What do folks want to hear about at PubCon?

Request a topic..

[GoogleGuy]

Hey, Google will be speaking at the WebmasterWorld pub conference next week. I got a request for topics that people want to hear about the most. So: what Google-related subjects do folks want to hear about next week? I'll point any speakers/panel members to this thread.

Thanks everybody. If you give us a heads-up on what you want to hear about, that makes it that much less likely that anyone in the audience will fall asleep. :)

[przero2]

GG .. post Florida we are dismayed as to what works in Google and what does not ..!. Without revealing the inside secrets, a general guideline of what Google wants will be appreciated.

[IITian]

I will be interested in knowing how Google is planning to improve its search technology over the next 2-3 years.

<added>Am not going though!</added>

[edited by: IITian at 4:55 am (utc) on Feb. 22, 2004]

[simon03]

Does google plan on addressing cloaking and spammed pages so us ethical guys can have a chance?

When will the google "stop the madness"? When will the serps become and remain somewhat stable?

Can I go to sleep now?

[Llama]

I want to hear about Bill Gates and his attempt to crush Google, and to know if Google's scared of him actually succeeding with the release of the next Windows.

Also, I want to know if Google has any new plans to help webmasters get more profit.

[1cicle]

Several things.

Is there any online gallery of all the Google logos?

Who draws your logos?

Have you ever come under pressure (or been offered bribes) to put certain sites higher up?

Are you under any pressure to remove sites with certain business models?

Have you ever removed a site for political reasons?

Do you think Yahoo have pinched your 'look and feel'?

If you go public, how will that change the results? (because, for instance, the largest shareholders will want their business model favored).

Do you think you might have guilded the lily somewhat with some of your latest updates?

Is it anyone's job to say 'its exactly right this month, lets not mess with it'?

Do you use anything that tells you how long a user stayed on a particular result before returning to Google (or ignored it altogether) and if you do, are you using (or planning to use) this data to tweak either the results or the algo, in real time?

Icicle

[edited by: 1cicle at 4:24 am (utc) on Feb. 22, 2004]

[edited by: Marcia at 11:00 pm (utc) on Feb. 22, 2004]
[edit reason] No narcing and no specifics, please. [/edit]

[caveman]

Well, that's what you get for asking. :-)

I'd be curious to hear comments about commercial versus information oriented results in the SERP's.

Is G of the mind, for example - to paraphrase one of the great minds associated with the Web - that ultimately search should be able to intuit a query and deliver the best possible set of SERP's, regardless of whether the query is commercial or information in nature?

Or, is there a sense at the 'Plex that eventually the two areas might need to be separated somehow?

Yours truly,
caveman

[Liane]

I wish I were going, but can't manage it right now. If I were, I'd like to know the answer to the question I have asked twice without response:

Does Google intend to continue to rotate data centers in the regular SERPS on an ongoing and daily basis?

If so why? What purpose does it serve?

(If this question is answered at PubCon, would somebody write down the answer please and sticky me!) I am really curious to know.

[MedCenter]

1. Latent Semantic Indexing, discussed in detail and how Google implements it, or may implement it.

2. PageRank, has it changed? Will it change? Does it still bear the relevancy it used to - being the single most important factor?

Wish I was going to the New York conference... Will Google be speaking at the Toronto one in May? I hope so.

Thanks.

[synergy]

Semantics definately on my list.

[Brett_Tabke]

Will we see an expansion of Google services?

Will we ever see a subscription based Google? (eg: let me pay a montly fee to use the service with expanded offerings)

[pleeker]

I just have to second caveman here. There's been so much discussion in recent months about certain commercial industries being impacted negatively by the latest algo updates, and the sight of so many information sites appearing in the SERPs of what should be a commercially-oriented search seems to justify the idea that these industries have been targeted.

Sounds like a good topic to me. :)

[SoccerWalker]

When is Google going to update the Directory? Will it be more frequent in the future or is Google planning its own Directory?

[cindysunc]

When can we expect Google to go full fledged portal to compete with MSN and Yahoo and get some "stickiness"? :)

[SEOtop10]

Are you planning to introduce a paid scheme for getting regular refresh every n hours like typical PFIs?

Just to assert that I am not talking about any preferential treatment. Just guaranteed refresh.

Arun

[sidyadav]

Although I'm not going, my friend (is) will tell me everything about the Pubcon (:)), so here are the answers to the questions I want to hear from my friend:

Is Google planning to add new features, if yes, which ones?

Is Google planning to acquire any thing in this year?

Are there any changes Google is planning for Adsense?

Thanks GG,
Sid

[edited by: sidyadav at 5:42 am (utc) on Feb. 22, 2004]

[panic]

GG,

Why don't you compare Google to Inktomi for relevancy, and quality of index.

[XtendScott]

1. Semantics and Google algo, is it a learning algo, meaning can we expect the algo to develope/learn additional relationships between words and meanings?

2. PPC click fraud steps to take if suspected. Whats auto detected whats not.(can't answer specifics I know)

3. Site standards/requirements/guidlines for displaying Adsense? i.e. Do auto-generated garbage "directories" meet quality guidlines?

