google weirdness

The sites above me almost seem un-optimized... I wonder if that has anything to do about it.

Does anyone have any real concrete notions of why everything's so haywire? Or is everyone else in the dark? :\

Google Help Forum:

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=go...upport.general

It appears the biggest thing this google update has done is lower the value of anchor text on internal links.

Example: Search google on led flashlight. ThinKGeek was #1... cause they have a pagerank of 8!! on that page.

Now look at all the people ahead of thinkgeek. Look at their backward links, and how they aren't internal.

I'm not sure it has so much to do with the actual anchor text, but rather where a link comes from.

It seems that the sites with many backlinks from a select few domains (ie, loads of internal links for example) will do worse than sites that have links from more varied sources.

This would be similar to the way in which having two links to the same site on one page -- only one of the links will count. I think it would be on a dampened scale though, so for each link found to a site from within the same domain, its importance is dampaned compared to the previous link found. Just an idea...

This would make sense, because it means that one site isn't more powerful than another site purly because it can place links on loads of pages. A vote is more equal.

But then, you'd expect to see this reflected in the PR. Which I haven't, so that's that theory out the window :) lol

I have conflicting information about internal links.

I've seen some instances where I can attribute the drop to internal links, but the sites that have risen don't have more external links than the sites that dropped.

Also I have some pages that get all their PR from internal links and they're still doing well.

I have run a paid ad tile for almost a year now on Google and paused my ad with them in protest of the latest cache and or change in algorithm. I would encourage others to do the same. If enough of us do perhaps they will get the message. My note was as follows:
I am temporarily suspending my ad and encouraging others to do so until such time as your current cache and/or algorithm is changed. It is the opinion of many of us "smaller" folks that all of us have been bumped by either commercial/corporate sites or sites that are only marginally related to the keyword phrases typed in with your current cache. Most of us worked long and hard on our websites to incorporate the backward links and specific textual suggestions of Google for good placement on our keyword phrases. If the current cache is indeed a reflection of some new standing policy at Google I would suggest that it is misguided and that you will lose market share as quickly as you once gained it.

Whilst I applaud your efforts and approach, I really don't think it will make the slightest bit of difference. The fact that many webmasters have spent so much time optimising their sites is of no concern to google. It only hinders their algorithms which are designed to rank your site according to the value of your content as oposed to the extent of your SEO.

Whether these algorithms work or not, is a different matter! :) And that's the real issue...

Chromate:
I agree that whether or not the algorithms work or not is the real issue. What I am trying to convey to Google is that one of the things that made them so popular so quickly was the perception that everyone was playing on an even field and that content and substance would be the ultimate determinant of value (ie. placement). By way of example I make custom rocking chairs. There are probably a 1/2 dozen other people in the country of my caliber. All of us were in the top 100 a week ago and some had been for years. All of us are now gone. Every single one! If you look at my site www.sarasotarockers.com you will see that I am content based. If you search on the keyword phrase "rocking chairs" now, 17 of the top 20 are corporate sites, two contain articles on making rocking chairs (that's cool) and the #1 position is held by someone who must be using gateway pages or something as his site only marginally deals with the keywords and he has been number 1 for six months. Whatever it is they are doing isn't working. The only way I have ever found of getting a huge conglomerate's attention is by going after their image or earnings.

Chromate:
I agree that whether or not the algorithms work or not is the real issue. What I am trying to convey to Google is that one of the things that made them so popular so quickly was the perception that everyone was playing on an even field and that content and substance would be the ultimate determinant of value (ie. placement). By way of example I make custom rocking chairs. There are probably a 1/2 dozen other people in the country of my caliber. All of us were in the top 100 a week ago and some had been for years. All of us are now gone. Every single one! If you look at my site www.sarasotarockers.com you will see that I am content based. If you search on the keyword phrase "rocking chairs" now, 17 of the top 20 are corporate sites, two contain articles on making rocking chairs (that's cool) and the #1 position is held by someone who must be using gateway pages or something as his site only marginally deals with the keywords and he has been number 1 for six months. Whatever it is they are doing isn't working. The only way I have ever found of getting a huge conglomerate's attention is by going after their image or earnings.

Keywester, I'm sorry for all the pain Google has been putting you thru this week. I did check Google for "rocking chairs", checked only 2 or 3 sites in the top ten, and was not surprised they were ranked ahead of you.

Fortunately, there's still a lot you can do on your site if your are optimizing for "rocking chairs".

For example, I clicked on your sitemap and there's not one mention of "rocking chairs" in the entire source code. "rocking chairs" should appear in each and every page of your site. And each and every page should link to your homepage with the included text "rocking chairs".

You've got a lot of pages there to work with.

Good luck. :)

GCT13:
Thanks for the advice. I am about to do some redesigning anyway so now is a good time to follow your suggestion. Despite those definciencies you mentioned I had been able to work it up to #3 basing most of my focus on index page textual content and outside links to the site.

Might want to read up on these articles in preparation for the redesign :
http://www.websitepublisher.net/webs..._optimization/

Quote:

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Originally posted by Chris
I have conflicting information about internal links.

I've seen some instances where I can attribute the drop to internal links, but the sites that have risen don't have more external links than the sites that dropped.

Also I have some pages that get all their PR from internal links and they're still doing well.

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I've seen about the same thing- nothing's really clear cut. For example, my site has more bushels external links than any of those ranked above me, and yet I moved down.

On the other hand, I've also seen those with internal links move up, as you have. Crazy Google.

I think I'll adopt the view I always adopt when crazy things happen with Google: Wait and see... :)

is the google update over yet? im really worried. My site was listed #4 on first page for my keywords before the update, since the update, up til now, its not even listed for that keyword...

is everyone elses' ok yet? or is it just mine?

Aplus:
I was #3 under my keywords and after dissapearing for 5 days I came up #1 on Thursday night for about 4 hours and then was gone altogether again Friday morning. You're not the only one experiencing odd results. I thought it would have settled by this morning (Sat) but it still isn't right in terms of who comes up in my keyword category. I'm not *****ing about my own place. None of my competitors who have been high on their keywords are showing up either. None of them are spammers either.

I was serious as a heart attach about pausing all my ads. I did that earlier this week and this morning have changed my default browser to alltheweb. If they rethink their algorithm so that Google starts returning better more relevant search results again I'll change back.