Something Big is happening at Google

[janeth]

We where ranked on our home page for over 200 different key words in the top 20 for over 6 months now we can only be found for a couple of them.

This started about two hours ago

You can check this thread out for more information
http://www.internet-marketing-resear...pic.php?t=1426

Let me know if anybody else is seeing anything.

I do not know what Google is doing

[rlrouse]

All the data centers are in a state of flux right now. It's much too early to tell how the new index will end up. The dancing in the streets and the sobbing will begin shortly though.

[janeth]

Last I herd it may be 3 or 4 days before we know anything.

I guess that puts us around Tues. next week.

This is going to be a bad weekend.

[minstrel]

Originally Posted by rlrouse

All the data centers are in a state of flux right now. It's much too early to tell how the new index will end up. The dancing in the streets and the sobbing will begin shortly though.

Any information on what triggered this?

I've just uploaded some changes to my web site, following which I ran a check on a few of my keywords - I can't say that I see anything different for my site so far...

[cbp]

Its almost like Google has reverted to the old style traditional update. From what I see a lot of sites are up and a lot are down. A couple of big time spammers are gone ... so looks as though there has been a big algorithm tweak and the implementation of more/new spam filters.

CBP

[minstrel]

Originally Posted by cbp

looks as though there has been a big algorithm tweak and the implementation of more/new spam filters.

More evidence, I guess (if we needed it), that it's a mistake to put all your eggs in one basket by relying on an optimization method that you believe is a major part of Google's algorithm to the exclusion of other techniques... What Google does today (or what we think Google does today) may not be the same as what Google does tomorrow.

[cbp]

I have just had a look around some other forums ... its Sunday AM here and my team lost in the World Cup last night :-( ... and there are some pretty unhappy webmasters out there. I have checked the 50 or so keywords for some of my sites at all 10 data centers - NO DIFFERENCES. From what I can read and take a guess ... I think that those who have pushed the "opitimisation" envelope may be getting stung. A comment from GoogleGuy @ WMW referred to the Google quality guidelines and not to worry - guess that means if you comply --> no problems.

CBP

[rlrouse]

cbp is right. The data centers seem to be stabalizing somewhat, at least for the search terms that I follow closely. I'm wonderning if this update is going to settle quicker than the (new) norm.

[janeth]

I'm showing up for new words but lost a lot of my old ones. I hope there not finished yet.

Is there anyway to know when there finished

[cbp]

Is there anyway to know when there finished

Two ways:
1) The intensity of posting in threads at forums titled "I've been dropped" drops off
2) You can use this tool http://googledance.seochat.com/ - check all 10 data centers - in the old style dance, there used to be differences between them - when its stable, its all over. For me, it looks as though its over, but other are claiming no.

CBP

[minstrel]

Originally Posted by cbp

You can use this tool http://googledance.seochat.com/ - check all 10 data centers - in the old style dance, there used to be differences between them - when its stable, its all over. For me, it looks as though its over, but other are claiming no.

Very nice! I wasn't aware of this tool previously - thanks!

[tavi]

I've applied for adsense some time ago, got rejected. Got an email few days ago saying
they have re-evaluate my site and I’m back in business. No major changes have been made to the web site. Might be just the google dance. No reason to panic.

[minstrel]

Well, whatever it is they are doing, using the tool cbp suggested, it would appear that things have stabilized - all of the four servers I checked for half a dozen relevant keywords for my site are identical.

I seem to have gone up in ranking for some of the keywords (for "psychologist ottawa" I'm now 1 and 2, just ahead of the story about a psychologist giving LSD to an inmate somewhere... *sigh*) and down a bit for others... then again, I make changes on an ongoing basis, and the web as a whole changes continuously, so as googlebot continues to spider presumably the tweaking will continue.

Interesting... like watching a solar flare or an eclipse or a hurricane make landfall...

[cbp]

Interesting... like watching a solar flare or an eclipse or a hurricane make landfall...

