New Google Update 24th April

[dashu1]

The word on the street (well another forum actually via an ex Google employee) is that they're not happy bunnies at Google because the algorithm isn't performing like it's supposed to and they're all running around like headless chickens trying to fix it.

That has to be true, because the results just don't make any sense.

Even sites like facebook and eBay don't show up when you search for "social networking sites" and "online auction/s".

And if you search for "best search engine" Google isn't even on page 1, and it ranks Bing and Dogpile above itself for "search engines".

I'm sure it'll all settle down once they manage to fix it.

 

[retired_member36]

And if you search for "best search engine" Google isn't even on page 1, and it ranks Bing and Dogpile above itself for "search engines".

Lol the bell ends!

 

[leeds1]

The word on the street (well another forum actually via an ex Google employee) is that they're not happy bunnies at Google because the algorithm isn't performing like it's supposed to and they're all running around like headless chickens trying to fix it.

I'm sure it'll all settle down once they manage to fix it.

If u don't mind me asking what forum is that?

 

[PoshTiger]

blackhatworld?

 

[Stas]

The word on the street (well another forum actually via an ex Google employee) is that they're not happy bunnies at Google because the algorithm isn't performing like it's supposed to and they're all running around like headless chickens trying to fix it.

That has to be true, because the results just don't make any sense.

Even sites like facebook and eBay don't show up when you search for "social networking sites" and "online auction/s".

And if you search for "best search engine" Google isn't even on page 1, and it ranks Bing and Dogpile above itself for "search engines".

I'm sure it'll all settle down once they manage to fix it.

Few hours ago was seeing yesterday's results coming and going in Chrome with every refresh. Pretty sure it wasn't some personalisation or cache. They must be working on sorting it all out..


Nice #4 result for "buy text links" http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=buy+text+links

 

[nick-harper]

My main site is down about 50% and i havent done any link building at all!

Hopefully they will release further patches!

 

[Systreg]

Hopefully they will release further patches!

Yes, along with plasters and bandages

 

[retired_member21]

My main site is down about 50% and i havent done any link building at all!

Hopefully they will release further patches!

How's your content?

 

[Marcoose]

You don't get penalised - they just get discounted..

If those links were the reasons you were ranking and they don't count any more, then you drop.

Wrong.

 

[nick-harper]

How's your content?

It isnt too bad, all unique but i might add a couple of paragraphs on each page too!

 

[dazc]

And if you search for "best search engine" Google isn't even on page 1, and it ranks Bing and Dogpile above itself for "search engines".

That's not new actually but I accept your general point - there does seem to be a lot of junk results.

 

[chippyb]

well I have check again today and I have had some more movent, mainly bad as some more have dropped ranking and out of the top 100, but one keyword went up one place?!!!
Im guessing Google will see that as problem solved haha

 

[PoshTiger]

Nice arguement...

It's exactly what happend to ezine articles in the first panda update..

And some of the larger article networks (like ALN and Linkvana) around 3 months ago.

Wrong.

 

[Aegean]

The word on the street (well another forum actually via an ex Google employee) is that they're not happy bunnies at Google because the algorithm isn't performing like it's supposed to and they're all running around like headless chickens trying to fix it.

That has to be true, because the results just don't make any sense.

Actually that couldn't be further from the truth. I don't see what the big surprise is anyway, I've known about this for some time and Google are basically on a mission to get rid of middlemen.

If you are selling the product, providing information or unique relevant guides then your sites should rise in the rankings after this update. If you are not selling the product but passing customers on to another site who is (which is how most affiliate sites are based), or not providing unique information or contextual articles, your site will drop. If your site is simply mass spinning its own content or other peoples content, you will probably be looking at a page 10+ drop over the next one to two months.

Google has said for some time its goal is to connnect people directly with information, so if someone conducts a search Google wants the direct information displayed, not a third party site that will redirect you to an actual source.

Thats whats happened with hotels, flights, estate agents and in fact many company genres. A search for "hotels in Edinburgh" firstly shows sites which have direct booking facilities with the actual hotels, such as laterooms and booking .com etc, then it displays a list of individual hotels and a position on the map. In other words the actual information the user was searching for.

