Axandra news archive: 28 March 2006

• Facts of the week
• Search engine news of the week
• Articles of the week
• Preview of the next ARELIS version - part 8
• Recommended resources
• Previous articles

There's a new trick that some webmasters use to get high rankings on Google. Just like the trick we mentioned in a previous issue of our newsletter, this new technique exploits security holes of other web sites.

How does this trick work?

Just by adding a special extension to an URL of a government site, you can put any web site in a frame set of the government site. That means that the framed web site will get a link from the government site.

In this screenshot, you see CNN.com framed on a page of the United States Department of Agriculture web site (a PR7 site). If that link was indexed by Google, CNN.com would have received a PR7 link from that site.

CNN.com can easily be framed on the http://www.fsis.usda.gov site by entering a special page URL on http://www.fsis.usda.gov with a CNN.com extension.

This technique has been successfully used by a web site selling popular blue drugs. The web site could achieve a top 10 ranking for an extremely popular medical search term that way.

It seems that this technique works. Should you use it?

We highly recommend not to use this technique. Just like all spam techniques, you can only achieve short-term results with it. In addition, it's probably illegal to frame your web site into a government web site.

Google has already discovered the problem. If you don't want to be banned from Google, you should not use this technique.

If you want to get long-term results, you should use ethical search engine optimization methods. Build a web site with great content, make it easy for search engines to index your web pages and get good inbound links.

Web sites that have all of that get great rankings on Google, Yahoo and all other search engines.

Google behind three quarters of UK web referrals

"For the month of February, Google referred an average of 74.67 per cent of all UK visitors to other sites on the web, compared to just 9.3 per cent for its nearest competitor, Yahoo. According to the WebSideStory Index, Google’s search referral percentage in the UK exceeds both the US average for the month (55.39 per cent), as well as the global average (62.4 per cent)."

Ask releases Ask.com Nederland

"Ask.com has landed in the Netherlands, as we have recently introduced the beta version of Ask.com Nederland. Our unique search technology is now available for all Dutch people to enjoy."

Editor's note: Just like all Ask.com variations, Ask.com Nederland is already supported by IBP.

Google's print auction fizzles

"Google's effort to roll its advertising juggernaut beyond digital and into the world of print publications is struggling. [...] Google's struggle to transfer its online success to magazines doesn't necessarily bode well for the publishing industry."

"Arexera Information Technologies [...] will soon be launching Seekport, one of Germany's leading search engines, in India. [...]

The search engine primarily focuses on and caters to the non-English speaking population around the globe.

New search engine helps locate podcasts

"Podzinger, at its podzinger.com site, then allows people to type in keywords as they search for content on podcasts."

Garry Kasparov launches – a new search engine

"For the initial launch it was former US President Bill Clinton who took center stage. This time Accoona, a search engine company that has set itself the goal to challenge the supremacy of Google, asked former world chess champion Garry Kasparov to do the honours. Kasparov introduced what he called this new hitchhiker's guide to cyberspace."

Editor's note: Accoona is already supported by IBP's submitter.

Search engine newslets

• Yahoo adds new features to its toolbar.
• Beta Test - Google Base added to search engine result pages.
• Verizon SuperPages.com joins Google AdWords.
• Take a look at Google's redesign experiment.
• View Ask.com TV commercials.
• New features in Google Reader.
• A keyword that costs about $55 on Google AdWords.
• Cognos to launch enterprise search engine.
• AltaVista search engine creator dead at 42.
• There's an iPod in Google Maps.

"In the past couple weeks, Google has admitted erring when it posted on its Web site internal projections not meant for the public. Around the same time, company documents that were mistakenly released on the Web revealed that Google is preparing to offer online storage to Web users.

Then the Web search giant partially lost its case to deny the Department of Justice's request for excerpts from the search giant's massive database.

Now apparently, Google can't keep its official blog secure. Late Monday, the search giant's official blog on Blogger.com (which Google also owns), was apparently hacked and defaced by someone purporting to be Trey Philips."

Consumers not thrilled with local info sources

"Local search is making strides but it's still not satisfying the majority of consumers, and neither are other sources of local information, whether they're on- or off-line. That's the conclusion of researchers from the Kelsey Group and Constat, in a study expected to be released today."

We're currently working on a new ARELIS version. The new ARELIS version will have many new features and many improvements.

We think that it will be the best and most complete link exchange, link popularity and off-site web promotion solution. In the next few weeks, we'll show a preview of some of the new ARELIS features in this newsletter.

Part 8: Easily work with ARELIS and IBP on the same web site

The new ARELIS version will be integrated into one user interface with IBP. IBP and ARELIS will still be two independent programs but it will be easier to work with both programs on the same web site.

Although ARELIS and IBP will be integrated into one user interface, they remain two independent programs. The new user interface just makes it easier to work with both tools on the same web site (that means that the new ARELIS version is not free for IBP users and IBP is not free for ARELIS users).

Of course, the new ARELIS version will be a free update for registered ARELIS 4 users. A public preview of the new ARELIS version is planned to be released soon.

"I'm now on page 1 on many search engines"

"I LOVE IBP. It's easy to use and seems to work. ("sterile medical pack" a term for my site saferholidays.com is now on page 1 of many search engines!) ARELIS is taking a bit of getting used to and is a bit more time intense, but worth it I'm sure. Thanks again ... I'm impressed!"
David Rogers, www.saferholidays.com

• Google, your web site and CSS spam
• Google's Big Daddy update - Is your site supplemental?
• What search engines plan for the future
• What can you do if your rankings have dropped?
• Google's hypertext matching analysis and search engine optimization
• How to find the keywords that really deliver sales for your site
• The Stanford University reveals how to add credibility to your site
• View all past issues...