I need help to remain calm - Good PR but no position

[zaytran]

Hi:

I have been thrashing away at SEO for my wife's site since 1996. Sometimes I just want to run screaming!

Anyway, I work at the site content with Web Position Gold and the link content via both link exchange and purchased links.

The last time Google updated (maybe three weeks ago) I did the happy dance - we moved to a PR7 from a PR5 WOO HOO!

Two days later we went from 4th on "air purifiers" and 1st for most of our brand names to ziltch (but we are still a PR7).

I contacted Google and begged but they said we were still in the directory. However when you search for our URL we have no description, so something seems wrong.

This is a real cry for help. Any input would be great.

URL: http://www.airpurifiers.com/

Thanks,
zaytran

[Curious George]

Zaytran,

Have you tried WebPosition Reporter to locate your exact positions for all your keyword/phrases on the Google SERP? I would try that first. You can also try using http://googlerankings.com/index.php but will require you searching one keyword or phrase at a time.

Curious George

[ADAM Web Design]

Now that's just interesting.

You are actually in the directory that powers Google (dmoz.org).

http://dmoz.org/Shopping/Home_and_Garden/Climate_Control/Air_Cleaners/ is your link.

But for some strange reason, Google does not acknowledge this as a directory category.

This isn't something I've ever seen before myself, so I don't know the best course of action for sure, but I would try emailing Google again with this information. It looks (at least to me) that you found a potential bug in the system.

[cbp]

http://directory.google.com/Top/Shopping/Home_and_Garden/Climate_Control/Air_Cleaners

The PR in the Directory is the most up-to-date - its shows 0 for you.

If I was you, I would be starting to worry as to what might happen when the PR toolbar updates - its currently shows PR7 -- they not updated the public PR on the toolbar for >6 weeks now.

I think the first place to start looking for reasons is your linking practices - these are sending poor quality signals to Google.

CBP

[glengara]

They don't like "domain farms"

www.austin-air.net
www.autoairpurifier.com
www.air-cleaners.org
www.ionic-air-cleaners.com

and probably a few more .. ;-)

[zaytran]

Thanks guys:

I thought I was being fairly careful with who I was linked to. Any Suggestions?

Should I disconnect the other sites? The only two that are linked with Airpurifiers.com are:

http://www.austin-air.net/
and
http://www.blueair.info/

Ted

[glengara]

*Should I disconnect the other sites?*

I would, the other crowd don't like networks either, so if you're doing well there....

As for the purchased links, I should drop those too, at least until you've recovered somewhat in G.

[iamrussell]

I have about 50 domains that used to be "networked" together. I decided to close the hosting accounts for all of these and use GoDaddy to redirect all the domains to my main site using their fowarding option. Is this good or bad?

[bhopkins]

First I don't really know since I just started paying attention to these types of things, but I have heard that Google will penalize a site for having multiple domains pointing to the same content.

[zaytran]

Glengara, why stop all the paid links? they are pretty nice sites like:

http://www.education-world.com/


Here is my current plan:

I am going to take all of the other sites off-line except for two:

http://www.airpurifiers.com and
http://www.air-cleaners.org

These are hosted by different firms and have different content and design.

Then I am going to go though every link and wack any that are doing anything shady or are just link farms.

After I do that what do I do to get back a reasonable PR? Is this recoverable?

I am off to back everything up prior to starting the site slaying.

Ted

[zaytran]

OK, Lots done.

1st, thanks for helping me. I was sitting there fat, dumb, and happy thinking I had a PR7 and in time it would all get better.

I wacked all of the "other" sites after backing them up. All pages deleted except index.htm with is blank with no tags. Should it go too?

Airpurifiers.com and air-cleaners.org have had their links checked (suspect ones deleted) and all interlinking is gone.

What do you suggest now? Email Google and beg?

Ted

[glengara]

*why stop all the paid links?*

IMO G uses link mapping to determine whether a site is using a "links scheme designed to improve ranking or PR", and site-wide links, whether bought, reciprocated or free bring unwelcome attention.

Since there's a number of factors that could have got you pinged, I wouldn't hope for reinclusion in G with those links still in place.

In fact recovery in G could well take some time, so you might consider grooming an heir just in case.

If air-cleaners.org is "clean", you could switch the links to that until G has forgiven you... ;-)

[Jade456]

I just checked your domain and its in google. Check your backlinks again.

[zaytran]

Hi Jade 456:

OK,checked them again. Am I missing something?

Ted

[google junky]

.....I work at the site content with Web Position Gold and the link content via both link exchange and purchased links.


Taken from googles site at http://www.google.com/webmasters/guidelines.html with the heading and explanation....

Quality Guidelines - Basic principles:
Don't use unauthorized computer programs to submit pages, check rankings, etc. Such programs consume computing resources and violate our terms of service. Google does not recommend the use of products such as WebPosition Gold™ that send automatic or programmatic queries to Google.

This might be an addition to the ideas already brought up. I can't say I'm an expert on how hardnosed they are about querying software. I have never used WebPosition Gold to find out if there is a bad effect from it.

[greeneagle]

You beat me to it google_junky, but I believe you hit the nail with a sledge hammer! It couldn't have been posted better!

I believe it's a little safer to use secondary query methods through other websites set up to deliver those functions. GOOGLE tends to not punish any method that could be executed by a Site rival.

You have to realize the impact on GOOGLE servers when considering hundreds of thousands of beedy-eyed, webmasters pounding out direct queries at any given time to appreciate that policy.

I'll take 1/100th of the expense associated there and retire tomorrow with 10 homes, here's my Paypal account number.....

By the way, is there a max Paypal account limit?

Ken

[zaytran]

Hi Guys:

I only use the "page critic" feature that compares my page to the Web Position Gold database. I have never used the other features like the doorway page creation, or checking for your position on Google, etc.

Is there anyone who is an expert on what links out might be causing me a problem? I could use help.

Ted
email zaytranATapk.net

[astoller]

Got the same problem.
High PR , no ranking, not even in top 1,000

Does anyone have a tool or software that lets us
see our own network so we can adjust it and remove bad links?

[glengara]

Astoller, you're targeting internet marketing, a VERY competitive KW, but it's not even mentioned on your page.

Y! shows 27 links to your site, G just 5, so I wouldn't say your low position is particularly surprising......