Ink and MSN listing? Very confused

[OptWizard]

Can someone lay out for me exactly how MSN doe sits rankings?

DOes it depend on LS title and description? INK PI? BOW?

HEEEELPPPP :confused:

[MsSearch]

MSN listings...

Featured Sites: Sites that MSN editors think are relevent and most important to the search term used, chosen from MSN affiliates, partners, sponsors...

Sponsored Sites: Overture listings

Web Directory: Looksmart listings

Web Pages: Inktomi

So, Looksmart listings will always appear before inktomi and BOW listings...unless you're searching for a non-competitive keyword phrases and there are no Looksmart listings, then Inktomi results will appear underneath the Sponsored Sites (overture listings)...

[OptWizard]

Thanks MS
But i just did a check on a search and the top 4 ot 5 sites are not even in Looksmart but top in MSN?

[MsSearch]

Those featured sites (which are the first 4-5 results) can come from any number of sources....click the 'About' link next the Features Sites in the listings....

[OptWizard]

I know that I am not that dumb LOL...I am looking at the directory lisitngs....So MSN looks at what in ALGO?
Title? Description? Metas?

Another I noticed the keyword is not in the title or descritpion? So what does MSN use for an ALGO?

[MsSearch]

When human editors review sites for Looksmart...they assign keywords to each listing...and they also rate the sites (i think--they do in Zeal). This plays a part in determining ranks, or which sites will rank better than others...(a while ago there was a thread in the Looksmart forum that discussed this issue...if i can find it I'll post a link to it).

When Looksmart listings appear in MSN, the MSN editors use these assigned keywords and give those 'better' sites more weight when displaying search results.

I hope this makes sense....if i find that link I'll post it for ya...

[OptWizard]

>>When Looksmart listings appear in MSN, the MSN editors use these assigned keywords and give those 'better' sites more weight when displaying search results. <<<

So basically it is luck how do you know what keywords you were assigned and where did you hear of this? So keywords in title and descritpion dont play a part?

[ihelpyou]

Sure they do Opt. Just not as much a part of the algo as a Yahoo or dmoz directory is. This is why you can have only your business name in the title and still rank well even if your name has ZERO keyword phrases in it.

LS and MSN also look at the 'quality' of a site along with the keyword phrase 'the site' submitted to them.

YOU give them 3 keyword phrases when you submit a url to Looksmart.

[OptWizard]

I am confused? Does MSN run the sites through an ALgo of some sort? We have sites that have this all and closest ranking is in the 70's?

[ihelpyou]

Oh sure, MSN has their own algo. All we can do is state our opinions about it. IF you notice, just because you rank in the top ten on LS for a keyphrase does not mean that same phrase will rank in the top ten on MSN. Could mean that, but does not have to.

[OptWizard]

I noticed that as well top LS are not Top MSN...I guess what I am looking for is what MSN is looking for and what I gathered from this thread is the following correct me if I am wrong.....

MSN Directory is from Looksmart which I knew...then MSN has its own algo (which I have to figure out) but the bases of the ranking are on what keywords the Looksmart editors link you site to. The title and description dont really have a apart in the algo (from what I see) Does links? Theme have a say in this?
From their its

:confused: Does this sound right? :confused:

If you edit the looksmart listing does this help to add keywords? or as I stated above keywords in the title and description really do not play a part in the rankings