@russellDec 12.2004 — #no. not true -- search engines can't see 'em. Except for Gmail, which Google admits that they scan your mail. Still, it won't help your search engine ranking.
@scragarDec 14.2004 — #google add adverts onto the page based around what's in you email, it's a computer that does it, so the odds are that your not gonna be at any more of a privacy risk than if you used MSN([b]M[/b]icrosoft is full of [b]S[/b]tupid [b]N[/b]umpties) or something like that.
@Compguy_PeteDec 14.2004 — #OH I know google does that... for Gmail, however I should have made clear I was meaning your standard ISP or website email server...
They can do whatever they like with Gmail, they own that and it's at no cost to you.
@IntensityDec 23.2004 — #This all might change. All the major SEs will be providing the Desktop search tools and many are only in BETA stage and many are in Pre-BETA stage. The functionality and features these will eventually will offer is unknown. Any computer has the capability to act as a server and can easily share given information.
I haven't fully researched most of these BETA Desktop search tools but it could eventually provide SE's with information of links in emails.
@happy_handsJan 03.2005 — #Although it may not help with your actual page rankings on Google or elsewhere, it is however good business practise to put your web-address on your emails. For example a click through from one of your emails is probably just as valuable (if not more so) than a click through to your website from one of the search engines! (Having a higher search engine rank is about getting more people to hit your site anyway!)