[eyeinthesky]

GG,

There seems to be a consensus that Google attracts mostly "techie" searchers while Yahoo attracts the "layman" searchers.

Thus Google's traffic is considered inferior when it comes to sales conversion since techies are deemed to be information hunters rather than shoppers.

Question :

How is Google going to re-capture the loss in "layman" searchers due to the Yahoo split?

Thanks.

[martinibuster]

>>>Will we see an expansion of Google services?

I'm interested in that one, too. Among many other offerings and services that come to mind, a Google browser would be fun.

As Larry Page said in the NY Times [nytimes.com],

Mr. Page did not discuss the e-mail service directly, but he did say that Google's aspirations have moved beyond its initial, already immodest, mission statement: "to organize the world's information."

"We are trying to put our effort into things that really matter to people that we can make significantly better," he said.

This is where, for me, the excitement lies.

[edited by: martinibuster at 6:20 am (utc) on Feb. 22, 2004]

[lindavh]

Ranked #1 for search phrase "region service" for over a year plus, then come November completely out of site and replaced with ALL Directory sites that charge companies in our industry to list on their sites for our location and every other location in the country...so basically forced to sign up with them and pay or pay Google Adwords.

Having worked very hard on my site and been a member here for almost two years and implimented the things I have learned here, I kept gathering relevant links, kept my site clean and on target, no changes, and with this update although I am very pleased to have regained the #1 position (for now) I am followed by all of those Directory Industry sites and have no clue what I did to recover other than to get listed on some of those directories and pay, and then maybe gain link value? I don't know...

I would love to know what Google values as a good clean relevant content site... I would love to know why the Directories are doing so well...I would like to know what the small guy can do to gain and maintain presence in these times...I don't believe that we have the power or possibility to have the link gathering that these directories, newspapers, and city.org sites maintain....and yet they are the ones given ranking over the industry specific regional sites... and even though I am doing well I still fear it is temporary given what I still see in the SERPS ... what does Google want to see?

[rharri]

I'll be there and not ashamed to admit I'm a novice-there to learn. Please devote a little time to the basics of what Google thinks is important (word from the minority)
;-).

Bob

[jcoronella]

Please devote a little time to the basics of what Google thinks is important

Have 'the basics' been redefined?

I think a word about what google thinks is acceptable SEO, vs unacceptable SEO would help newbies and old timers alike.

There is a lot of talk about 'SEO penalties' that have come as a result of Florida, and it would be useful for everyone to have a word on what google expects sites to do, and what not to. Even simple things are not clear anymore to a lot of people.

[MsDetta]

I'd like to know why a website that lists every state in the US and every providence in Canada on its index page isn't considered to be spamming Google and comes up on page 2 during a search for snipped. Should every website be designed to list every state and providence? Argh!

When I, as a user, type in a specific location, I don't want information from Montana, Nevada, etc. I want relevant information to the specific location.

[edited by: DaveAtIFG at 6:36 am (utc) on Feb. 22, 2004]
[edit reason] Removed specifics [/edit]

[europeforvisitors]

There's been so much discussion in recent months about certain commercial industries being impacted negatively by the latest algo updates, and the sight of so many information sites appearing in the SERPs of what should be a commercially-oriented search seems to justify the idea that these industries have been targeted.

I'm going to turn that question on its head with my own question:

When can we expect to see less commercial clutter in what, according to its mission statement, is an information-oriented search engine? :-)

[Shak]

I would be very interested in hearing about the challenges faced by Google as a "business" in trying to keep all parties happy (users, advertisers and authorities).

considering you probably wont be in a position to answer that, an adwords voucher with unlimited credit will do.

Shak

[martinibuster]

...an adwords voucher with unlimited credit will do.

Shak, you crack me up. :)

[bluenile]

What is a filter?
Are these filters really applied?
Will Google ever let SEO's know about these filters?
Does Google consider SEO's as partners / friends for providing most relevant results?
Will these filters change for every update?
Will Google make the schedule of its update available?
What is the importance of the age of a web page?'
etc?
etc?
Opps Almost forgot to ask -
What about the Google directory? When is Google planning to close it, if it cant be manned properly?

[bluenile]

Dose Google feel responsible towards the 100s of retail online stores who lost business, suffered losses just before christmas, becuase of Florida update?

[Roomy]

1. Why did Google decide against an early IPO? likelyhood of the real answer 1/10

2. Who does Google see as their biggest competitor?
Likelyhood of the real answer 2/10

3. When will Adsense TOS become contractually realistic? paraphrase, why can't I talk about what I make(or don't)?
Likelyhood of any answer 2/10

4. When will adsense payments be more flexible? (Who uses Checks?)
Likelyhood of the real answer 7/10

5. What would google do if Yahoo offered something similar to Adsense?
Hypothetical but interesting

6. Can't index changes be scheduled in advance so we know when our sites are going to drop out and we can start building new ones early. (Irony)