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View Full Version : Who uses 'em anyway?

Cavetoad
11-03-2002, 13:56/01:56PM
Ok, I was at the Search Engine Seminar in Boston this past week and I kept hearing that only 3 engines were even using the KW tag anymore ( Sometimes a speaker would say that 'only some are using it' but 3 was the only number I heard )
So, which of the engines even care about this tag anymore.
Description seems to still be looked at for results page text but where's KW gone to?
( not that it's going to change my technique at all, it's just nice info to share with clients when you can say 'engines x,y,and z all use it' rather than the vague 'some engines still use it' )

thanks!
ihelpyou
11-03-2002, 14:11/02:11PM
I don't think there is a definitive answer as to who actually uses it. I know Inktomi looks at it but how they use it is anyone's guess. I know AltaVista at least 'looks' at it as well. How any of the engines 'use' it is anyone's good guess.

It does not hurt to simply include it. You should also only put words in it that are on that particular page. I limit the tag to a few phrases only.

I don't sweat it and maybe spend a good 30 seconds on the tag. :D
Cream
11-03-2002, 15:42/03:42PM
But will your pages get a penalty if you use Meta Tag keywords for an engine that does not look at them, like Google?


Just Add...
...Cream
MakeMeTop
11-03-2002, 16:04/04:04PM
No penalty on any search engine for using them (even if they don't) - but a possible penalty on every search engine for using words in the keywords tag if they are not on the page (even if they do use them).

Trust me :D
Cavetoad
11-03-2002, 16:07/04:07PM
There's no penalty for having a KW tag in your <head> from engines that don't use it. They don't use it one way or the other, they just plain ignore it. The only way that the KW tag will give you a problem is if you abuse it in the eyes of those that do recognize it. ( irrelevant keywords, stuffing full of keywords, that sort of thing.

Thanks for the answer Doug. I don't spend a lotta time on it right now either. Just not worth the effort.
Cream
11-03-2002, 16:58/04:58PM
Thanks guys for the quick reply. :)

Just one other question though, and not sure where to ask really, but does any search engine read Comments Tags at all?

Thanks.


Just Add...
...Cream
MsSearch
11-03-2002, 17:04/05:04PM
they were once used to enhance search engine rankings by stuffing them with keywords....but not anymore...
MsSearch
11-03-2002, 17:14/05:14PM
No engines index comment tags...
Hope
11-03-2002, 20:45/08:45PM
Last I heard, some of the engines are still penalizing for keyword stuffed comment tags. I cannot confirm this since I will not test such a theory. Maybe someone else can confirm this.
ihelpyou
15-03-2002, 08:00/08:00AM
Not sure either. One thing is for sure, keyword stuffed comment tags certainly don't help you any. Comment tags don't help any period.

If a human visited the site and saw the stuffed tags, they may just penalize the site for it anyway. Not worth the risk and certainly not something to use.
Advisor
15-03-2002, 08:53/08:53AM
I have never asked anyone at the engines about this, but my personal guess would be that they would simply ignore comment tags all together. I believe that engines don't go around "penalizing" sites as much as some people think. But then again, I don't do things that they'd penalize for so I don't know for sure. I just think they wouldn't bother penalizing sites because it would be a lot of extra work and good sites could get caught up in the penalization by mistake. Easier to simply ignore.

J
MsSearch
15-03-2002, 11:11/11:11AM
I was always under the impression that engines did ignore comment tags....which is why people who don't use external javascript would put the javascript within a comment tag so the spider would not index it and would not use it as the sites description/snippet...i could be a bit off base here as I only know how to find javascripts and implement them as an external file...

so to stuff keywords into a comment tag is just a waste of time...