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This 35 message thread spans 2 pages: 35 ( [1] 2 )  > >     
Yahoo FAQ's...
please feel free to add to this...
2_much




msg:826029		 10:09 am on Jan 14, 2002 (gmt 0)

I gathered some FAQ's that people have asked throughout the last few months...

Pleaes feel free to add to, or contradict, all of this...

* Crafting your title/description:
1. keyword research (target appropriate keywords)
2. use keywords as title of your site (if possible...also, if you can, use this title in the whois)
3. write short description, reflective of the descriptions of other sites in the category

* Flash - provide html alternative, few "just flash" sites listed, sites with bits in flash seem to be okay

* Regional/business listings - if you pay, you're entitled to a business & a regional listing (if applicable)...better to use the business listing for optimization purposes...to get in for free, you can try the regional listings

* Free submissions - still work, depending on the category, take a lot longer to review, sometimes (not always) send out letter of inclusion

* Yahoo sumbissions with recurring fees - focus on ROI, track site to find out if ROI is worth it, if not drop after a year (not sure if possible) (essential to spend more time than ever choosing the right keywords and description)

* Changing listings (free and paid) - [add.yahoo.com...]
(most often doesn't work, haven't heard of anyone who got in for free, request a change and get dropped)

* Commercial/non-commercial listings - if your site sells a product you have to pay, if you have a couple of banners I think it'll depend on the editor, a banner or two should be okay...bait and switch is possible but there's a risk of being dropped if an editor reviews the category

* Yahoo shopping - [webmasterworld.com...]

* Multiple listings - possible for huge websites that have unique content for different categories...seldom possible for small sites, a possibility for large sites (where this is justified)

* How results are displayed - [webmasterworld.com...]

SERP:
1. category matches
2. sponsored
3. website matches
4. web pages

Category Pages:
1. category
2. sponsored
3. most popular
4. alphabetical

* Choosing categories - high level categories best, category with keyword in it, cat most relevant to the website/product offered

* Affiliates - many affiliate sites in the directory, probably bait and switch, yahoo's becoming more lenient (they allow banners and other suble forms of affiliation)

* Long domains - ok now...63 characters are okay

* Appeal process - if rejected, modified your site, add some unique content, reply to the rejection from the bizex editor, mention what unique content the site has as compared to other similar sites in the directory...focus on why your site will benefit yahoo's users...soft and gentle works better than being cross and difficult...

* Adding unique content - message boards, newsfeeds, content, contests, pop ups with images, glossary, resources, manuals, etc.

* Click pop - seems to have gained more importance since yahoo changed how it displays its serps, yet still far less important than title, description, domain, and PR...

* Browser compatibility - apparently yahoo editors are on mac's using old versions of netscape (4.0)...try and make sure your site is compatible with as many browsers as possible

* Ranking -
1. title
2. description
3. domain
4 PR
5. click pop

others-
1. KW proximity
2. Category

* Ranking Changes - could be that Yahoo is updating its SERP's or our PR was decreased...also, new sites are sometimes added to the first page temporarily, and then dropped back to their category...have to use valualbe optimization chores.

* Support - very bad, they stopped doing phone URL support, only by email now, rarely respond, awful support

* Dropped sites - they may be dropping sites with bad load time or other glitches...i've noticed and heard a few people of complaining of this glitch, where a site is seen through category search but not through the search engines... best to email the editor who accepted the site and hope for the best...

* New categories - suggest during the submission process

* Suggest a site help: [help.yahoo.com...]

And here's a very brief, vague outline of some changes we've recently seen...shows a clear trend doesn't it:

* northern light
* recurring fees
* hotjobs
* goverture
* cut 400 jobs
* raised rates on bizexpress
* changed its look
* sponsored listings

 

litmania




msg:826030		 1:10 pm on Jan 14, 2002 (gmt 0)

Thank you, 2_much, that's a very comprehensive and valuable break-down.

You wrote:
"haven't heard of anyone who got in for free, request a change and get dropped"

Anybody else heard of a free site being dropped? We wish to make a tiny change to a listing of a non-commercial site, but are afraid that it might get dropped if we contact Yahoo. The site has banners on the bottom of the pages to cover web hosting costs and Yahoo might now say it is commercial... and ask for $300 recurring. I don't trust those guys anymore :)

beasscr




msg:826031		 5:29 pm on Jan 14, 2002 (gmt 0)

Wow-- great post 2Much! Thanks!
hayluke




msg:826032		 9:40 am on Jan 15, 2002 (gmt 0)

Really useful post! One quick question though, does yahoo use link popularity at all?
feeder




msg:826033		 8:40 pm on Jan 15, 2002 (gmt 0)

Great post 2much

A few questions: PR? Are you referring to PageRank? Does Yahoo use a PageRank algo?

