Zoints SEO, vBSEO or this?

[Gene Steinberg]

Originally Posted by FRDS

Meta keywords and description aren't even used by major search engines any longer as ranking factors. (major as in Google, yahoo and MSN)

What settings did you test that don't work?

Automatic thread tagging isn't an SEO mod. Just about any one will tell you that thread tag pages, are junk pages and should be blocked with a robots.txt file to keep your SERPS clean and relevant.

I'm not saying vBSEO is like the install and forget SEO mod either, if you do that of course you wont get the results. You still need to get link backs and build content. Their marketing is rather slick and semi-misleading i will agree with you there as well. I'm only saying if I had to choose, I'd either use vBSEO or no SEO modifications what so ever, other than manual template edits.

The settings I tried are the 404 redirect ones, which didn't work. Those are the most obvious ones.

I'm online with the guy who runs that forum and we're doing some other stuff to upgrade his forums, and then we'll try again.

As I said, I can duplicate its functionality with free stuff, and even do better. Why pay for their BS marketing?

Peace,
Gene

[Gene Steinberg]

One more update: My friend has since updated his two forums to vBulletin 3.7.3 and vBSEO 3.2. In each case, I found that changing some basic configurations in vBSEO, including how it handles meta tags, makes no difference whatever in the actual source of these forums. It appears to be placebo, and, after checking the source of other vBSEO-enabled forums, I'm doubly suspicious about all the voluminous settings that seem to have little if any effect.

Peace,
Gene

[Gene Steinberg]

I also see that nobody has responded to my post, particularly the folks who created vBSEO to defend themselves. Or maybe I shouldn't be surprised.

Peace,
Gene

[SEOvB]

Originally Posted by genesteinberg

I also see that nobody has responded to my post, particularly the folks who created vBSEO to defend themselves. Or maybe I shouldn't be surprised.

Peace,
Gene

No its already been covered thousands of times, no sense in flogging a dead horse.

Also, again, meta description and meta keywords isn't even very much part of any of the major search engines ranking factors any longer

[Gene Steinberg]

Originally Posted by FRDS

No its already been covered thousands of times, no sense in flogging a dead horse.

Also, again, meta description and meta keywords isn't even very much part of any of the major search engines ranking factors any longer

In other words, that vBSEO doesn't do much of what it claims to do? Well, for those considering spending $149, I think that's something that should be mentioned again and again.

It has nothing to do with whether meta description and keywords are required anymore. It's whether an expensive product has snake oil promotion and placebo functionality.

Peace,
Gene

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One more thing: I signed up for your SEO Tips Forum, and the icons at the bottom of the screen show all generic? Does that happen for you too?

Peace,
Gene