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I'm certain webmasters have been debating Google vs. Yahoo SEO for some time now. It seems - at least to me anyways - that good positions on Yahoo usually net good positions on MSN as well. So one would think their ranking algorithms are somewhat similar.

I'm not sure that keeping good Google positions will benefit you on other engines. I've found - I can optimize for Yahoo & MSN - and they will not turn the tables on me at any given point. It may become so that in the future they are as dynamic as Google - but I have found Yahoo & MSN to contain more "static" results. By static, I mean that once you manage to get top positions on Yahoo & MSN (and especially for popular keywords) you usually are able to hold this rank for a while.

Other webmasters will agree, you either know the Google formula or you don't. I have still not discovered the formula. I have had pages (and ones with good content too) rank well on Google for a short period of time, then disappear completely from those query results. Google is a strange creature indeed, and although I have been into Internet Marketing for over two years now (and it is my only income) I have a very hard time keeping up with Google and trying to optimize for it.

Quite frankly, I gave up after all that jibber-jabber about Update Florida and the "Sandbox Effect." I figured such rapid changes, and such severe penalties for any given site - were uncharacteristic of Google. Google has a tendency to change their algorithms, and consequently their SERPS, almost overnight. If you're able to hold a top position on Google for certain keywords, all the power to you. I wish I could myself - as I believe Google would supply more traffic to my site then Yahoo can.

But in the long run, optimizing for MSN & Yahoo is likely in your best interest. Unless you yourself can crack the Google code, or know someone who can/has, I would suggest sticking to optimizing for Inktomi. These old optimization methods posted for optimizing for Inktomi (a simple Google search will find them for you, I know, how ironic) actually still work very well for both Yahoo and MSN engines. I have been using them for a while now and am having no problems getting SERP listings for these keywords.

It does take a little bit of time what with link campaigns and all, but no empire was built overnight. For more information on link building, and other subjects, please read my other articles.