Open Site Explorer's delayed update

[Gyorgy]

I checked Linkscape's scheduled update and the already delayed update on the 20th was moved to the 25th June. Normally the index is updated during the first two weeks of the month but this month's update is very late.

Our monthly reports are based on the link data of OSE, as well as the PA and DA values. It's very embarrassing because I can't finish the monthly reports and my clients are becoming impatient. It's a very inconvenient excuse that a 3rd party tool developer is the reason for the delayed  reports, clients don't care about SEOMoz.

Lucky I found that Facebook post about Linkscape's update calendar and I can at least refer to something. SEOMoz' monthly fee is not cheap and as a customer I do require a bit more communication and support.

Why is the update delayed? Should we ignore June's update and wait for July's update? If June's update is on 25th then when will be July's update?

I'd appreciate an email to PRO users about this situation.

[Jinx14678]

I had been wondering the same thing... but as it says here it is understandable that it takes time as the web is only getting bigger, so the algorithm can be unpredictable, also network conditions can vary speed, even bandwidth usage I'm sure. You may just have to explain to your clients as we all know how unpredictable the internet is. I know clients don;t even understand what a simple backlink is, but it is our job to interpret the internet for them, and sometimes expectations are unexpectedly modified.

http://apiwiki.seomoz.org/w/page/25141119/Linkscape-Schedule

IMHO

[RyanKent]

I enjoy Linkscape. It is a great tool which can help us better understand our client's sites along with their competitors.

I am also disappointed with the shortcomings of the tool. I would love faster updates along with more complete coverage. Do you realize that it only covers the top 25% of pages from the web? You miss out on a lot of links.

With the above understood, you are making a mistake if you are presenting this report to clients with any level of significance. Your mistake is compounded by your dependency on the timeline.

This is not the first time the update was late nor will it be the last. The tool is not complete! There are significant upgrades that need to be made, and those updates require changes and significant risk. This is not some simple program running on 1 pc where you can use another pc for easy testing. The software takes 3-4 weeks to crawl the web, then another 1-2 weeks to process the data.

We are here at SEOmoz because their tools, as imperfect as they may be, are still great. As long as the tools remain superior to others, you and I will stay. That's reality. Adjust your client's expectations of the report and timeline.

This question has already been asked and answered in the Q&A by SEOmoz staff. It's the standard "we apologize for the delay and are doing our best" type of customer service message you would expect. http://www.seomoz.org/q/linkscape-update-again-not-happeening

[Gyorgy]

Neither can I, that's why I started this thread.

"Do you realize that it only covers the top 25% of pages from the web?"

Yes, I'm aware of this. This isn't what I complained about.

"With the above understood, you are making a mistake if you are presenting this report to clients with any level of significance."

What other tools would you use for a link building report? YSE? Majestic? Webmaster Tools? Clients pay for link building and we had to choose a tool that will be used as reference.

"This is not some simple program running on 1 pc..."

That's quite obvious.

"...their tools, as imperfect as they may be, are still great"

I didn't complain about the tool, I complained about customer support. I pay for a service and I expect some reliance and feedback. Many SEO agencies use OSE for benchmarking and for monthly reports and if the update is delayed then we want to know about it, so we can prepare.

SEOMoz probably knew that the update is late. I'd really appreciate an email notification when a delayed update is further delayed. I checked the updated and it was scheduled for the 20th, now it scheduled for the 25th.

[RyanKent]

Please accept my apologies. When I read your Q&A I viewed it as a rant. We are all disappointed the update is delayed. You are correct that SEOmoz can do a better job of informing us about the delay. I am not sure what the best method would be for that type of contact. Some users prefer not to receive e-mail updates.

Without getting too complex an "important messages" group could probably be created allowing users to select the tools they use and whether they would like to receive e-mail updates.

[Gyorgy]

No worries, mate.

Probably I'm getting too much stress from some of the enterprise level clients and this 3rd delay put me in a difficult position.

Anyway, hope the update will be done next week.

[HallStigerts]

Hi Gyorgy,

Sorry about the delay and for the lack of notification on our end. I manage our email programs/notifications here at Moz and I think figuring out a way to include Linkscape delays as an email option is a great idea. There's a lot of improvements to our email options that we're planning, including an email subscription center so you can opt into these sorts of notifications. I've added your suggestion to the list--please let me know if there are any other email-related improvements that you'd like to see! You could email me directly at lauren [at] seomoz [dot] org if that's easiest for you.

And thanks for hanging in there with our Linkscape update--we're working on making it faster, more frequent, and fresher.

[adriandg]

thanks for the link, didn't know that existed!

[Gyorgy]

Hi Lauren,

Thanks for answering. An email notification about delays would be great, so I can re-schedule the reports.

Cheers

[seanmccauley]

So when is the update now to be? 25th?

[KeriMorgret]

Hi Sean,

The update is still scheduled for the 25th, according to the calendar. Thanks so much for your patience!

[Gyorgy]

Is it re-scheduled? It's 6:30pm (in L.A.), 25th July and it still hasn't been updated.

[KeriMorgret]

The update is still happening. Around 4:00 the SEOmoz Twitter account said it was in the process of being released, and the process takes several hours.

[Gyorgy]

That's fine. Thanks.