iamlost - 12:12 am on Apr 23, 2006 (gmt 0)

I should like to thank pageoneresults for shaking every topic tree he passes causing interesting fruit to fall for my delectation.

I should also like to thank Webwork for writing much of my initial reply. Again. I must learn to type faster and not be sidetracted by work. Or simply wait a day before starting a reply.

The inherent difficulty of this type of thread is that those who have taken the time, effort, and cost to test various SEO conjectures quite reasonably keep the parameters and results private. Also that SE algorithms are dynamic evolving beasts: what applies now may well not tomorrow. This leaves unsupported statements (which may be true, mistaken, or deliberately misleading), (over)analysis of SE comments, and conjecture.

So: in the unsupported statement/conjecture categories regarding the benefits of incoming .edu, .gov, .mil (and their 'national' counterparts such as .gc.ca, .gov.uk - yes there is a world outside the USA and the SEs know this) let me give an unqualified maybe :-)

The SE algorithms are rather complex. Why should we expect simplistic answers? Consider the following:

* a link from a .edu medical college page on modern surgery methods to yoursite page on surgical tools which links to other relevant yoursite pages.

* a link from a .edu medical college page on alumni to yoursite page on surgical tools which links to other relevant yoursite pages.

* a link from a .edu medical college students personal page to yoursite page on surgical tools with no additional relevant yoursite links.

* a link from a .edu medical college external links page to yoursite page on asian hotels with no additional relevant yoursite links.

Do you really expect equal link benefit?
Just because the linker is an .edu TLD?
Why?

In the further consideration category:
* Does a world class educational institution that uses its country domain rather than .edu pass the same, more, or less benefit than a bottom tier .edu college that only the SE ever heard of?

* what weight difference, if any, between .gov.bc.ca, .gov.uk, .gov?
Is it strictly TLD and all the rest?
Or does .gov in the domain equalise matters?
And is there a geo-influence weight varience?

Final unsupported comments:
* Specific domain types including certain TLDs by virtue of their SERP positions demonstrate an extraordinary weight, possibly including trust.
* Certain complimentary .edu/.gov type links appropriately used can be extremely beneficial.