Comments on: Are You Still Reading Search Engine Watch?

By: graywolf

graywolf — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:23:07 +0000

Look at the daily posting volume of sel via technorati

http://technorati.com/chartimg/%28bid%3A86892fa%29?size=l

now for sew

http://technorati.com/chartimg/%28bid%3A191aba0%29?size=l

notice any differences? For the experimental go to this url, grab the link for the image in the lower right strip out the hits parameter and add size=l and you’re good to go

http://www.technorati.com/blogs/http://searchengineland.com

By: Internet Strategy Blog

Internet Strategy Blog — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 21:17:21 +0000

I still visit SEW’s forums but, like Andrey, have been reading Search Engine Land more often.

By: Jeremy Luebke

Jeremy Luebke — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 20:40:40 +0000

Nope,

I removed it from my FeedReader as part of my new years cleaning house.

By: Adam Jusko

Adam Jusko — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 19:42:10 +0000

The busy design of Search Engine Watch has always turned me off, but I felt like I “had” to read it to feel informed. Search Engine Land is much nicer to look at and more readable, so it’s like SEW with a good design. My SEW days are pretty much over.

By: Andrey Milyan

Andrey Milyan — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 19:37:21 +0000

SEL having a stronger team will be more popular, not much you can do about that. However, the SEW is not “doomed to fade into obscurity.” They have a strong community base and a great forum. If they want to emerge from the shadow of Danny Sullivan, they will have to stop posting Danny’s style (news recaps) and start coming up with the voice of their own.

I agree with Natasha; it’s time to redesign the site. SEW design is stuck in the 90s. They still have links to pages that explain how to use search engines.

SEW, it’s time to move on.

By: S.D. Daughtry

S.D. Daughtry — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:25:34 +0000

This highlights how some blogs are highly influenced by the “people” behind it, whereas some blogs are mainly brand focused.

THe danger of a “person” focused blog is the same situation you just depicted – traffic leaves as the person leaves.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:02:09 +0000

I still read it. It’s seems to focus on smaller, interesting sites after reporting the “news” that every other search oriented blogger posts every single day!
Danny is a big picture guy and that is his role. I read SEL and always will but SEW will remain on the reading list.

By: Natasha Robinson

Natasha Robinson — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 17:40:43 +0000

I’m glad you brought this up Andy. Yesterday I noticed that both the SEW and SEL post recaps I received were so similar… even down to the links at the bottom of the pieces. I thought to myself, “Well if this continues I’m going to have to choose one over the other, because I can’t read the same news twice.” I hope that the new editorial team at SEW finds a new way to differentiate themselves from the old editorial team (and possibly a new format for delivering the news), or I fear that the SEL will come out the victor. And this does not need to be a competition.

By: Michael Martinez

Michael Martinez — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 17:26:19 +0000

People need to give the new SEW editorial team time to find their voice and stride.

But they should redesign the site and make it more community friendly.