http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/ The most recent posts from Netrank's blog, discussing search engine optimisation, online brand positioning, and occasionally penguins or cheese (sometimes both) en-gb Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:01:01 +0100 2009 15 Microsoft has launched a new "Get the Facts" campaign, this time promoting Microsoft Internet Explorer. The marketing teams may have been a little *too* enthusiastic - the campaign has gone viral for all the wrong reasons. http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/microsoft-s-ie8-get-the-facts-campaign-backfires/ http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/microsoft-s-ie8-get-the-facts-campaign-backfires/ Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:45:00 +0100 Google seems to be switching from 3-4 month gaps between Toolbar PageRank updates to a much shorter interval - we've just had another update, less than a month after the last one. http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/google-toolbar-pagerank-update-23rd-june/ http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/google-toolbar-pagerank-update-23rd-june/ Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:30:00 +0100 Wolfram|Alpha has launched but has turned out not to be what a lot of people expected. http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/the-search-engine-that-wasnt/ http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/the-search-engine-that-wasnt/ Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:37:00 +0100 Google only updates the PageRank values seen in its toolbar every few months, but calculates new values internally much more frequently. In this piece of research we try to answer the question "how old are the PageRank values shown when they are published?", and uncover something surprising in the process. http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/how-old-are-toolbar-pagerank-values/ http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/how-old-are-toolbar-pagerank-values/ Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:30:00 +0100 Google has updated its Toolbar PageRank on the 27th of May. This is slightly unusual as it comes around a month earlier than expected. http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/google-toolbar-pagerank-update-27th-may/ http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/google-toolbar-pagerank-update-27th-may/ Thu, 28 May 2009 16:05:00 +0100 Stephen Wolfram is getting very close to the launch of the Wolfram Alpha 'knowledge engine'. Today he is chairing an interactive webinar of his engine so far. http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/wolfram-alpha-introduction-webinar/ http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/wolfram-alpha-introduction-webinar/ Tue, 05 May 2009 16:10:00 +0100 Could random matrix theory, as used to analyse disorder in quantum systems, be the next thing to challenge Google? http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/could-quantum-mathematics-shake-up-google/ http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/could-quantum-mathematics-shake-up-google/ Sun, 12 Apr 2009 01:21:00 +0100 Mini SiteLinks are appearing under results in the first pages of Google for a number of searches. Are these MSLs (which Google is identifying as oneline_sitelinks for now) a permanent feature and how do they affect your site? http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/mini-sitelinks-appear-on-google-results/ http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/mini-sitelinks-appear-on-google-results/ Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:50:00 +0100 As of last night, Jimmy Wales has 'closed the doors' on Wikia Search, formally drawing a line under the failed community search offering. According to Wales the engine "has not been enjoying the kind of success" which had been hoped for and he cites the current economic climate as a deciding factor. http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/wikia-search-1/ http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/wikia-search-1/ Wed, 01 Apr 2009 04:03:00 +0100 Google has announced two changes to how it displays its search results pages. These changes have been rolled out across 37 languages worldwide. In this post, we explore what the changes to their "search refinements" means to webmasters. http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/google-s-new-search-refinements-how-will-it-affect-you/ http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/google-s-new-search-refinements-how-will-it-affect-you/ Wed, 25 Mar 2009 08:16:00 +0000 Checking a dictionary will tell you that the adjective canonical comes from the noun canon, meaning a rule as in canon law especially pertaining to the Christian Church, authoritative, accurate and other similar meanings. This goes some way to explaining its use in the SEO industry. http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/defining-the-canonical/ http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/defining-the-canonical/ Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:16:00 +0000 One of the most common misconceptions that I deal with is keywords, particularly where travel and related services are involved. If you seek international success it is absolutely vital to think outside the confines of this country. http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/thinking-outside-la-boite/ http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/thinking-outside-la-boite/ Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:29:00 +0000 It is a fairly regular and predictable event now in the search industry. A new search engine product surfaces, the community gets worked up into a frenzy, we all hail the new Google killer and then it all goes away. Can a British offering fare any better? http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/british-google-killer/ http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/british-google-killer/ Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:45:00 +0000 Number four search engine Ask has joined the other three major search engines in supporting the new "canonical tag" - this is great news for webmasters as they can now use this new search technology on all of the "Big Four" search engines. http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/ask-com-also-supporting-the-new-canonical-tag/ http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/ask-com-also-supporting-the-new-canonical-tag/ Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:25:00 +0000 The top three search engines have jointly announced a new meta tag to help combat the issue of duplicate content. We look through the potential uses of this new tag, show the places where it shouldn't be used and illustrate where it's a fantastic new addition to the SEO toolbox. http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/a-fantastic-new-tool-to-combat-duplicate-content/ http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/a-fantastic-new-tool-to-combat-duplicate-content/ Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:00:00 +0000 I have had a few queries regarding Google's AdWords Ad Preview Tool, specifically, why are the results displayed subtly different to those of the main results. What causes this change and why? http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/why-are-my-google-adwords-ad-preview-tool-results-different-to-the-main-results/ http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/why-are-my-google-adwords-ad-preview-tool-results-different-to-the-main-results/ Tue, 03 Feb 2009 10:41:00 +0000 Google's malware filter appears to have broken. Not only is this an issue for the most important player in search, but it could have a backlash on your brand, on Google's brand and looks set to cost the search giant millions of dollars. http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/google-malware-filter-broken/ http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/google-malware-filter-broken/ Sat, 31 Jan 2009 14:33:00 +0000 Recently I was presented with a claim that 70% of web searches are not in English. It would probably be more accurate to say that some 70% of web users worldwide do not speak English as their mother tongue but this is still a powerful argument for the benefits of International SEO. http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/international-search-seo/ http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/international-search-seo/ Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:52:00 +0000 Every day of December is an SEO advent tip day with the LBi Netrank Search Advent Calendar! http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/seo-advent-calendar/ http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/seo-advent-calendar/ Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:42:00 +0000 For years SEO has been regarded as a dark art; the cowboys of the internet running amok on the new frontier. To some extent this was a well earned reputation, with earlier search engines proving almost too easy to manipulate. It was a boom-time when anyone with half a brain and the motivation could make money from SEO. However, things have now moved on and this reputation is proving difficult to shake. http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/are-we-still-the-cowboys-of-the-new-frontier/ http://blog.lbi-netrank.co.uk/are-we-still-the-cowboys-of-the-new-frontier/ Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:07:00 +0000