This creates a problem for a conscientious developer attempting to find a higher placement for his client. A 'tag' that works well on Yahoo may have different results on Excite. Because even though our expert Guides still mine the Net for the best links, we've evolved to be so much more. It may be possible, after countless agonizing hours of testing and re-testing 'tags', to find a combination that works satisfactorily on a multitude of search engines. The sudden euphoria of success soon disappears however, when another site bumps you from the ranking.
Developers scratch their heads when confronted with the confusing drop in status.
The essential numbers will tell the story nicely. Here is a nifty scenario that will shed light on this puzzle. Two years ago you designed a web site for Joe's Garage. At the time there were 1000 garages that Joe competed against. You fiddled with the META Tags, and after some time, had Joe's nice garage in the top of the search engines.