Google Rank/Link Q

[onemagicalday]

I was ranking in the top 10 for months and got dropped out of first 90 results four weeks ago ( www.mountaincastles.net ). If I do a search for "mountain castles" and then search within the results for "mountaincastles.net", our site comes up, meaning I'm at least in the index, correct? Google knows about our site, just isn't ranking us well for some reason.

You will also see that #6 on that page...

(http://directory.google.com/Top/Regional/North_America/United_States/Colorado/Localities/S/
Steamboat_Springs/Travel_and_Tourism/Lodging/Vacation_Rentals/)

...shows a Google directory listing where we are listed in page rank order at #3. We have an index page PR of 4/10. So we are in the Google directory.

So here comes the hairy part. www.cybercastles.com is also our URL and redirects to www.mountaincastles.net. The cybercastles URL is ranking #10 under keyword "mountain castles", and #3 under keyword "steamboat rental properties". All cybercastles does is redirect. The thing is, Cybercastles is about 5 years old and has multiple links pointing to it. Some good, most irrelevant, maybe even link farm-ish. Some are Yahoo Asia, Canada, India. But links just the same and more than mountaincastles.net.

Does this prove then that the problems do not stem from the site itself, but from lack of quality links pointing to www.mountaincastles.net? Because if it were site related, then I would assume that cybercastles wouldn't rank either!?

The site itself needs some work but we were ranking well and I didn't want to change much. Now we dropped so changes are immanent, better copy, etc. However, the cybercastles thing puzzles me. Pages still rank.

Could there be a penalty against the URL, mountaincastles, itself?

Sorry to be long winded... Just frustrated.

Melanie
onemagicalday@yahoo.com

[bhartzer]

The problem is that you're doing the wrong type of redirect. You're currently returning a 302 Moved Temporarily redirect, where you should be returning a 301 Permanent Redirect.

This will fix your problem.

[Keimos]

Hi onmagicalday,

The question I have to ask is are both sites the same business?

Basically if you have an established site then update it as the content should not change that drastically.

Where I would question you is about the keywords that you are worried about.

Unless someone knows the name "Mountain Castles" via paper advertising how the hell are they going to find you? Where the hell does "Steamboat" come into it?

I would be more inclined to search for " holiday accommodation in colorado Steamboat Springs"

You are assuming that people have heard of you and where you live. You need to look from the other perspective. How and why will your web customers be looking for you.
Your current search terms exclude a lot of business that could be generated by simply looking from the outside to within.

You are found by people looking out(yourselves) who think that what you have suits. It does locally. But what about us tourists?

It loooooks great up there in winter but wher the hell are you. Lack of info on the site or sites.

And why?

It is located in Colorado's premier ski town
and summer paradise where you can ski,
snowmobile, ride in hot air balloons, hike, fish
and golf plus shop and dine in a complete array
of fabulous restaurants.

The company's slogan is "More than a vacation - We create memories",
and we live up to it!

Is that not on the front page.

You have a good site, leave your modesty behind and pay somebody to market you.

I will be asking for free accommodation in the quiet season!!!!!!!!!!!!!