Optimization for MSN Search

The giant Microsoft Corporation has made a renewed entry into the search engine fray with the launch of its new MSN search engine.

 

Microsoft has achieved rather limited success, up to this point, in its quest to compete with the dominant search engine Google. This new and revised MSN search vehicle may place Microsoft back in the race for the hearts and minds of the search public.



While many search engine optimization experts discount the relative importance of MSN Search, no one should ever forget the potential marketing power that the Microsoft Corporation can bring to the search engine business.

 

By bundling MSN Search into the home version of Windows XP and in the proposed Longhorn application, many new internet users will be searching via the MSN search engine option.



When developing your MSN Search optimization plan, consider placing heavy emphasis on using on page techniques. Like the Yahoo search engine algorithm, the MSN algorithm appears to favor on page optimization efforts.

 

On page content is truly king with MSN. The search engine algorithm examines your blog pages very carefully. The importance of keywords and keyword density, to MSN Search’s rankings, can not be stressed heavily enough. Keywords count for a major proportion of the MSN algorithm.



Other on page optimization techniques also score well with the MSN algorithm. Pay close attention to your choice of URLs, page titles, and blog description. All appear to be very important to achieving high search engine rankings with MSN.



As with most other search engine algorithms, including Google and Yahoo, you must pay close attention to your incoming link anchor text. Strong keyword rich anchor text provides a solid foundation for all search engine results. Taking care with your anchor text will pay off with all of the major search engines. 

 

With keywords being so vastly important to MSN, it’s essential to explore the many ways, that you can use judicious keyword placement techniques. The MSN algorithm rewards a heavier level of keyword density than does the Google search engine. .



In your written on page copy, you can make use of more frequent keyword placement than in Google. It is quite likely that MSN will reward up to triple the keyword density preferred by Google.

 

You have to be careful here, however, as you want to strike a balance between MSN and Yahoo, which elevate higher keyword density pages, and with the lower density levels preferred by Google. Fortunately, there are other ways to do well in MSN, without packing your page copy full of your most important keyword phrases.



 MSN likes keywords in your URL, but be careful not to overwork them. Judicious use of the most important search phrase, within your URL, could find real rewards from MSN’s algorithm.



It’s well known in the search engine community that Google’s algorithm gives only very minimal weight to meta tags. On the other hand, the Yahoo search engine seems to value them fairly well.

 

As with Yahoo, the MSN algorithm appears to place some solid weight on the use of meta tags. To take full advantage of meta tag use, be sure to have some unique meta tags for every page. Do not use the same meta tags for all of your web pages.



Be certain to have an accurate blog description in place. MSN appears to place importance on that factor. Be sure the meta description tags accurately reflect the content and are not simply keyword stuffing in disguise.

 

If all of your on page content, including copy, descriptions, post titles, and page headers match, your page will do well in MSN’s rankings. In other words, giving each page individual attention will pay off for you.



While the main focus of the MSN algorithm appears to be on page content, you shouldn’t forget to improve your off page content. Off page content includes mainly link anchor text for incoming links to your site. While not as link oriented as heavily as Google, MSN does stress some importance on properly created incoming links.



More important than the links to MSN, is the accompanying link anchor text. Make certain that the anchor text contains keyword phrases, that are theme related to the page, to which the link is pointed. By careful use of that page’s most important keywords, the receiving page gains in keyword usage, and even keyword density value.



MSN is a very content and keyword sensitive search engine. Your use of link anchor text should reflect that keyword preference. Because anchor text is the most difficult content factor for a webmaster to manipulate, the value of link text is high for all search engine algorithms. MSN is certainly no exception to that rule.



MSN Search formerly had an agreement with the Zeal/Looksmart internet directories to provide their results. While that formal agreement is no longer in place, MSN continues to maintain a less formal arrangement with the directories.

 

Instead of displaying the directory listings on a regular basis, MSN Search is able to utilize the directory listings at its discretion. In other words, the Zeal/Looksmart directory listings may be part of any search results; or they might not.



While that advantage has lessened, it has not disappeared entirely. There is still some solid benefit to being included in the Zeal/Looksmart directory.



Inclusion in the Zeal directory is free for non-profit websites and blogs, but requires some time effort for the site to become listed.



Optimization for the MSN search engine requires careful attention to both on page and off page factors.



On the page, MSN will reward the frequent use of your keywords. Be careful not to get too carried away, however, and risk reaching the level of spam.

 

MSN looks very closely at your web pages, so attention must be paid to your page titles, your meta tags, page descriptions, and keyword density. Even proper keyword usage in your page URLs are important points to consider.



Off page factors to consider are the use of keyword rich anchor text for your incoming links. MSN values link text very highly, as it is the least manipulable of the content factors.



Inclusion in the Zeal/Looksmart directories may have some value for your online business as well. Even if only for the link, and the potential boost in the search engine rankings, directory inclusion is worthy of consideration.



If you pay close attention to your keywords and content, MSN Search will reward your blog with strong search engine rankings.