Realtor Websites - Real Web Results Blog

Google’s "Bourbon" Update Still Not Finished

Jun 022005

Google began another major update of it’s search results about two weeks ago and according to Googleguy (a Google representative who posts at Webmasterworld Forums) this update is incorporating “3.5 improvements to search quality” and they have not finished yet. The last improvement is slated for next week and then there will be an adjustment period where search results still are not settled. That could last an additional week or two going by past experiences.

Googleguy says to take a rest from checking your site positions until then because you may go crazy watching the major fluctuations. I would agree with that- no point in getting all worked up until you know for sure how it all ends up!

Disabling Right-Click Is No Solution For Content Theft

Realtor Websites 3 Responses »

May 242005

Some agents are concerned that their website content is being copied by others and are looking for a solution. Various website providers and webmasters have been recommending and implementing a so-called solution that prevents web surfers from accessing the menu that is seen when the right mouse button is clicked.

This is done because when that menu is accessed one of the choices is “View Source” which allows the code to be seen. The thinking is that if you can prevent the code from being seen then you can prevent it from being copied. A nice thought but most webmsters and anyone but a web “newbie” knows this to be total fantasy. Continue reading »

New Google Patent Indicates Direction Of Changes

Search Engines 2 Responses »

Apr 012005

In a new patent application filed in December 2003 and made available to the public today, Google gives clues to the changes that began with the Florida Update in November 2003.

The Document is titled “Information Retrieval Based On Historical Data” and basically outlines all the ways Google would like to use your site’s past history in determining its present ranking. The document also makes clear that Google now takes a whole site into consideration when ranking unlike PageRank which just considered individual pages.

Some quick points that I jotted down include… Continue reading »

Roughing IT!

Internet Use, Realtor Websites 1 Response »

Mar 312005

Where I live, this week has been Spring Break and the kids are off school and in need of activities to keep them occupied and out of mischief. So, I figured it would be a good time for my pre-teen son and I to head up to the family camp along the shores of the Winnipeg River in North West Ontario and take care of some work that needed to be done there.

The lengthy drive was quiet and peaceful – because “modern times” allowed my son to watch DVDs on my laptop the whole way (with head phones on as a bonus for dad!). Once we arrived at our destination, we found that there was still a couple of feet of wet snow in the bush so had to put on snowshoes and make the trek through the bush on a trail we shared with deer carrying our gear with backpacks and hands full. It took two trips to pack all our gear in – You would be amazed at how heavy a notebook computer becomes when carrying it through two feet of snow! Continue reading »

New MSN Search Becoming My Search Engine Of Choice

Search Engines 4 Responses »

Feb 222005

Google is no longer the search engine it once was. It no longer returns the search results that led people (including myself) to proclaim that it was the best search engine on the planet.

Lately, I often do not find what I am searching for on Google so I check the new MSN Search and guess what? The information I am looking for is there – right in the top few results! This is becoming a habit for me and I suspect it will for a lot more people too as I hear rumblings from friends that “Google isn’t very good anymore”.

Give MSN Search a try – I think you may actually like it.

Allegra Observations

Search Engines No Responses »

Feb 192005

Google’s Allegra Update is still going on – this is the longest update in recent memory. Aside from the disappearance of vast swathes of websites, this update also includes an algorithm change which is not index wide but seems to be placed on specific keywords just the way the Florida Update was in 2003.

Google’s results are still changing frequently and when it will all settle down is anyone’s guess. With the Florida Update they applied their algorithm change to sets of keywords and then added more to the list in the following days and weeks. I suspect that is what is happening with Allegra as well. Continue reading »

Google In Uncharted Territory With The "Allegra Update"

Search Engines No Responses »

Feb 102005

As I am writing this Google is in the middle of scrambling their index once again – some have called it an “update” although I would not agree that anything at all has been actually updated. You need to see an improvement in search results in order to call it an update in my view.

The folks over at Webmaster World began giving Google updates a name a few years ago and called this one “Allegra”. This is the first “update” in about a year to receive that honor if my memory serves me correctly.

This change in Google is receiving nearly as much attention in various search engine forums as the Florida Update did in 2003 – and that says a lot! Alas, the attention is not good however. Some webmasters are lining up and threatening to quit the business much the same way as stockbrokers leaped out of windows in the Great Depression! Continue reading »

Redirecting and Pointer Sites Problems

Realtor Websites, Search Engines 3 Responses »

Jan 222005

The practice of redirecting one domain or website to another does have some serious problems. It is commonly preached that as a way of increasing your internet business it is a good idea to have lots of domains – perhaps targeting different keywords or market areas – all pointing at your website. The reality is that this can actually cause you serious grief. Continue reading »

Copying Content From Other Websites

Internet Use, Realtor Websites, Search Engines No Responses »

Jan 082005

When building a website it is always a good idea to look at other successful sites and see what they have done so you can find clues as to what you can do to be just as successful. Some decide that the easy solution is just to copy some of the content or duplicate the meta tags. Those that try the unscrupulous and illegal route will be very disappointed!

It is not that there may be a risk of being caught – it is 100% certain that you will be caught. Not only will you eventually be caught and face the potential embarrassment of having your crime publicized throughout the internet where anyone searching for your name and/or business will find that you are an unethical crook – the tactic does not work. Continue reading »

Google Shakes Things Up

Search Engines No Responses »

Dec 282004

Back in early November in this post I wrote that we were due for Google’s annual big shakeup. We seem to be experiencing it now.

Google began an update around December 15th and results are still jumping around. Many in SEO forums are not happy with the current state of affairs and report irrelevant results for their keyword searches as well as a loss of their own positions. Continue reading »

Add Yourself To The Blog Real Estate Directory

Internet Use No Responses »

Dec 282004

Now when you visit this Blog you may also add yourself to the new Real Estate Directory! The directory has search-engine-friendly pages of course and accepts entries for websites of Realtors, web designers, mortgage pros, SEOs, lawyers, appraisers, home inspectors – anyone associated with or servicing the real estate industry is welcome.

Category and sub-category suggestions are welcome – if I left out your category please let me know.

A reciprocal link is required and if you place that link on your site beforehand the software will list your site immediately. The sooner you submit the higher up on the page you will be – so why not do it now?

There is a link to the directory on pretty much every page of this Blog and it can be found in the “Resources” section at the bottom of the right hand column.

Google and the Sandbox

Realtor Websites, Search Engines No Responses »

Dec 072004

Search engine forums have been buzzing with talk of the “Sandbox” for months now – “does it or does it not exist” and “can it be beaten” are the usual topics of discussion.

In case you don’t know, the “Sandbox” is a label that has become associated with Google’s practice of not ranking new sites – more precisely, not ranking new sites in new domains competing for competitive commercial search terms. Continue reading »