WebmasterWorld everywhere

is there a keyword this site doesn't dominate?

[muesli]

the last weeks i've been working hands on a web project (normally not my job, therefor it makes the difference). i had to do a lot of googling on a lot of topics (css, blogging, cms, php, etc.)

a moment ago i did yet another query, this time on the phenomenon of "flash of unstyled content [google.com]". like with virtually every other query i did, WebmasterWorld is among the first pages to show up.

i must say there is a lot i dislike about WebmasterWorld (mediocre usability, bad "findability" of content, especially very bad site search, also a subscription policy that i don't entirely identify with) but there is one thing that more than compensates all deficiences: its CONTENT. this site is so rich of valuable, first hand content, covering most of internet pro knowledge making it unmatched in its area.

a big WOW to everyone contributing (and to brett and the moderators of course).

[creative craig]

Webmaster = 5th on Google out of 42,700,000.. now thats SEO!

[John_Caius]

Not particularly, considering the name of the site - if anyone's still doubting the effect of incoming link anchor text then here's some strong proof.

[engine]

I think we'd have no respect for the place if that wasn't the case.

[skipfactor]

Half of us wouldn't have found it.

[ogletree]

mediocre usability what does that mean. I have never had a problem doing anything on the site. I assume that mediocre usability does not include search since you mentioned that seperatly. Also what is so weird about the subscription. It is free probably the easiest I have ever seen.

[creative craig]

Not particularly, considering the name of the site.

Not realy when you scroll through the other pages of the SERPS, there are alot of other sites with webmaster in the URL but are not on the front page, and then the fact that its in the region of 40 million results.

Just my opinion.

[John_Caius]

I'm more impressed with the number one listing for "seo forum" as that's not gained through the site name effect.

[Ally_Cat]

I've seen WebmasterWorld slipping on a few searches I do regularly. Whenever I need to use the Server Header Checker, I search it on Google (don't ask why I haven't bookmarked...), and in the last couple of weeks WebmasterWorld has lost a few positions for that key phrase.

[Chndru]

John,
it's because they have a cute banner ;) LOL

[claus]

*lol* @ serps for "serps" (WebmasterWorld #10) - btw the serverheaderchecker does not follow the <title> conventions of the threads, that's why.

[edited by: claus at 7:13 pm (utc) on Sep. 25, 2003]

[Sinner_G]

In a few weeks (i.e. fridays), we can have a contest of who finds the weirdest Google search with WW at #1. :)

<added>Sorry for hijacking this thread muesli, I guess those were NOT the kind of contributions you were refering to...</added>

[wkitty42]

sinner... if that's the goal, finding "the weirdest Google search with WW at #1", then we're already off to a good start... i haven't seen it anywhere other than in here, yet ;););)

[creative craig]

Its them damn Friday word games that do it ;)

[EBear]

A search for -<some random string> +site:www.webmasterworld.com shows between 55,200 and 55,700 results, depending on the string (or data center being hit?).

Although the numbers vary, the SERPs are always the same, in the same order.

Has anyone any idea how these results are ordered? Is it an indication of the relative PR/ranking/importance of the pages on a site as seen by Google?

[muesli]

ogletree:

mediocre usability what does that mean. I have never had a problem doing anything on the site. I assume that mediocre usability does not include search since you mentioned that seperatly. Also what is so weird about the subscription. It is free probably the easiest I have ever seen.

<personal opinion>of course the word "mediocre" wouldn't be justified if WebmasterWorld was just another website but it isn't, it is *the* authority on website architecture, so higher standards of usability may be applied. examples for poor usability include this (very important) page: [webmasterworld.com...] the fact that the "forum libraries" widely fail their (justified) purpose, and a lot more minor issues. just put a testperson who has never heard of WebmasterWorld in front of the frontpage and tell them to complete a certain task or to find out quickly what the site is about, how it is structured, how searchengineworld.com relates to it, and so on. they probably won't fail (as with so many other sites) but it will take too long. haven't exactly tried but i'm quite sure.</personal opinion>

regarding the subscription policy: i didn't mean free registration (which is reasonable), i meant paying subscription ("supporters"). i'm not a defender of free, i just don't entirely identify with the form chosen.

not big issues, WebmasterWorld is a great site after all! (which is what i wanted to express with this thread.)

Sinner_G:

Sorry for hijacking this thread muesli, I guess those were NOT the kind of contributions you were refering to...

no worries, cool thread :-)

[mcavill]

When a crocodile steals saplings

[google.com...]

[claus]

Well, even Google does not catch everything in here; example query:

Google refuses to spider site. It has been more than a year! site:www.webmasterworld.com

URL: [webmasterworld.com...]

-it's a six page thread. Anyway, ATW does a notoriously worse job with the WebmasterWorld threads.

/claus

[ogletree]

muesli thanks for the clairifacation. I had forgotten about that. A person would need to read for about 4 hours before he/she could really understnad what the sites is about and what they should use it for.

[muesli]

thanks for the confirmation. experts' arrogance and irony usually is the opposite of accessability and usability.

[Brett_Tabke]

I totally agree on the "usability" comments Musli. I have never been satisfied (probably will never be) with major portions of the site. The next rewrite of the software will be to address a few of those issues.

- stickymail - very cryptic for many people.
- help, isn't all that intuitive.
- switching skins is only for the experts.
- how to edit some of your options isn't easy.

So ya, there are many places where usability can be increased.

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Back to the original thought of this thread though (is there a keyword this site doesn't dominate?) all I can say is - gee thanks -- kick can...