Since the Google Update 'Major Changes'

[jestep]

Here are a few things that I have noticed since the last PR update.

Google hasn't been indexing pages nearly as fast as before:
I would normally say that it takes 2 - 3 days to get a new page indexed, but now I have been waiting over 9 days and still nothing. This is consistent for about 12 sites that I have added pages two. Most are also on different servers.

Google results have been much more stable:
They have been so much more stable that I have been seeing only 10 to 15 terms shifting per day vs, the pre update of 100 to 150 terms shifting per day. This is out of the 500 terms that I am monitoring the SERPS for. The shifts are also much smaller. Only one or two spots per day. Before it was common to see 5 or 10 position changes frequently.

Google also isn't giving weight to new links 'at all':
While before I could expect a change within a few days of acquiring new links into a page, now the SERPS remain steady regardless of the number of links of quality that are linked into a page.

I think that google has been listening to the many complaints about google's unsteady results. This update also incorporated whatever changes google made to stabilize their results. I imagine that we are going to see larger shifts, but less frequently. Hopefully Google doesn't resort to the monthly dance that it once had, but for now, I would definitely say that the SERPS are no longer continuously updated. At least nowhere near what they were a few weeks ago.

[crankydave]

The results are more stable. The data centers are all showing the same results instead of the 3-4 different sets of results that they were showing.

On the terms I follow, the top 5 or 10 SERP's are remaining stable but those following that (11-20) and the total number of returns are not. I do think the SERP's are being updated but the algo and filters now remain constant, hence the stability.

I agree, newely aquired links are not being given immediate weight as the have in the past.

Dave

[emils]

Originally Posted by jestep

Google hasn't been indexing pages nearly as fast as before:

I have observed the same so i can also confirm this. There is quite a difference between the harvesting pace in the past and now. I must however observe that I have noticed significant decrease since mid December - It just went much slower right now.

Originally Posted by jestep

I would normally say that it takes 2 - 3 days to get a new page indexed, but now I have been waiting over 9 days and still nothing. This is consistent for about 12 sites that I have added pages two. Most are also on different servers.

I had pages that got in the index in 5-6 days. But previously they used to get in there within 24 hours or so.

Originally Posted by jestep

Google also isn't giving weight to new links 'at all':
While before I could expect a change within a few days of acquiring new links into a page, now the SERPS remain steady regardless of the number of links of quality that are linked into a page.

This is most interesting - could it turn into a 'link age' based new sandbox-alike behavior?

Btw - on a couple of our sites that are big (like 10,000 pages, most comprised of forums, message boards anouncements, directory, stuff like that) the traffic from Google is suddenly down to 50% . I have also noticed a massive reduction in number of pages indexed from these sites (backlinks are ok though) like 4-5 times less pages (!) but the ones remaining are getting more traffic, however not enhough to cover the difference.

Big changes, looks to me.

[simonm]

I'll offer my take on some of these changes.

Google must appreciate that the web and presence on Google is increasingly a key promotional tool. Thus, where companies have been long established on Google and to some extent rely on their SERPs, having the risk of massive and uncontrollable jumps such as happened start of last (Miami) is not good. We all complained when this was going on. So:

• Google is a key part of the web
  Google knows this
  Google has two kinds of customer - searchers and listers
  A responsible Google needs to value both types of customer and provide good and consistent results
  Google now has shareholders
  Corporate (and any) shareholders want consistency
  Google doesn't want to annoy its shareholders such that they impose their control on the way web sites are positioned.
  IMHO Gone are the days of wild swings.
  Change to Google's listings will slow, any site that is well placed now with good PR can be sure that they will still be listed well next year.
  Changes to the listings will be due to competition between sites, not changes to the algorithm.

Fundamentally we will now see a corporate, mature 'responsible' cautious Google that is well aware that its shareholders need to be kept satisfied and silent when it comes to its core activity.
Simon

[cspelts]

Originally Posted by simonm

Thus, where companies have been long established on Google and to some extent rely on their SERPs, having the risk of massive and uncontrollable jumps such as happened start of last (Miami) is not good. We all complained when this was going on.

Sorry, but I respectfully disagree simonm. In my opinion the SEO community is very small, and I highly doubt that all the complaining within this community has had much of an impact on how Google chooses to do business.

Google wants to provide the best search results possible, so any changes made are in pursuit of that goal. I don't think Google cares one bit if it also pleases or displeases the SEO experts!

[jestep]

I think regardless of whether the complaints had anything to do with it is irrelevant. Someone will always complain about the situation that currently exists.

Personally, I would rather have continuous dynamic SERPS compared to the cesspool that the google results currently are. Honestly, before you could at least rank for something if you wanted to. Now there is so little movement that I don't think you could get a site in the top 5 at all. I think that dynamic is better than a huge shift, like when google used to do the dance.

[jclark16]

I added new links last week and it moved me up from 4th page to 2nd for one keyword. I got knocked from 1st place to 5th place on another keyword and the links didn't help it any. But the new links pushed me to 1st on both msn and yahoo, and msn refers doubled.

[smo]

This has given me some answer to my worries I have. I was getting steady growth in traffic till Feb 05 end ( including the jump in traffic on Feb 03 ) but after March the traffic is constant even after adding contents at the same rate as before. G has not given good result to my new pages and efforts I have put. I am adding quality content and not involved in buying links from other sites. Now because of my good articles I am getting links from forums / sites etc.. but those are not considered by G. I am hopping to get a sudden jump ( or sudden fall ) in traffic like the one we saw on 3rd Feb.

[crankydave]

Originally Posted by jestep

I think regardless of whether the complaints had anything to do with it is irrelevant. Someone will always complain about the situation that currently exists.

Personally, I would rather have continuous dynamic SERPS compared to the cesspool that the google results currently are. Honestly, before you could at least rank for something if you wanted to. Now there is so little movement that I don't think you could get a site in the top 5 at all. I think that dynamic is better than a huge shift, like when google used to do the dance.

I think a lot is going to have to do with how long they remain mostly static. 30 days? 60? 90?

Being able to rapidly see the results of your SEO work for yourself or to be able to show the results to your clients was nice.

Now it's kinda like being in the "sandbox" again. Not knowing what is working best until well after the fact. Successful adjustments will reap rewards for a longer period of time, however, unsuccessful ones will cost you longer.

Dave

[jestep]

I think a lot is going to have to do with how long they remain mostly static. 30 days? 60? 90?

Hopefully they will do it weekly or every other week. I really hope they don't do anything longer than a month. Maybe nothing has changed and they are just experimenting with some new things. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.