Possible changes at Freeserve?

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Possible changes at Freeserve?

PFI listings getting referrals

makemetop

8:16 am on Jun 19, 2003 (gmt 0)

Something seems to be being tested at Freeserve. I am getting a few (very few) referrals from listings which are in ATW/INK PFI only. On tracking the referral string I managed (once) to see the SERPS which must be occassionally appearing - no Overture showing and either INK or ATW listings (Title and meta description showing) with no statement in brackets as to where the listings were coming from.

Checking logs, this particular site has not been crawled by anything apart from PFI spiders - so it is not a Freshbot picking it up.

This started on Monday afternoon and I got the last hit last night (but couldn't reproduce the SERPs it came from). Looks like something may be going on, so a word to the wise!

boblington

4:10 pm on Jun 19, 2003 (gmt 0)

Looks like ATW at the moment...

boblington

8:55 am on Jun 20, 2003 (gmt 0)

And now back to OV/Google. They are definaltey up to something

lloyd

9:10 am on Jun 20, 2003 (gmt 0)

I did a test last night on a random selection of words some were still using Overture/Google results but I also did swimming pools (seasonal I know) and it was without doubt Fast.

Then suprise suprise this morning I did the same swimming pools search and it has reverted back to Overture/Google.

Then is something going on. But I am going to hold onto my wallet and wait and see what happens.

lloyd

11:40 am on Jun 24, 2003 (gmt 0)

I do believe that all results on Freeserve are now provided by Overture.

Using the Overture ppc database and the Inktomi database from Overture. (Although it is not mirroring).

Freeserve could also be using a UK filter on the Inktomi results (even in the �All the Web� search option.) Not sure when or if non UK sites kick in. No sign of Google results.

Dayo_UK

7:24 am on Jun 25, 2003 (gmt 0)

Hey, it looks like Freeserve are using Overture sponsered listing followed by Alltheweb data to me (Not Inktomi)

I think this is a very good move - Freeserve does still send a lot of traffic out around the web - good for Alltheweb too taking a major UK ISP from Google :)

Just wish there were not so many Overture sponsered listing on some searches before you got to the ATW results.

DavidCowman

11:45 am on Jun 25, 2003 (gmt 0)

yep,

Good old google seeme to have been dropped for now . I gues this means the best way into this engine is a) overture or b) all the web . On ATW has anybody had positive results using their free submit facility

David

Dayo_UK

9:41 pm on Jun 25, 2003 (gmt 0)

Davidcowman

Yep, I got in free to alltheweb - I think as long as you have good incoming links you will get spidered - maybe worth trying the add url section just for good measure.

DavidCowman

8:18 pm on Jun 27, 2003 (gmt 0)

thank you for the reply.
David

heini

9:25 pm on Jun 27, 2003 (gmt 0)

I've been looking, and testing, and looking some more - now I'm totally puzzled. What's going on there?

The listings are all served via overture - but I fail to see any similarity between what Overture.co.uk is showing. Neither do I see Google, nor INK, nor ATW. No idea what they are using.

edit_g

9:37 pm on Jun 27, 2003 (gmt 0)

At the moment I'm seeing garbled Google results. They seem to be giving preference to their partners, if that is possible (I've just done 5 or 6 tests).

I'll find out on Monday if anyone is interested.

Dayo_UK

9:38 pm on Jun 27, 2003 (gmt 0)

Heini

Are am pretty sure they are Overture followed by ATW - looks identical to Tiscali UK with the UK filter applied.

Dayo

edit_g

9:41 pm on Jun 27, 2003 (gmt 0)

Overture followed by ATW

This looks just about right to me.

makemetop

7:05 am on Jun 28, 2003 (gmt 0)

It now seems to be stable and is Overture followed by ATW results. Until late yesterday (Friday) recent ATW PFI listings weren't appearing. Now they are all in. Looks like the first move by Overture to provide ISPs with a combined package of both PPC and crawled results from one source. Freeserve is quite an important catch for them. This is the second largish UK player to drop Google this year (BBC went to INK a couple of months ago).

The shape of things to come on other ISPs?

4eyes

9:05 am on Jun 28, 2003 (gmt 0)

At last I might see some traffic from all those great Alltheweb rankings.

(Those that aren't saturated by Overture of course).

heini

9:08 am on Jun 28, 2003 (gmt 0)

Very interesting. Looks like OV for the moment decided to go with the ATW index, not the one from AV.

Dayo_UK

9:43 am on Jul 3, 2003 (gmt 0)

Interestingly I am pretty sure (99% sure) that when Freeserve first changed over to the Alltheweb backfill that searches defaulted to UK first.

Now they are defaulting to All sites and you have to choose the UK radio button to recieve just UK sites.

chris_f

11:55 am on Jul 3, 2003 (gmt 0)

Freeserve currently has the following options next to the search box
1. All the Web
2. UK sites only
3. Thomson Local

Looks like testing is over. Bye bye Google.

ATOB
Chris

ish

8:45 pm on Jul 3, 2003 (gmt 0)

A welcome change IMO. Google have had far too strong a grip on the UK market lately.

GlynMusica

10:19 am on Jul 4, 2003 (gmt 0)

http://www.net4nowt.com/isp_news/news_article.asp?News_ID=1058

Freeserve are dropping Google.

boblington

10:56 am on Jul 4, 2003 (gmt 0)

the glynster rox out the press release, nice:)

Receptional

2:14 pm on Jul 8, 2003 (gmt 0)

Aw heck - just as we sorted our Google problem :)

Still - our biggest enemy would be inertia in this game.