Its just after midday here in Australia - must be bedtime in Canada - GO TO BED and stop watching what is happening ... I assume its not good for your mental health :-)

One thing I have noticed is that "pharmacy" sites seem to have taken a big hit and also multiple sites netwroks with extensive cross linking. Some spammers with lots of hidden text are gone, but some are still there.

CBP

[janeth]

We lost most of our key words (about 175) but I think it was my over use of <h> tags. Time to fix things and try it again.

Never put all your eggs in one basket.

[jackson992]

I've been seeing this all month:)

[tavi]

relax....my site has been gone for about three month on microsoft. ..

[dmcgill]

Holy Search Engine!!

When Google hick-ups, the internet gets violently ill! I don't think that is a good thing do you?
I checked all my sites and they didn't do anything but some of our clients on our server who have hundreds of keywords and some stuff that shouldn't be there are gone right off.

Maybe the database is getting too full. I think the best thing I see gone are the pill pushers. I have been spammed enough by them.

dmcgill

[janeth]

I think it would be nice if Google could find away to make the changes go a little smother.

But I wonder if they want to. I saw forums full of people talking about Google all weekend. If your getting ready for a war getting everbody watching you I would think would be a good thing.

[minstrel]

Originally Posted by janeth

I saw forums full of people talking about Google all weekend. If your getting ready for a war getting everbody watching you I would think would be a good thing.

:-) I don't know whether that was intentional but either way the publicity can't hurt, right?

[luvdavy]

I've lost about all of my keywords too...been pushed from the top three to about number 30...sob.....

One interesting thing...the number one site for real estate in my area disappeared at the same time. It popped back up to number one about 20 minutes ago after having been completely gone for 24 hours. Has anyone else dropped off but then has come back? I was trying not to panic...hoping it was just fluxing and would go back to normal...now you've got me really worried saying that it's done.

I don't think the crosslinking had anything to do with what I've seen. All the Century 21 sites are still at the top...and they do the most outrageous crosslinking of anybody. The only thing I might have done is over-using the keywords in title and alt tags...do you all think that could have hurt us this badly?

Jan

[rlrouse]

The thing is, for every page that drops another in the SERPS, another rises. I honestly don't think the average user gives a darn about who is on top, just us webmasters and SEOs. And as long as the average user is happy, so is Google.

[rlrouse]

The only thing I might have done is over-using the keywords in title and alt tags...do you all think that could have hurt us this badly?

I don't think so. I think it was simply an algorithm tweak. I really don't think an extra keyword or three in the title tag and ALT tags would have triggered a filter (but I could be wrong). Anyone else have a guess?

[luvdavy]

Originally Posted by rlrouse

The only thing I might have done is over-using the keywords in title and alt tags...do you all think that could have hurt us this badly?

I don't think so. I think it was simply an algorithm tweak. I really don't think an extra keyword or three in the title tag and ALT tags would have triggered a filter (but I could be wrong). Anyone else have a guess?

I sure hope you're right. I've worked SO long and hard on this site...I had every key phrase in the top 5...and now there's only one left. And Google hasn't updated links in ages. It's been showing us with 29 links for the past 3 months. Even discounting links with pages under a PR4, I've probably added at least another 20...and probably 40 or 50 if you counted them all....That should have moved us up..not killed us...{{{cry, cry}}}

Jan

[janeth]

We where gone for about 24 hours but have slowly started showing up again for most of our key words.

There are still some that have not showed up yet. Google Guy said it would be Wed. before they where finished.

So now it is just wait and see. We did go from about 36 links coming into the site to 112 so far. There are a lot more then that but Google has started adding ours.

[janeth]

At one time you could type in "godaddy. com" and read everybody fusing about them now all that is gone it is one threw 1,000 nothing but godaddy. com and then all the sites that are waiting to be hosted.

Now is that a good search or what?

[minstrel]

Originally Posted by janeth

Google Guy said it would be Wed. before they were finished.

That sounds like a cartoon superhero :-)

It's a bird! It's a plane! No! It's Google Guy!

