My website was ranked #10 on Yahoo! for a specific search phrase. However, I changed my meta-tags around (using similar terms) and now my website is no where to be found in the Top 100 of that search phrase. However, my ranking on MSN still remains high, regardless of the meta-tag changes.

1) How often does Yahoo! change its algorithm?
2) Should I change the back the meta tags? or just wait and hope my ranking on Yahoo! will increase again?

Yahoo gives high emphasis to title and meta tags. Make si\ure your new tile and meta tgas matches the site content and inlcludes your keywords. Yahoo gives certain importance to your back links as well. Hope it has not dropped. For any further suggesstion please post your url and your keywords.

Genie,

I have not seen any evidence to say that any search engine pays attention the meta description and keywords in their ranking - what is the basis for this claim?

I've always found Yahoo to give high importance to title tags, meta tags too. Back in the day, people used to spam meta tags. The person who had a meta keyword up there 400 times beat the person with the same keyword 390 times.

Meta keywords still mantain an importance though. At least I have found them to always.

SiteReference wrote:

I have not seen any evidence to say that any search engine pays attention the meta description and keywords in their ranking - what is the basis for this claim?

Are Meta Keywords Back In For Search? Try this link:

Meta Keywords New Relevance

dude your reading stuff that is almost 2 years old. The relevence of this article bears no weight on the subject of meta tags at all. You would be as well reading last years weather reports and saying this is what will be happening this week.

Meta Keywords New Relevance

forgot to say i agree with the SiteReference dude