Yahoo results different from AltaVista

I thought they were the same now...

[ALbino]

If this has been mentioned before, I apologize.

I was doing some keyword checking today for fun and my Yahoo results are significantly different than my Yahoo results. For example, on 1 keyword combo I rank #7 on Yahoo and yet I'm #38 on AV. I thought they were using the same index? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks.

[ALbino]

Incidentally, I'm non-existant on MSN for the same search. It seems some searches return similar results (although not the same) while some are completely different. Is there any way to find out if you've been banned or filtered for MSN or AV specific searches? Not that it matters anyway, because my Y rankings are very similar to my G rankings and G still outperforms Y probably 10:1. It would still be nice to boost that 1 though.

[ALbino]

Oh yeah, and on top of that a search for my domain doesn't even bring up my site in ATW. Just to clarify, we're not talking about a small site either: It's PR6 on G with over 15k pages indexed (13k in Y, 5k in AV and MSN and 0 in ATW).

[Warren]

Whilst the index may be the same (i.e. Yahoo! Search Technology), Yahoo! have said that the relevancy algorithm will be slightly different on the various search sites.

This allows them to test various tweaks to the algorithm in a different environment.

MSN uses a totally different relvancy algorithm.

[ALbino]

Would it be worth trying to hire an outside SEO to try and rectify this MSN issue, or should I just wait it out until the new MSN Search is released? I've never really been in MSN, but it just seems like with this new sharing SERPs thing that I really should be. Thanks.

[Warren]

Are you in Yahoo!?

Hiring a consultant may be an idea but if you REALLY have to be in MSN and Yahoo! (assuming you are not), then consider Site Match.

A hint for the wise - you can save up to $14 per URL depending on which reseller you go to ;-) Sticky me if you wish.

Warren

[ALbino]

I'm in Yahoo and get decent traffic from them (for similar SERPs to Google), but I get only a fraction of that from AltaVista and almost none from MSN. The AV is no surprise really, but the MSN is, as I was under the impression that they're at moderately competitive SE.

[atlrus]

yeah, and I am #9 in altavista, #3 on MSN and not in the 1000 on Yahoo.
Yahoo is just arghhh.

[BigDave]

The yahoo index and the one used by msn and AV are not even similar. AV and MSN have less than 400 of my pages, Yahoo has almost 8000.

[ALbino]

I guess getting into MSN is harder than Y/G/AV/whatever. Anybody know the trick? :) Apparently it's not good content and webdesign followed by solid SEO...

[your_store]

The yahoo index and the one used by msn and AV are not even similar.

Same experience here. 10K in Yahoo, and only my old Ink PFI at MSN (roughly 700 pages). I really miss the days of a "fresh" MSN.

[BigDave]

Anybody know the trick?

In my case it involves hoping that they start using the data from the new bot they are experimenting with. For about two weeks they were hitting my site harder than Google.

[drdsl2000]

Today I checked Yahoo and Altavista and had identical search results for the search string.

Is that what the question is asking?

craig

[CygnusX1]

I have to wonder if MSN and AV is both using only main pages and not deeper internal pages. Almost all of my internal pages on MSN and AV are not showing up, but show up in Yahoo and Goggle.