Google picked them up - a clear case of user identification.