Managing archives for large publishers is an enormous task, but the SEO gains can be significant.

I’ve recently discovered that my client has a ton of great links from BBC (pages from 2001, and 2002), however since BBC did not do great job with archives the pages are not in G index…

Telegraph UK has a good practice of site wide linking to their Archive Index
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@Randy – Hmm. An interesting viewpoint that I only hear on rare occasion. I can tell you that I’ve removed content from the search engines for similar reasons that you mention above (it was already deleted from our systems via automation). Being a person that has a TON of information about himself online, I’m not sure I’m the right person to ask. Because I believe that the internet becomes the ‘book of life’ of sorts. All things ever collected about a person. We are who we are . . . we all make mistakes, some grave mistakes some minor. I think society is becoming more lenient as to what we allow to be socially accepted (whether that is a good or bad thing is another conversation).

Curious to hear what others feel (and shocked this took a non-SEO turn considering most of my Twitter followers are in the Search Industry).

I raise this question in concern to local police blotters that track arrests and traffic infractions. In most cases these are dropped from public records or can be expunged after a period of time.

Sure, I can go look at microfiche of old newspapers at the library but should this type of content be expired online on purpose after a specific period of time?

I believe we are at a turning point in media as more print publications realize the strength of the distribution network online. As high as the costs may be for the killer servers needed to run the best database of articles the current distribution network has to be even more costly.

Since the media are at this turning point now this is the best time to look at this ethical question, see what the law suggests that can be used as guidelines, and make a decision on how this type of information should be removed when it’s relevance has expired.

Keep up the great work and leadership in bringing a great publication to it’s rightful place online.

Nice work though, and interesting to hear the travails of an SEO DIrector. Tough stuff cleaning up messes! But I’m also sure you’re having a blast !

“It’s a hard knock life…”