In a nutshell I don't think this will be a major issue for anyone running a legitimate site.

 

[Marcoose]

Actually that couldn't be further from the truth. I don't see what the big surprise is anyway, I've known about this for some time and Google are basically on a mission to get rid of middlemen.

If you are selling the product, providing information or unique relevant guides then your sites should rise in the rankings after this update. If you are not selling the product but passing customers on to another site who is (which is how most affiliate sites are based), or not providing unique information or contextual articles, your site will drop. If your site is simply mass spinning its own content or other peoples content, you will probably be looking at a page 10+ drop over the next one to two months.

Google has said for some time its goal is to connnect people directly with information, so if someone conducts a search Google wants the direct information displayed, not a third party site that will redirect you to an actual source.

Thats whats happened with hotels, flights, estate agents and in fact many company genres. A search for "hotels in Edinburgh" firstly shows sites which have direct booking facilities with the actual hotels, such as laterooms and booking .com etc, then it displays a list of individual hotels and a position on the map. In other words the actual information the user was searching for.

In a nutshell I don't think this will be a major issue for anyone running a legitimate site.

Define legitimate.

 

[dazc]

In a nutshell I don't think this will be a major issue for anyone running a legitimate site.

What do you define as a legitimate site? Anyone who's worked in a certain industry or profession will know which websites have all the best information and in 99% of cases you won't find these on Google because they are behind a pay wall. So they [Google] can only give you what they have access to.

An affiliate site may well be a legitimate result in many cases simply because there isn't a better alternative. Aren't most on-line retailers just drop-shippers anyway?

 

[Aegean]

Yes thats right, Google can only give you the best result from the information it has access to.

 

[ratboy]

Google has said for some time its goal is to connnect people directly with information, so if someone conducts a search Google wants the direct information displayed, not a third party site that will redirect you to an actual source.

Thats whats happened with hotels, flights, estate agents and in fact many company genres. A search for "hotels in Edinburgh" firstly shows sites which have direct booking facilities with the actual hotels, such as laterooms and booking .com etc, then it displays a list of individual hotels and a position on the map. In other words the actual information the user was searching for.

In a nutshell I don't think this will be a major issue for anyone running a legitimate site.

Agreed. Affiliate and "cookie cutter" sites as Matt Cutts refers to are going to be killed off. You can imagine the meeting at Google - why should we rank sites which are making money from organic rankings, when we could be doing the same - prime area for easy growth for Google.

Define legitimate.

Why do you need to? Google makes the rules. They determine what to show, and legitimacy means nothing frankly. If your site provides great content, no cookie placement for revenue purposes and provides users with the information they need, you are fine. The problem is making a living from these sites is hard and not worth bothering with. For hobby developers it is fine.

 

[Aegean]

Define legitimate.

What I mean by "legitimate" is sites providing actual unique and relevant information, or if its a product search - sites that actually sell the product, etc. If you are simply forwarding people on to sites that sell the product your rankings will fall.

Thats what I mean by legitimate. Today a client of mine who owns a garden centre has seen a 10 place jump for a couple of general terms, his products are already displayed in the Google serps via their Google shopping results.

On the other hand I had a friend on the phone this morning who's villa rental site has been demoted 2 pages, frankly because he spins his content, does very few updates and he doesn't rent villas, he's an affilliate who passes enquiries on to a villa rental company.

 

[dashu1]

Yes it's been on the cards for a long time to kill off affiliate sites and comparison sites, etc (and a good thing too in many cases), and Google can easily do that and earn the commissions themselves, they've even rolled it out in some countries already for I think car insurance.

But the results are clearly not right when you have dead sites and empty sites occupying position no.1 for competitive keywords, or even any keywords.

As for selling unique products, etc, I have a site doing that (a printed book), been online since 2004, suddenly vanished.

Ironically I have a pretty rubbish site selling some reseller ebooks that has leapt forward from oblivion to halfway up page 2.