Here is another one of my articles. This one talks about the strugles that face directories today. Directories even as large in scale as the virtual library get rebuilt with newer and smaller sub directories.

My article also announces the launching of my new site Directory Archives .com

GoGuides has turned on the free site submit option. While they are still working on rebuilding the directory technology they are accepting free submissions.

GoGuides is a somewhat selective directory, but it can't hurt to try to submit for free...On October 21st Skaffe split from GoGuides and both are now in a heated battle for editor and public support. It is in my estimation that both GoGuides and Skaffe will be excellent and highly responsive directories in the near term due to direct competition with one another.

Many think neither directory has the ability to survive on its own, but if they both have amazing customer service they will most likely wind up as two of the top half dozen directories on the web...Who says you can't win em all?

Why must people who know absolutely nothing about search write articles about search engines? A recent Zacks article by Steve Harmon states "In my opinion Google has replaced Yahoo (YHOO already. More people use a search box than want to use a `directory` style hierarchy that Yahoo built."

Where has this guy been? Has he not seen Yahoo branding its search product? Their directory is more of a novelty now. When you go to Yahoo its Yahoo Search they are pushing, not the Yahoo directory.

Also has this guy failed to notice Yahoo gobbling up 3 of the 5 biggest crawler based search engines and the number one pay per click engine?

Google may be ahead, but it is certainly not because of Yahoo promoting its directory.

Later he asks "Remember Netscape?" - building a competitive search engine for the entire world knowledge database is most likely a tad bit harder than building a browser.

Then he states "Best bet is for Yahoo and Google to merge and take on Microsoft before Microsoft`s next version of Windows -- nicknamed Longhorn -- debuts with search and other features built in everywhere."

It does not matter if they make search accessible everywhere...it is the quality of the search the led people to Google. If nothing else, pushing MSN search on people will cause more negative press from people critical of MSN.

Just a reminder to those who do not have good Inktomi placement that MSN is to be dumping LookSmart in about a half a month (Jan 15). Some speculate that MSN may want to eventually shift to Ask Jeeves until it gets its technology in order.

I presume that MSN will stick with Inktomi until it builds its own technology. With Yahoo desiring to part ways with Google it is certain they will be investing heavily into making Inktomi a competitive product.

MSN will become competitve and remain so by the natural market forces of competition between Yahoo and Google... until it creates its own search product... You can check your Inktomi placement using Hotbot on its default setting, or by useing Pure Search provided by PositionTech.

Keyword research is typically done via the following tools:

• Google Keyword Tool

• SEO Book Keyword Suggestion Tool
• Overture Search Term Suggestion tool (free)
• Google Keyword Sandbox (free) or
• Wordtracker (free trial)

Note: I later did a more in depth review of keyword research and keyword suggestion software.

recently Digital Point hacked together a free keyword research tool that uses both Overture and Wordtracker. This tool does a good job of showing the inaccuracies either tool alone may present. Here is their tool if you would like to try it...