Google 90% Yahoo 2%

gbb011 · #1 (**permalink**) 03-07-2005, 02:23 PM

My stats show me that google refers 90% of my traffic and that Yahoo shows up with 2%.

This seems like an enormous difference.
Could the fact that I have the same meta tag description and keywords for all pages have anything to do with my poor performance on Yahoo?
Or is it more likely other factors?

thanks.

wednesday · #2 (**permalink**) 03-07-2005, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gbb011

My stats show me that google refers 90% of my traffic and that Yahoo shows up with 2%.

This seems like an enormous difference.
Could the fact that I have the same meta tag description and keywords for all pages have anything to do with my poor performance on Yahoo?
Or is it more likely other factors?

thanks.

If you want to rank well in Yahoo the first thing to do is inline optimisation. This includes title, description, h1 and text. If you have enough links, optimising your pages will rank you in Yahoo. You can provide an URl here?

Martin

Manpasand · #3 (**permalink**) 03-08-2005, 02:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gbb011

My stats show me that google refers 90% of my traffic and that Yahoo shows up with 2%.

Same thing with my site too
Google - 84.4 %
Yahoo - 3.1 %
MSN - 2.9 %

PizdusInc · #4 (**permalink**) 03-11-2005, 04:53 PM

It varies for me... I got sites which have high traffic from Google and barely any from Yahoo. Other sites have most traffic from Yahoo and little from Google. I guess it depends how you rank on each search engine and what type of industry it is.

HHI_Golf_Guy · #5 (**permalink**) 03-12-2005, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gbb011

My stats show me that google refers 90% of my traffic and that Yahoo shows up with 2%.

The only way to draw a true comparison is if you have similar SERP's on each of the SE's. Find 10 or so KW's that rank about the same in each of the SE's, then look at the referrals from each SE. Now you can make a comparison.

FWIW, I sort by top 5 results, 6-10 results, 11-15 results, etc. If I have a KW that is #10 on one SE and #11 on another, I may exclude that KW from my analysis. Why? By default it is on the first page of one set of results and the second page of another set. Not all search engine users go beyond the first page of results.

A lot of times you will have a primary KW that ranks well and drives traffic on one SE, but is not ranked very well on another SE. Drop those types of phrases from your analysis.

**ctabuk** · #6 (**permalink**) 03-12-2005, 08:44 AM

Off Topic - Welcome Golf Guy - Forum, he's good, he's very good! Regards David

HHI_Golf_Guy · #7 (**permalink**) 03-13-2005, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctabuk

Off Topic - Welcome Golf Guy - Forum, he's good, he's very good! Regards David

Thanks David! I have been reading the articles and the newsletter from WebProWorld for a year now. Lot's of interesting info that makes you think.

**ctabuk** · #8 (**permalink**) 03-13-2005, 02:37 PM

Oh Lord he knows all our secrets LOL

**ctabuk** · #9 (**permalink**) 03-13-2005, 02:51 PM

Being serious for a few moments, Yahoo is more of a data based SE than any others, we know it takes longer to pick up on new data ( I have read threads that say I got picked up on the second day, but that could and often is because you have updated your pages just in the nick of time) The real secret of success on yahoo is to run a very small ppc on the new Overture system, and go for a 'snazy title opener in your ppc campaign) in that way you score twice, or even 3 times, I'll show you what I mean - go to Yahoo UK & Ireland and search my key words 'Right to Buy' - I'm at 5 Right to buy Facts, but I'm also on 2, 3 & 4 via Overture, I get hit on page one and therefore do not get ppc clicks, and anyone of you that does hit my ppc, will find themselves in my bad books, and remember I can trace every single hit!!!

freehits · #10 (**permalink**) 03-13-2005, 03:15 PM

thats a sharp approach golf, makes excellent sense.
Why do i see your PHP code exposed in the source of your page?

include ('ad_network.php');
echo $ad_network[0];
echo $ad_network[1];
echo $ad_network[2];
echo $ad_network[3];
echo $ad_network[4];

off topic but curious.

wednesday · #11 (**permalink**) 03-13-2005, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctabuk

The real secret of success on yahoo is to run a very small ppc on the new Overture system

I think that the real secret to rank well for really competitive keywords is to have all the optimization needed for Yahoo and to be listed in their directory. Dont't get me wrong but I think Overture has nothing to do with 'natural' listing in Yahoo. For example worldwide (take a look at the first nine results) and UK search (I gues my site is still considered to be hosted in Europe, some other competitors here as well).

Martin

PizdusInc · #12 (**permalink**) 03-14-2005, 04:30 PM

I agree with having "all the optimization needed for Yahoo" but I am not sure you have to be listed in their directory to achieve high rankings. I believe that it does help a little being listed...

chiron · #13 (**permalink**) 03-15-2005, 04:59 AM

The following notes mostly affirm what others have said... my contribution being mostly point 4...

1. Being in the Yahoo directory appears to be of some help, and in my experience, it seems there may be an added bonus if you are a commercial site and pay their $299 annual fee for inclusion.

2) Yahoo is slow to deep-index and update. I have had one client online for 13 years now, and every so often I see a Yahoo movement that might be explained away by "other stuff" like algorithm changes, new competition, etc - but it seems like sometimes 6-9 months is required for major changes to get properly indexed and displaying in SERPs with full power.

3) Overture has no effect, per my "last 180 days" experience. I ran KW analysis prior to and after a $10k spend on Overture for a single domain - but there was little or no change 30 days prior vs. 30 days post (no big leaps). Again, one site, one test, but $10k ought to have made a difference if Overture has an impact, and I saw no indication of this.

4) Keep in mind that while Yahoo, MSN, Google are ranked in that order in terms of "reach" and use as general portals/sites, in terms of their use as a search engine, Google:Yahoo:MSN per last stats I can find run about 11:4:3 in those "used for search" figures. So having 70-80% of hits coming from Google is skewed a bit, but not as much as if you forget to adjust for that approximate ratio...

**ctabuk** · #14 (**permalink**) 03-16-2005, 08:50 AM

Actually I paid the Yahoo fee 5 years ago and I'm still Directory listed. PPC I was not saying that if you run a ppc campaign that it helps with natural listings, I use ppc as a compliment and a FAIL SAFE, if something upset my Yahoo rankings then I still stand a chance of getting hits. A lot of you spend a great deal of time in trying to achieve high listings whilst forgetting why you are doing it. Money, The best things in life are free, but you can keep that for the birds and bees, I want MONEY!!!

With apologies to anyone who does this for Love!

wednesday · #15 (**permalink**) 03-16-2005, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctabuk

Money, The best things in life are free, but you can keep that for the birds and bees, I want MONEY!!!
With apologies to anyone who does this for Love!

Good point. I'm not doing this just for fun, either. :)

Martin

chiron · #16 (**permalink**) 03-16-2005, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Good point.

Gah! I knew I had forgotten something! Money, how could I have forgotten you! Talk to you later people, I need to go get my carpentry degree (if what I just spent on my sunroom is any indication, THAT is where the money is).

**ctabuk** · #17 (**permalink**) 03-17-2005, 10:59 AM

Lets take this a bit deeper. If your stats are showing a massive Google swing, are these (A)New Buyers/Visitors or (B) Returning Clients
Are you benifitting from MSN's adverts, or Ask Jeeves?