Sphinn - Search Within a Search – How This Could Mean Bad News for Your Site

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Search Within a Search – How This Could Mean Bad News for Your Site

Went Hot: March 13, 2008 - 1:24 pm
Posted By: rishilakhani 480 days ago
Topic Type: News Story (Jump to http://www.seosmarty.com)
Category: Google Searching

A simple analysis on Annie7's (SEOSMARTY) site on how the new search within search (teleportation) is not necessarily the best thing for brands.

14 Comments

Who Desphunn This (0)

Comments

from seosurvivor 480 days ago #

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Great post, and good awareness piece... I wonder if sites that get awarded the "teleportation" search bar would have the option to opt out within Google Webaster. Sitelinks might be good enough for some websites.

from rishilakhani 480 days ago #

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I think that it should definately an option - keeping in mind the results I demonstrated - you could better protect your brand and the sales you may be at risk of losing.

from sza 479 days ago #

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Basically the same story from a week ago:

http://sphinn.com/story/32827

from rishilakhani 479 days ago #

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@SZA - if you notice, I submitted both the stories - the first looks at it from a generic keyword point of view - I have explored it slightly further by trying to expand the user thought process and the possibilty of not proecting the brand and long tail search.

I do agree that the overlap exists. I just felt that the original story didnt highligt the danger to brands sufficiently.

from sza 479 days ago #

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I didn't realize both of them were submitted by you :-)

Just found it interesting that the "more original" piece drew 7 sphinns altogether, this one drew 9 in 2 hours. Quite a bit disappointing...

from elisabethosmeloski 478 days ago #

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I hate how people keep complaining about people sphining the topic again and again. I think it's far more useful to see the different opinions on the implications of Teleportation - both from the big brand perspective and how it may (adversely) impact the good fight of the 'little guys' and even average sized companies for that matter, who are trying to play fair against category killers and keep getting slammed by google's preference for the well-established names.

John ellis had a great point of view - which also cross references Doug Dugale's opinion - and is specific to the industry we play in - carrie hill sphunn it before me, but I still think it's far more relevant to discuss HOW this is being implemented and used within google results, rather just the fact that Google did it.
http://sphinn.com/story.php?id=33786

from rishilakhani 478 days ago #

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@elisabethosmeloski thats an excellent find. thanks for the link. I think most people are taking teleportation too lightly - hence why I spun separate variations of the story.

from sza 478 days ago #

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@elisabethosmeloski, the problem is, the first article about this topic (which I mentioned) wasn't really sphunn by many people.

I'd love to think of Sphinn as a site for perceptive professionals who will take care of pushing worthy stuff to the main page. So even if I only read what's hot, I still won't miss anything.

But in many ways, it's the same herd mentality as everywhere else. If your an A-list blogger and/or a good networker, your posts will go hot with 40-45 sphinns even if they are about an upcoming keynote address, or covering a new feature in the Google SERP days after it has been thoroughly covered.

If you're just a no-name blogger posting interesting stuff, most of these "perceptive" professionals will not give a damn about you.

from annie7 478 days ago #

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@sza: actually if one is a great blogger posting interesting stuff, he will become 'A-list blogger' (well, meaning, people will notice his posts) sooner or later - so that's not completely fair. Surely, at the start even a good blogger may suffer from some lack of attention - but that's life, it's natural.

And to be completely fair to Sphinn, that's actually a great place for discovering new great blogs. Even if it didn't go hot, it will get noticed and will be getting more powerful with each good post...

from rishilakhani 478 days ago #

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@sza - I agree with annie7 - I am not an A lister - and as I submitted both the articles - I didnt really expect either to go Hot. I was just as disappointed that the first article didnt get more attention, but looking back at it, I realised it was a very "I just noticed" and a small byline that it may affect PPC.

i decided to expand that scenario and did it on someone elses blog - which kind of raised the profile of the real issue that I was worried about.

from SpostareDuro 478 days ago #

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@sza: I think we need to look at this from 2 perspectives as a means of 'analytics' for our individual use.
A) the 'A-listers' have had it within their nature to increase the popular writers visability for reasons that do not neccessarily equal 'quality' and / or original content. There are a multitude of excuses that can be made for this.. good bad or indifferrent. It is no longer a matter of what THEY are doing to push something to the frontpage.

But as Annie suggests, so is the way of life..

B) As 'non A-listesr' WE need to be more observant of what seems to be of interest to us, visit the site, read it, and provide a vote if it calls for it. Forget WHO submitted it, WHAT WEBSITE it came from, and dont be what I would affectionately refer to as a "voter wanker". Definition: Someone that checks the "Who Sphunn this?" tab to see if it's worth your time.

Just my 2 cents that couldn't buy a cup o jo

from annie7 478 days ago #

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Does anyone really do it it??? I mean checks the "Who Sphunn this?" tab to see if it's worth his time??? For me that's always been enough to see who submitted the piece...
:)

from rishilakhani 478 days ago #

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*sheepish grin* Ido - but just on my own submits - I like to knwo whether any bigwigs noticed... lol

from SpostareDuro 478 days ago #

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I certainly did too, until I realized that having my back scratched and losing my identity to prove myself to others, meant always being a follower..

I'd rather give a hand up to those who are being neglected. As long as they have content worth voting for why not seek them out?

We all know the 'A listers' votes won't suffer..they'll still get theirs..