Msn

Looksmart, any other db?

[rcjordan]

Is MSN spidering and maintaining their own "web pages" database now? First comes the 10 Looksmart directory links, but below that I don't see any reference to INK, etc. on the SERP.

[WebGuerrilla]

It is strange that there is nolonger any Ink reference on the page, but the results still match up to other Ink partners, and changes in Ink paid listings still show up, so I doubt they are running anything of their own.

[tedster]

Webguerilla, I'm very curious about this one. What Ink partners are you watching that currently line up with MSN's results? For several sites I work with, I see wide divergences between MSN and iWon, for instance, or MWN and HotBot.

[WebGuerrilla]

When I said they match up I really meant after you compensate for the outside variables. The main item that separates MSN from the other Ink partners is the fact that their default setting has URL clustering turned off.

Most other partners on the other hand, have a default setting that includes clustering turned on. On both MSN and Hotbot, you can change this setting in the "advanced search" section.

If you turn on the clustering feature at MSN and then do some comparative searches with other partners, you will find almost identical results.

[tedster]

Wow, thanks for the tip about clustering. The page I am wrestling with hops from #78 to #7. I hadn't noticed that many results from the same site in between!

[David]

>>The main item that separates MSN from the other Ink partners is the fact that their default setting has URL clustering turned off>>

Thank you, That helps alot.

[WebGuerrilla]

It certainly is a very frustrating feature. Maybe we should launch an email campaign to try and get them to change it:)