Link numbers, which quantify how many links lead to a given site, are useful things. Want to find the best way to calculate link numbers? Rand Fishkin, the owner and operator of SEOmoz, has compiled a list of search engines, and comments on how well (or how poorly) each of them does at that task. The CliffsNotes: Yahoo wins.
In his comments on Yahoo, Fishkin wrote, “Without them, it would be nearly impossible to get good link information. The data provided by Y! isn’t perfect, but it is the most numerically accurate.” He also noted that “they tend to show more important links before less important ones.”
The first person to reply to the article agreed. “I just use Yahoo,” Taron said. “It is indeed a blessing to have at least one working link calculating algorithm among top three search engines.” Which brings us to some of the other competitors . . . .
In Fishkin’s opinion, Google does poorly with link numbers. “Google themselves have stated that the numbers are inaccurate, vary wildly, update on a schedule known only to the most spiritually aware shamans and show in no particular order,” Fishkin wrote.
He also believed that “MSN’s numbers, while relatively more accurate than Google, are still largely useless.” Although “the count system in MSN engine is, in their engineers’ own words, a work in progress’ and an ongoing issue,'” this alternative “is doing a fairly good job of showing more important links ahead of less important links,” according to Fishkin.
Six more engines are briefly considered, but the author doesn’t put much faith in any of them. If you want to discover how many links lead to you or your competitors, Rand Fishkin believes Yahoo is your best bet.
Add to document.write(“Del.icio.us”) | DiggThis | Yahoo! My Web
Technorati:
Doug is a staff writer for Murdok. Visit Murdok for the latest eBusiness news.
