Mindset from Yahoo!- Changing the SEO Game

Yahoo! has a developed a new concept in search engine technology - "Intent Driven Search" - allowing you to sort search results according to their commercial or informational content.

The beta version of Mindset is now online as Yahoo! tests and refines this concept. It depends on machine learning technology to rate sites on a scale to determine if they are primarily commercial or informational.

Sites are rated from -2 (mostly commercial) to +2 (mostly informational) with 0 being a balance between informational and commercial. This was done by manually rating a "seed set" of sites to base the rating algorithm. The software now needs fine tuning and Yahoo! welcomes comments about well it is rating sites.

At first glance Mindset looks like the regular Yahoo! search page. Type in a few keywords and you will get familiar looking results. The twist is the slider bar at the top of the page. Drag it anywhere between "Shopping" and "Researching" and the search results are automatically re-sorted.

This allows users to more easily find exactly what they are looking for. If they want to buy something, they slide the bar all the way to the left. If they need information, they move the slider bar to the right. The results are automatically updated without a page refresh.

This new technology represents the cutting edge of search engines and has the potential to affect the entire SEO industry. Since users are able to target their searches site designers and marketers can tailor web sites to a particular niche.

Mindset should be embraced by online marketers as a way to increase their revenues by targeting specific markets. Pay per click campaigns can become more effective if they can be restricted to commercial search results.

This article may be redistributed freely on the Internet or in ezines as long as the resource box and hyperlinks remain intact.

Ross MacIver is the director of Best Online Content. We provide quality content for your web site and offer a full range of design and SEO services.

RELATED ARTICLES

How Search Engines Work
Before anyone can start optimizing a web site, you must understand how search engines work.

SEO Expert Guide - Black Hat SEO - Activities to avoid (part 8/10)
In parts 1 - 7, you learnt how to develop your proposition, identify your key words and optimize and promote (for free) your site and pages on the world's search engines. You were also introduced to our mythical Doug (who sells antique doors, door handles, knockers, door bells or pulls and fitting services) in Windsor in the UK.

SEO: When Being Optimized Can Hurt
It's a marketing dream come true: A potential customer, looking for what you have to offer, types a few words into her favorite search engine and voila! She is led directly to your website where she can go from "prospect" to "customer."

Keywords: The First Step To Recognition
Open Wordtracker [ http://www.wordtracker.com/ ] and you'll see following proclamation by Brent Winters, President, FirstPlace Software, Inc., the makers of award-winning web promotion software, WebPosition Gold [ http://www.webposition.com/ ]:

How To Really SEO Your Site
Search engine optimization is one of most popular online marketing tool for any website. With more websites coming online every day the competition gets larger, so you have to make sure you can out SEO them before they out do you. In this article I will tell how to increase your ranking and how to out do your competition.

What are My Chances to Get the First Place in Search Engine Listings?
You must have heard the stories how people became rich and famous with their websites. How could they achieve this? Their websites took a first position in search engine listings targeting popular keywords. Sounds easy, right? Wrong! To be honest, chances for a regular small business website to get to the top of the search engine listings are close to zero and each day they become smaller and smaller as a number of new and old websites grows.

How To See What Pages Of Your Site Google Has In Its Index
There is a lag time between the indexing or updating of your site, and the time it takes to show new results in the database. Depending on your site, where it was linked from, who it was linked from, and who knows what other factors, the amount of time varies.

Cracking the Google Code: Under the GoogleScope
Google's sweeping changes confirm the search giant has launched a full out assault against artificial link inflation & declared war against search engine spam in a continuing effort to provide the best search service in the world? and if you thought you cracked the Google Code and had Google all figured out ? guess again.

How To Get Your Web Site Banned ? or Search Engine Promotion, How Not to do it!
Search engines constantly strive to advance their technology and algorithms in order to provide the most relevant search results for their users. Achieving effective results require the identification, and ultimately the complete eradication of, manipulative search engine optimisation tactics. As Internet marketers, it is up to us to achieve high listings for our customers and this requires that our search engine marketing tactics change and grow with the new technology.

London Bombings and Number Patterns
Firstly, let me say that I am sure all our thoughts went out to the victims, their families and friends of these bombings, and other incidents where innocent people lose their lives. Secondly, an SEO ezine is not the place to debate the rights and wrongs of such events.

A Simple 4 Step Approach To Have Google Crawl Your Site Today Guaranteed!
Extra, Extra Google Now Gives you feedback. By Creating a Google Sitemap using free online tools you can get Google to crawl your site within 24 Hours. As an Added bonus after Google Crawls your site they give you feedback about any problems they encountered. To take advantage of this amazing service from yahoo just follow these 4 simple steps.

Search Engine Optimization Explained
Search Engine Listing And Optimization

How Ive Maintained 7 Top Ten Google Rankings For Nine Months
Back in November 2004 I discovered a way to get a top 10 ranking in Google. I tested the technique for 3 months before I shared my findings with the world.

The Google Sitemap For Idiots
I don't mind admitting that every time some new fangled idea or piece of technology arrives online, I have a small fit and wonder how long it's going to take me to understand what it is, what it's for and whether I need to use it to stay 'up there'. It's even more frightening when the experts start explaining it and really only serve to confuse the matter when they use their 'techno-speak'.

SEO -- Tips to Optimize Your Webpage to Compete for a High Ranking
Search engine optimization (SEO) is very important to websites. If you rank high in search engines, your website are shown to a huge number of target users.

How To Get Listed In Google For Free
Google does not accept payment for inclusion in their main index ? so anyone that's at the top is there through hard work and perseverance, or through paying a company such as NikkiPilkington.com to do the hard work for you. Below I show you 7 great ways to increase your chances of a Google ranking.

Are You Hung-Up on Page Rank and Back Links?
It's unfortunate that many website owners are so hung-up on Page Rank, they'll rarely if ever, link to a site with a page rank lower than their own.

Building Link Popularity with Topical Articles
One of the important factors in ranking high in search engine results is link popularity. It is not enough to just have the best website in the world--other sites have to point back to you. The thought is that if your site is good enough for others to link to you, then you must have a great site.

Beyond Search Engines
Some webmasters report that search engines account for 75% or more of their total website traffic. However, it's important not to become too dependent on search engines for new business. Achieving a top listing from a major search engine is becoming more and more difficult over time. The competition for top spots is intense and it's getting harder every day to get listed at all. Also more and more search engines are moving to a pay-per-click model, and paying for top listings may not be in your budget.

How Do I Improve My Web Site Conversion Rate? Part 1
Question 1.