While trying to get the better out of both MSN and Yahoo! one has to take into consideration both similarities and differences in the optimization algorithms used by both Yahoo! and MSN.
Yahoo! and MSN places high value on incoming links. The incoming links will gain greater significance if those links are keyword rich phrases placed as link anchor text. You must insist that your link partners provide good link text that will help you secure high rankings in Yahoo! and MSN while simultaneously gaining good rankings in Google. Important tip to be borne in mind is let not your link anchor text be identical, let them be unique let not more than 50% of your link anchor text be should be identical while trying to reduce this figure should bring better results. Identical looking link anchor text will produce the artificial effect on your text and the search engines will reduce considerable amount of points for such a mistake.
While looking at the differences between MSN and Yahoo!, the Yahoo! algorithm values pages listed in its own directory more than the other pages that are not included in the Yahoo! directory. Thus being part of this popular Internet directory is almost categorical for top placement in Yahoo! SERPs. However, the inclusion of your site in the Yahoo! directory does not guarantee anything in MSN. MSN values sites listed in the Zeal/Looksmart directory.
In the earlier days of MSN, it had entered an agreement with the Zeal/Looksmart Internet directories to provide their results. MSN still utilizes this directory listing though the formal agreement is not in place anymore. As inclusion in Yahoo! directory does not have great advantage, inclusion in Zeal/Looksmart directory that brings favors from MSN will not bring any added advantage to you from the Yahoo!
Whereas having your site listed in the Open Directory Project (DMOZ) will win favor from all the major search engines including Google, Yahoo! and MSN. |