Regional categories: do you mean you can specify two categories when submitting and expect to get accepted in both? Can you point to any examples

feeder




msg:826034		 8:41 pm on Jan 15, 2002 (gmt 0)


keyplyr




msg:826035		 8:48 am on Jan 20, 2002 (gmt 0)

>apparently yahoo editors are on mac's using old versions of netscape (4.0)

LOL- yeah right

Marcia




msg:826036		 3:54 am on Jan 28, 2002 (gmt 0)

Bumping this one.

>A few questions: PR? Are you referring to PageRank? Does Yahoo use a PageRank algo?

What part does Page Rank play in Yahoo's ordering scheme?

2_much




msg:826037		 2:26 am on Jan 29, 2002 (gmt 0)

Couple of updates...

Apparently, if you're already listed, you can request a change and it won't become a "recurring" fee...

PR - I've seen, for some categories, sites that rank well in Google then rank well in Yahoo (after a month)...this isn't consistent, but I've come across this sporadically...

litmania




msg:826038		 11:58 am on Jan 29, 2002 (gmt 0)

Apparently, if you're already listed, you can request a change and it won't become a "recurring" fee...

I've got a non-commercial site to which I need a critical change made, but I daren't contact Yahoo, because they might starting charging me. The site has got a few affiliate links on it (from which I don't even earn $30 a month).

I'm worried that Yahoo, being as greedy as they now are (they have to, of course, pay their managers' $100,000-per-annum salaries plus perks), will now deem it to be a commercial site and ask me for money if I wish the site to remain at Yahoo.

webdiversity




msg:826039		 12:31 pm on Feb 2, 2002 (gmt 0)

As a slight addenda to the original post I have a question and hope that someone can give me a definitive answer because I think "in principle" the answer is no but there might be a work around.

The scenario is you investiage an expired domain that is listed in Yahoo! and purchase the domain, you then want to change the listing to point at your site by filling in the form at [add.yahoo.com...] . Where it stumbles is it asks for the exisiting e-mail address for the listing which clearly you don't have.

I'm not looking at this as a way of getting out of paying for a listing (nice as it would be to do so), it's more like gaining a bit of goodwill from an entry that is already there.

Hope I've explained the situation well enough for a reply.

Cheers.

2_much




msg:826040		 1:09 am on Feb 4, 2002 (gmt 0)

That's clever webdiversity, I think it could work. Only problem is that it's rare for Yahoo to change a listing. If they were to do it, then you would get away with not paying for the listing.
webdiversity




msg:826041		 1:20 am on Feb 4, 2002 (gmt 0)

Surely there must be situations where the ownership of domains is taken up by someone else.

For a consumer perspective, wouldn't you rather get a new site with a new owner instead of a 404 page ? I know I would want that.

On Yahoo!'s change page they ask for the e-mail address of the original owner, I think without that you'd struggle.

I'll contact Yahoo! and see if I can get a definitive answer. Maybe if it's positioned that it's not an attempt to get out of paying their fee, so long as the site put up meets all their criteria and pays the fee they may accept it..... or can anyone post a work around.

I can find domains on Yahoo! that have expired.

I'll update if I hear anything.

litmania




msg:826042		 2:33 am on Feb 4, 2002 (gmt 0)

"For a consumer perspective," ...

Errr.... sorry to sound flippant, but I don't think Yahoo! takes much of an interest in the "consumer perspective" anymore.

ebgreen




msg:826043		 3:23 pm on Feb 6, 2002 (gmt 0)

How long someone stays on your site is also a factor.
przero




msg:826044		 8:49 pm on Feb 11, 2002 (gmt 0)

Does anyone know how Yahoo! ranks its "most popular" in its category listings? Are they counting click-throughs? The same sites seem to be locked in to the "most popular" for our category.
litmania




msg:826045		 8:19 pm on Mar 1, 2002 (gmt 0)

Any evidence that Yahoo editors are using an ancient version of Netscape on a computer which has about 3% of the market (Apple Mac)?
EliteWeb




msg:826046		 8:20 pm on Mar 1, 2002 (gmt 0)

I was told they test it with old versions of browser and Macintosh versions.
Brett_Tabke




msg:826047		 8:34 pm on Mar 1, 2002 (gmt 0)

Study your referrals closely. Back track the editor. Many of them will come in on Macs using netscape.
2_much




msg:826048		 7:04 pm on Mar 6, 2002 (gmt 0)

Yes, I've seen evidence of this, it's outrageous but true.
Jaze




msg:826049		 2:39 am on Mar 20, 2002 (gmt 0)

Jim,

I have previously asked Yahoo.com.au about this email address requirement. Their reply:

"If we are provided with this information it is confidential, so you will
not be able to find it on Yahoo! But, if you are needing this
information in order to submit a change request form, then don't
despair. We use this information as a guide, and if you don't know who
the original person was, it shouldn't affect your request."

...

