MSN's Search Engine Beta algorithm has a lot in common with Google's and Yahoo!'s algorithms, but also includes some subtle yet significant differences. Wayne Hurlbert walks you through these differences, and explains what you need to do to make sure your website scores a high rank.
As everyone knows by now, the new MSN Search Engine has been launched in a beta format. The Microsoft owned search engine has generated much interest and discussion among the general search using public and the search engine optimization (SEO) community.
As always, SEO professionals are eager to discover the wants, needs, and desires of the MSN Search algorithm. How to rank well in MSN Search is the leading question of the day. Achieving high search engine rankings in MSN has some similarities to the techniques already used in Google and Yahoo. As expected, the MSN algorithm has a few twists and turns for SEO professionals to navigate as well.
As with the other major search engines, MSN Search requires good relevant content, and quality incoming links featuring keyword rich link anchor text. That said, there are some differences and similarities with Yahoo and Google’s preferences. After all, all search engine algorithms, while similar in many basic ways, are unique in their requirements in other areas of search optimization.
A more holistic optimization strategy stressing most of the well known accepted SEO best practices techniques appears to be just what the doctor ordered for MSN. By taking an overall approach to MSN optimization, some of the unique MSN algorithm preferences will be taken into consideration, and steps taken to have them employed.
Perhaps the first and probably most important aspect of the MSN Search Beta is the need for good keyword rich content. Relevance of theme and topic appears to be very important to MSN, as it is becoming for Google optimization. There are also additional considerations for levels of on page keyword density that differ somewhat from Google. On the other hand, MSN seems to strongly dislike keyword stuffing, and will drop a site’s ranking accordingly.
As expected, links are important to MSN, as they are important to Yahoo, and of course to the legendarily link obsessed Google algorithm. Maintaining your important keywords on the incoming and internal on site link anchor text is important. That link text definitely requires mixing and variation to appear as natural as possible when crawled by the MSN spider.
Clean coding is a must with MSN Search, as its spider has a strong preference for well written code. For non-programmers or website owners with low levels of coding skills, that necessity could become a problem. If a website’s code is poorly written, it appears that MSN Search downgrades the site’s search rankings heavily.
Like Yahoo, MSN Search seems to still place some importance on meta tags. Long fallen into disuse because of their lack of benefit in Google, dusting off some meta tags appropriate for each page might be beneficial as well.
The MSN Search Beta offers some interesting optimization challenges for SEO professionals and for website owners alike. As always, juggling the needs and desires of all of the major search engines is not easy. Of course, no one ever said it would be simple, did they?
MSN Optimization 
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