GOOGLE Files for Divorce from Webmasters?

[greeneagle]

GOOGLE Files for Divorce from Webmasters?

It has been 80-90 days since GOOGLE had an overall PR update. The previous record was about 50-60 days.

Sporadic PR changes are being reported by some Sites.

What is going on? Are the days of the overall update dead? Are they further trying to confound webmaster tools by eliminating update comparisons?

In the last update we witnessed the weakening of the “link:www.mydomain.com” tool. It seems as though they are entrenching themselves and burying algorithm changes deeper. If so is this to protect their stake?, To avoid lawsuits now that they are public?

If so, won’t that diminish the power they held in certain public/webmaster control maneuvers? Isn’t that what we had grown to expect?

The fact that GOOGLE always acted with known and logical reason contributed to the learning process. Is that gone?

I believe the sum of constant sporadic updates, weakened link (IBL) check tools and what seems like a continued campaign to divorce their actions from the public, weakening webmaster tools and entrenching their alg secrets deeper will just end up alienating most webmasters! - If that's what is going on!

IMO - Acting behind the scenes and not in the public eye will cause disillusionment and subsequent focus on other SEs.

Ken

[cbp]

Did you not read the posts that GG hinted Google might consider going to quartery public PR updates of the toolbar? ... if they have we have a way to go...

Also don't forget that the publc PR was updated in the Directory last week.

CBP

[greeneagle]

It's almost been a "quarter", wonder if that is fact and when the cycle will occur?

I wouldn't exactly call the directory update "public PR", especially when considering the addition of new pages to a Site!

Ken

[pne]

Ken,

I think you're spot on. The point about Pagerank is its symptomatic significance. There is a tendency to focus on Google for optimisation purposes in part because we can measure the results of our efforts. It is a significant part of the symbiotic relationship between us and them.

It may be that Google are in the process of breaking this, which will, IMHO be put down to Google being taken over by "the suits, etc", following their IPO. Whether this would be an appropriate conclusion to draw is not for me to say, but it does point to a "mainstreaming" of Google as a corporate entity.

Regards,

pne

[crankydave]

It may be that Google are in the process of breaking this, which will, IMHO be put down to Google being taken over by "the suits, etc", following their IPO. Whether this would be an appropriate conclusion to draw is not for me to say, but it does point to a "mainstreaming" of Google as a corporate entity.

To some extent yes. They now have shareholders to answer to and to keep happy. However, since the founders and a few other executives control 70%-75% of shareholder votes with their Class B shares, they're answering to themselves.

Is Google trying to divorce webmasters or are they trying to force them to focus on something other than PR? PR may figure into SERP's but the list of low PR results on any given search is an indication that it's a small factor at best. Is this lack of an update a message or an indication of other problems? Or, perhaps a giant change in the algo is forthcoming?

At any rate, to "tweek" and see what happens with the next update may be tweeked in itself. I think it boils down to how often will the SERP's be updated not PR. If done quarterly, it forces us to get it right the first time. This would be especially true with many merchants who's 4th quarter, because of x-mas, can make or break their results.

Dave

[Blackicicle]

You would think that they would do it more often now not less.

[DriWashSolutions]

They now have shareholders to answer to and to keep happy.

And why wouldn't they want to keep us guessing to get top rankings. If it were that easy, their Adwords revenue would decrease.

As it is right now, I'm paying top $$ to get listed on the 1st page using AdWords. If I were on the first page for SERPS, I would definitely reduce my Adwords PPC - it wouldn't be needed. Their income would then be reduced.

I know others in this Forum say that they doubt GG does this, but hey, they do need to make money, and their AdWords are a good source of income.

[amabaie]

As it is right now, I'm paying top $$ to get listed on the 1st page using AdWords. If I were on the first page for SERPS, I would definitely reduce my Adwords PPC - it wouldn't be needed. Their income would then be reduced.

Mute point, John. If you were on the first page, you would be bumping somebody else off, who would then be forces to pay those top $$.

[theapprentice]

It's Moot point BTW..

There are however many trying to get to the top simply to make money from AdSense so it doesn't always work in the manner you described. Also, not everyone who can't rank well uses AdSense.

[greeneagle]

Let's face it - SERPS are for Sale in the different SEs. Yahoo Business Express subscriptions blow GOOGLE away in the stats for 2 clients, and I don't just mean Yahoo! - It transfers to MSN!

2 years running!

Ken