"If you do need to make additional changes, please do submit a change
request form and don't concern yourself too much with the original
contact person."

HTH, Cheers, Jaze

Omni




msg:826050		 1:06 pm on Mar 20, 2002 (gmt 0)

Hello. With regards to what world end soon said in this thread:

[webmasterworld.com...]

I'm wondering if the information on this thread is still up to date as of today?

litmania




msg:826051		 2:26 pm on Mar 20, 2002 (gmt 0)

EliteWeb you were right: our web site was rejected by Yahoo! UK because they said it didn't work in Netscape. Been accepted in all the other major directories.

After your comments, I spent two days configuring it to make sure it worked in Netscape. Only problem is I have Netscape 6.

I rang Yahoo and told them I had tested it in Netscape 6 and it was working fine. The guy at Yahoo told me that he was using Netscape 4.3 or something.

I'm going to have to waste hours rescripting it and then submitting it to Yahoo again, or else I'll lose a lot of money :(

When will these Yahoo editors leave the ice-age? Can somebody provide me with statistics about what percentage of people use Apple Macs with Netscape 4.0 to access the net?

The sooner Netscape is killed off, the better. Otherwise it allows Yahoo editors to show how terribly important they are by turning down sites because 5% of people don't see them displayed perfectly.

It's almost like me having a store here in the UK and insisting that all my customers speak Urdu/Hindi as well as English, when less than 5% of people in the country can do so.

Then again, Yahoo doesn't seem to care too much about its customers. That's why it is losing market share by the day to the likes of Google.

(edited by: NFFC at 8:10 pm (utc) on Mar. 21, 2002)

Mardi_Gras




msg:826052		 12:29 am on Mar 21, 2002 (gmt 0)

Can somebody provide me with statistics about what percentage of people use Apple Macs with Netscape 4.0 to access the net?

.5% according to my logs. That's over the past 15 months - drops to .4% if I just review 2002.

Don

1Lit




msg:826053		 7:49 pm on Mar 21, 2002 (gmt 0)

(This is 'Litmania' with my new username!)

Thank you for looking up those figures, Mardi_Gras.

I know you're not supposed to help an individual case in this forum, but [edit]We don't do site reviews, sorry[edit]

(edited by: NFFC at 8:07 pm (utc) on Mar. 21, 2002)

1Lit




msg:826054		 12:43 am on Mar 22, 2002 (gmt 0)

In case anybody is ever in the same boat at some stage in the future, we removed some layers tags from our webpages and now the site seems to look OK in Netscape 4. Took me a few hours to get it right.

Only got one other worry now. I am using a PC. Does the Apple Mac Netscape 4.0 show pages in the same way as my Netscape 4.0 on a PC (Yahoo use Apple Macs, of course)?

Hope Yahoo accepts it now when we appeal, or else we'll lose our money :)

And, just out of interest, would Yahoo editors access our site via an ISDN connection or just dial-up?

BikeMan




msg:826055		 5:57 am on Mar 25, 2002 (gmt 0)

Having developed a site of a multribrand two wheeler dealership with interests in retail, exports and related lines what is the best policy for a yahoo listing. Would multiple listings be possible or should I just submit to one particular category?

Additionally as I have submitted to multiple categories (pity I found this place too late)would they penalise the site for it?

What would be the best course action to follow now?

2_much




msg:826056		 6:17 pm on Mar 25, 2002 (gmt 0)

BikeMan,

I suggest picking one category and submitting only to that category. You'll probaby have to use BizEx to get listed.

And welcome to WmW!

1Lit




msg:826057		 10:22 pm on Mar 25, 2002 (gmt 0)

Don't worry if you have submitted to more than one category by mistake. If you haven't used Biz Express, then I doubt Yahoo! will look at every one of your submissions anyway. I reckon a lot of free submissions slip through the net.

P.S. I spent three days a while ago making my site compatible for Netscape 6 as I prepared it for Yahoo Biz Express submission. They refused my site, saying they use Netscape 4 and the tables didn't work correctly in Netscape 4.

Now I've just spent the last five days, working 12 hours a day, making my site compatible for Netscape 4 JUST for Yahoo. It has been HELL. When the pages displayed correctly in Netscape 4, they didn't in Netscape 6 or IE :(

I hope Yahoo realise what they have put me through because of their insistence on using a dead browser. Can't wait to hear of more of those arrogant people at Yahoo get sacked as Google gains market share.

And if those Yahoo employees ever submit a site to my directory, I'm going to insist they have all of it translated into Latin as well :)

1Lit




msg:826058		 2:53 am on Mar 28, 2002 (gmt 0)

Update: Just when I thought I was finished, I discovered that Netscape 4.x on a PC and on a Mac don't show pages the same, either.

So I've wasted another two days making my site compatible for Netscape 4 on a Mac as well.

Thanks a lot Yahoo.

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