Has HotBot dropped DirectHit?

[fantomaster]

We achieved our first #1 ranking with DirectHit for one site of ours - but when checking it out with HotBot (same search term, same spelling, etc.) our site was nowhere to be seen, at least not in the Top30. Wasn't HotBot supposed to derive its Top10 hits from DirectHit (unless it's just the other way round, as Brett has implied a while ago in another context)?

[Brett_Tabke]

Several things are in play:

(yes, I've been very busy hording info):

1) Inktomi is just now experimenting with its Phase Two of its directory algorythm adoption by the full index engine (think Theme engine part two)
2) DirectHit is becoming a major competitor to Lycos/Etal and evidently Lycos is not real happy about it. I talked to the press relations manager for cmgi last week (who owns a 10% of Lycos) he said to look for a complete overhaul of Lycos/hotbot before summer.
3) Lycos has committed to switching to full Fast results. The question is, if DirectHit will play any part in that.
4) Lycos/Hotbot have the full DirectHit software and full system - why do they need DH to count clicks anymore?
5) Hotbots license agreement with Direct Hit is up June1.

I think they are just marking time until summer with whatever cobbled together system they can. I've noticed my normal top 10 DirectHit/click sites are falling while some of the same sites on Inktom/Yahoo are rising on HotBot.

I'm going spend sometime this weekend at home and case HotBot to see if I can figure anything out.

[pshea]

Two cents: The results from my keywords in hotbot and the same keywords results from Direct Hit have nothing in common whatsoever.

[Brett_Tabke]

With the rotating results, it is hard to tell if keywords are the same or not. I am finding that looking in logs is more telling that looking at Hotbot. Most of the same direct hit related referrals are coming from DH and HB.

[fantomaster]

You mean you're actually getting HITS from HotBot these days?

[Brett_Tabke]

We usually do pretty good on the Ink engines. This time it is themes, themes, themes that are making all the difference in the world.

The only problem is it is so hard to get valid testing results on theme style engines. Remember how hard it was to get Excite figured out a few years ago? That is the case with Inktomi right now.

Part of the problem in working with themes, has been getting the off topic doorway pages to die. 404's are hanging around forever in inktomi these days.

[pshea]

Brett: I took your newsletter's theme discussion and immediately redid my entire site to comply with the idea. After sitting at number 55 in AV for a month, this morning I am number 11. Of course in that time, I also added 60-70 reciprocal links so who is to say, but still . . . thought you would like to know.

[Brett_Tabke]

That article sure has generated the questions and feedback. I guess no one had thought of it in quite the way I'd put forward. Most of it is reaffirming what people already knew but did know how to put it together in a cohesive strategy.

You are right, links are very important right now under Ink and alta - so much so that it skews trying to understand the theme factor. I'd guess alta has cranked up their link counting here in the last 45 days while turning down the 'theme' factors because so many mega sites were popping up in the top of the results in mid january people were complaining it was becoming like Google.

[Pete]

Brett followed your advice regarding clicking your way to the top of the direct hit ladder. Managed to get three sites in good positions and then nothing. Strategy stoped working a good couple of months ago.

Quesion: Which month is the theme issue discussed. Must have missed it

[Brett_Tabke]

http://www.searchengineworld.com/links/update.htm

[seth_wilde]

Looks like Lycos just dropped direct hit

[searcher]

For kw I follow, Lycos has been:

Direct Hit followed by Inktomi

Now both gone!

[searcher]

Direct Hit back. Where is Ink? Strange beasts these search engines

[seth_wilde]

Yep direct hit is now back, Lycos must be preparing for there summer algo change.

[Brett_Tabke]

Since the day they bought Wired and Hotbot, I've heard from some pretty reliable sources that Lycos was going to switch to Inktomi. Evidently, they then started looking at just what it was going to cost and have been waffling ever since. A penny a search sounds cheap until you start to multiple it times 5million searches a day.

[Websurfer]

Besides the article on Theme Indexing, can anyone recommend other resources on this topic. Idess, examples etc?