I wanna be Google Guy when I grow up... ;-)

[luvdavy]

Originally Posted by janeth

We where gone for about 24 hours but have slowly started showing up again for most of our key words.

There are still some that have not showed up yet. Google Guy said it would be Wed. before they where finished.

So now it is just wait and see. We did go from about 36 links coming into the site to 112 so far. There are a lot more then that but Google has started adding ours.

You're lucky. Nothing has changed for us...:-(
Still not there..except for 2 key phrases, and still no updated links. All kinds of crazy sites showing up under a search for real estate....one is even a homeowner's association page...sigh...

Jan

[janeth]

They can not be finished if you look at "godaddy. com" From the middle of page one to page 9 they all say this web site is Coming Soon!

There are no searches just coming soon and it use to be people like me talking about how sorry godaddy was

[luvdavy]

Originally Posted by minstrel

That sounds like a cartoon superhero :-)

It's a bird! It's a plane! No! It's Google Guy!

I wanna be Google Guy when I grow up... ;-)

In the world of web geeks, there are probably a million more "kids" that want to be Google Guy when the grow up than be president. It probably pays more, too. Google Guy could make George Bush quake in his shoes, I'll bet...LOL...

Jan

[janeth]

I have herd a lot of people upset over what has gone on over the weekend with Google.

When you see things like this it helps you to understand why it would be good for Yahoo to drop Google and MSN to get into the game.

Google has gotten so big that they can put a business out of business or put one at the top.

I think it is a good thing if they get some good competetion.

[rlrouse]

Yahoo and MSN will be competitive in the relatively near future. Both companies have indicated the desire to make a strong push into the search engine wars, and they're already making aquisitions and changes to facilitate it. Not to mention the "Bill Gates To Buy Google" rumor.

The fact of the matter is, based simlpy on the relative sizes of the three companies involved, Google could easily be swallowed whole by either Yahoo or Microsoft, especially when one takes into consideration that Microsoft has roughly 3 times more cash in the bank than Google is worth.

I hope this doesn't happen though because an independent Google is best for everyone involved IMO (and quite simply I happen to like Google).

[minstrel]

Originally Posted by rlrouse

Yahoo and MSN will be competitive in the relatively near future (snip) an independent Google is best for everyone involved IMO (and quite simply I happen to like Google).

I also like Google, but I also agree with Janeth's point - given the significant implications of success-failure for many web companies, a stronger competition for Google could only be good for the industry - and that degree of domination, by anyone, is inherently dangerous. The same could be said about DMOZ/ODP, by the way...

[janeth]

I like Google also and would hate to seem them get pushed out of number 1.

But I would not mind having some search engines that where close to the same size.

If you make Google mad then your finished and that makes it tough. That is why I say having some more options would be good.

As it is now if Goolge moves you there is no reason to go look at Yahoo because you have been moved also.

[rlrouse]

...a stronger competition for Google could only be good for the industry - and that degree of domination, by anyone, is inherently dangerous.

I couldn't agree more. I just hope Google remains a search engine in its own right instead of getting taken over by one of the the big "machines" (which is a real possibility).

[janeth]

I have been reading you would not believe all the things people are saying but one thing that caught my eye and I'm not sure if i understand but there saying Google is no longer counting Links from the same peson over and over.

Does this mean that links that are on our own site will not count. If you have 10,000 pages on your own site it would then only count as one link?

Has anyone else seen or herd anything like this?

[rlrouse]

Does this mean that links that are on our own site will not count. If you have 10,000 pages on your own site it would then only count as one link?

I have seen no evidence that internal links have been devalued in the current update. I have several client sites that are doing very well with (mainly) lots of internal linking.

If you think about it, why would they devalue internal linking? The whole premise of PageRank is based upon a page's "importance". All other things being equal (which of course they rarely are), a larger site (more pages) about widgets would be more "important" then a smaller one. Thus the saying "content is king", and Google does seem to like larger sites in general.

[janeth]

That makes me feel better we have been working hard to increase the size of our site.

Which I need the site to be bigger but I was also hoping to increase pr at the same time.