Founder of SEOChat is Back

[pulsetoday]

Darrin Ward the person who founded SEOChat has once again started another SEO Forum. Its SEOTown.com .

I originally started "SeoChat", which is another SEO & Web Marketing forum.

In the summer of 2003, I sold SeoChat to the DevShed Network. At the time, I was new to the USA, and I needed some money to go touring. The sale seemed right at the time, and I am glad that I have used a lot of that money to travel this great country.

One year later, and with much gained knowledge, I have decided to start "SeoTown". I have never lost my love for the SEO & Web Marketing arena... hence why I'm back.

This time, I'm not selling anything, although you may find some Google Adsens boxes on here in order to help cover the cost of a dedicated server and the bandwidth.

I hope you join, if you haven't already, and I encourage you to get involved as much as possible with the forum. If we all pull together, this can be a really great place with a less commericla feel that SeoChat.

Thank you for visiting - I hope we will be your new home!

Darrin Ward
SeoTown Admin

[Mike]

There's nothing new you learn off him anyway imho. Before he sold up, the site had a pr3 or something, but was somehow popular.

[MarkB]

I wonder if there's a site anywhere with a true SEO expert who gives advice for free?

[r2d2]

Interestingly, he claims Google uses the meta description tag:

4. Use your primary keywords in the Meta Description tag. This tag is used by Google and most other engines, so long as it's not stuffed with spam and junk.

[chrispian]

Interestingly, he claims Google uses the meta description tag:

He's right.

But they don't use it for ranking. It seems Google uses your Meta Desc. in the SERPS as the description for your page if the keyword searched for appears in the Meta Description.

But it doesn't factor for ranking.

[tomek]

I wonder if there's a site anywhere with a true SEO expert who gives advice for free?

have a look at seobook.com - there's plenty of good info

[r2d2]

He's right.

But they don't use it for ranking. It seems Google uses your Meta Desc. in the SERPS as the description for your page if the keyword searched for appears in the Meta Description.

But it doesn't factor for ranking.

Yes, Ive had this for my own site. He was implying though that it is used for ranking, when many experts say it isnt,

[chrispian]

Yes, Ive had this for my own site. He was implying though that it is used for ranking, when many experts say it isnt,

Ah, then he's more rusty than he thought, eh? Meta tags haven't been used for ranking in what, like 4 years? lol. I actually work with someone who thinks that meta tags are *still* the best way to optimize a site.

[MarkB]

Are we 100% sure they AREN'T, though?

[tomek]

Are we 100% sure they AREN'T, though?

I am sure.

The goal of google is to rank pages based on things that are hard to manipulate by you. Nothing is easier to manipulate than meta-tags.

In the early days the technology of search engines simply wasn't advanced enough so they had to rely on information supplied by the user (the meta tags). Then came Google... the rest is legend

[r2d2]

Are we 100% sure they AREN'T, though?

Notice I said 'many experts say they arent' Sure we dont know for certain... I think though that SEs are more advanced than having to use those now, I'd say they're getting obsolete

[Chris]

Are we 100% sure they AREN'T, though?

All the experiments I ran at searchenginelabs.com point to them not being used.

No one can provided any empirical data of them being used.