Big Yahoo Changes

Yahoo as of Sunday March 2nd, 7pm PST

[ckern]

As of Sunday March 2nd, 7pm PST, I am seeing some really big changes for Yahoo. Format wise, search results still look more like Google, although they are pushing Overture to make it look like more of a serach result rather than a paid advertisment. Please webmasters and SEOs tell me what you are seeing. Another thing is that it seems Yahoo is only displaying 15 results per page and like 10 Overture listings. I see no reference to DIRECTORY results, just straight up web results. Please tell me what you all think.

[2_much]

Hi Ckern,

There's been some discusson about this during the last few weeks. Yahoo seems to be testing different ways of displaying results.

Most people have reported seeing that Yahoo will be displaying Overture results on the right (like Google) & de-emphasizing the directory even more.

Since they are still testing, viewers get this results sporadically (I have never seen this).

I've yet to see anything incorporating INK data.

We have to keep watching until they pull the switch for the next major change.

[mansterfred]

I am in San Diego. We have these type results now. Directory link is gone. Funny little title "20 Best Web Results"

OV & Yahoo Only

Layout is the same 4ov top / 20 google results mid/ 2 OV results bottom

[cjtripnewton]

Here in Chicago, when I searched for a common insect, I'm seeing from top to bottom:
(1) Inside Yahoo! - 3 links (Animals, Pictures, Auctions)
(2) Directory Category Matches - 3 directory links
(3) Sponsor Matches - 3 Overture links
(4) Web matches - 20 links
(5) More Sponsor Matches - 2 Overture links

When I searched for homes in our sunny southernmost state, I'm seeing similar results, sans the Inside Yahoo! links.

(1) Directory Category Matches - 2 directory links
(2) Sponsor Matches - 4 Overture links
(3) Web Matches - 20 links
(4) More Sponsor Matches - 2 Overture links

[OntheEdge]

Wow, i have a NFP site that's never even had the priviledge of being on Yahoo, just checked that two days ago. Now, suddenly, my entire site is both indexed and anywhere from top ten to #1 for my two most important keywords... go figure.

[minnapple]

From a twice removed yet reliable source.
The Inktomi database should start to be seen within yahoo properties within the next 21 days.

Minnapple

[TomWaits]

Minnaple, above or below or instead of the Google SERPS?

Good info, BTW.

[4crests]

I have a screen shot of the changes that MANSTERFRED is talking about above. If anyone is interested, let me know.

It's basically as he saw it. Also, the SPONSOR RESULTS label is bold and red.

Below the sponsored listings is a label that says BEST 20 WEB RESULTS, and is also bold and red. then the top 20 serps.

All signs of the directory are gone. Right now, if I run Anonymizer, it shows up this new way every time, otherwise it shows the old way.

Hey, I wonder if this means I won't be charged $250 a month anymore for my Directory Sponsor Listing?

However, my ad is still listed under a tab called "RELATED CATEGORIES", where it used to be "DIRECTORY CATEGORY MATCHES"

[Skylo]

So then is yahoo still using google for primary results or are they using inktomi. Or like minnapple says will they be using inktomi in 21 days and throwing google out the window?

[4crests]

The ones I saw were still Google.

[sem4u]

>BEST 20 WEB RESULTS

Were these drawn from Inktomi?

[Skylo]

So is the general concensus that yahoo will eventually give Inktomi all the primary search rights and google will be obselete in their searches

[mansterfred]

sem4u

They were google results.

[4crests]

Mansterfred...

It sounds exactly like what I saw.

[4crests]

Here is the Screen Shot of the format we saw:

[members.aol.com...]

[mansterfred]

yep

That is it. I think this might just be a formatt test. I bet some variation of this appears when they switch to ink results. Perhaps they will merge the directory with the ink results.