Google power words

are they still used?

[stevenjm]

Have been out of seo for a while taking a break in asia. Several years ago I found that google was using certain power words in its algo that when used lifted rankings.

Anybody know if this is still the case? I'm not asking for the words, I can figure that out for myself, just wanting to know if this is still used to save a lot of trial and error.

Thanks.

[tedster]

I'm not sure about the concept of any previous "power words", but today I know of no magic words except for the actual words that your marketplace uses. But taking the topic further, there has been a very major shift in Google's semantic processing of words and phrases in recent months. Here are some threads you may appreciate as you get up to speed.

Six Phrase Based Indexing Google Patents [webmasterworld.com]
Major Shift in One Word Search Results [webmasterworld.com]
Is Google Classifying 'Types' of Websites and Search Terms? [webmasterworld.com]

[edited by: tedster at 6:26 am (utc) on Sep. 27, 2007]

[vincevincevince]

I think it depends on the kinds of word you mean.

Do you mean things such as 'buy now', 'privacy policy' and 'contact'?

[stevenjm]

No, I mean words such as directory, charity, government etc.

have found in the past that the placement of these words on a site raises its rankings. And no, I am not talking about .gov or .org sites. Just simple mention of these words within a sites text has raised rankings.

[Robert Charlton]

Just simple mention of these words within a sites text has raised rankings

Does it have to be visible text? Can it be in the meta keywords? ;)

[stevenjm]

Personally I never took it further than on page visible site text because it worked.

[stevenjm]

Tedster: Thanks for the links :)

[Robert Charlton]

stevenjm - Forgive my flippancy... I was suggesting that this kind of thing was probably one of those mythical tricks that bounce around various forums, and which, like the belief in the usefulness of meta keywords tags, doesn't go away.

I find it hard to believe that such a trick would work in organic search, but if you feel it's worked in the past, you might want to test it again. In the 10 years I've been involved in SEO, I've never heard of it, and it goes contrary to the kinds of approaches that I feel are important.

I'd suggest that there are more productive avenues you might explore.

[stevenjm]

Thats ok, I know it for fact of the past and personally I explore all avenues.

Am used to sceptics and had the same thing when I suggested post florida that google penalty existed on keyphrases.

I did not think a moderator would seriously be mentioning meta keywords but did not want to say anything just in case you were serious.