Google Killed Me, Too

[mailboxlady]

I've been following with great interest Ron, Janeth and others comments about the Google situation and I am just as confused as I was before. I'm new today and have never posted to a forum before. My IT guy just sent me to your site as I was asking him about what Google did to us.

My question is WHY did they decide to do this just before Christmas? What were they thinking? Didn't they realize the impact this would have on some web based businesses? November is 30% of my entire years worth of business and I got 25% of what I did last year. I was on first page in "mailboxes" and was off the face of the earth for about 2-3 weeks. Only changes I made once I discovered I was "missing" were to add lots of relevant links per Googles "Instructions" and ask others to link to me AND sign up for their pay per click as a sponsored web site. I HAD to do something! Then about 10 days ago I find myself back, but on the very bottom of page one. Now I'm at the top of page 2. I know because Google is "free" that I am there mostly by chance and a good web master but this could finish off some of us little businesses in who now regret counting on our Google/Yahoo placements for the bulk of our business.

Seems to me relevant content to the search should be what a good search engine looks for yet I am now mixed in with e-mail boxes, mailbox links that don't work and some other irrevelant postings as well as Mailboxes Etc. when I should be with others who sell MAILBOXES, the kind you get snail mail in! I don't get it.

My next question is I wonder if I am no longer a "sponsored" link will my ranking drop again? Google says that is not relevant but I don't believe them. They have to make money somehow!

I'll be watching and reading all of your comments to see if I can keep my web site optomized and stay in business. Keep up the good work and I appreciate your knowlege and educated guesses!

[janeth]

Hi mailboxlady,

Being a "sponsored" link should have no effect on your free ranking.

Google does not care about who comes in 1st. They only care that the people doing the searches are happy with who they get back.

Next year there will be a lot of changes and Google knows a lot of people want to take there place in being the #1 search engine and some of them have more money then Google.

There trying to get ready for next year.

They need to stay far enough ahead to make it hard to keep up.

I think the changes we are seeing now is just getting ready for something bigger.

You should post this in Google forum and you will probley get some better answers.