EMDs - Several months on since Google Changes

[Brassneck]

We discussed the Google changes for EMDs a few months ago - http://www.acorndomains.co.uk/search-engine-optimisation/108536-google-update-going-after-emds.html

For those of you that are developing out domains, have you been able to rescue any of your EMD rankings that were hit by the changes. I lost quite a few of my keyword rankings and am wondering if it is worth the effort to try to rectify these?

Stephen.

 

[topcat]

EMD is not a penalty, you are just no longer being rewarded for it.

Just get some decent links if you want to rank again. You can find numerous examples of EMDs ranking which proves that Google does not inherently dislike them.

 

[lethal0r]

i just bought new domains and 301 redirected.

the rankings come back, but im very doubtful whether they will last any longer than 6 months. google seems to have some sort of filter after a few months, which my sites don't seem to make it through.

and some of these are very good sites with manual linkbuilding, no buying links.

 

[mat]

In my opinion not much has changed apart from the fact that some EMDs with poor quality content and bad links have been dropped.

If you are using EMDs with good quality content and building a "brand" around the name then you should be fine. Still plenty of EMD .co.uk and .org.uks ranking fine, infact quite alot of them still have poor quality sites

 

[GreyWing]

All my EMD's with decent sites are ranking really well. Like others have said, EMD's not ranking may be being confused with poor 1-2 mini sites not ranking when others are talking about fully developed sites.

 

[AssetDomains]

Glad someone brought this up the EMD bonus HAS NOT GONE google just tweaked how it deals with them as others have said throw a thin site on your emd and it will get nowhere. not because its an emd because other algo changes at the same time punished these. Put up a site with real content and you will get your boost

 

[cc976a]

Think many got hit by Panda rather than the EMD (but confusion hit because was also an EMD) - as they happened with 24 hours of each other - and undervaluing EMDs as a result

I'm still seeing EMDs doing well in the SERPs - and until G decides to penalise for having an EMD then in will continue.

 

[lethal0r]

the changes were all about punishing those sites with exact match content in title tags, h1 tags etc..., and all in the backlinks. so the EMDs took a hammering too as thats what most of them had.

has anyone recovered a punished site? I never have in 5 years.

 

[murph]

The way I see it, the EMD update was simply a filter applied to EMDs. I had some sites hit some not, to be honest a fine line between what set off the filters!

I don't think they've run it again since either.... Yet!

 

[cc976a]

has anyone recovered a punished site? I never have in 5 years.

Not yet - but still trying!!

Anyone else?

 

[Dextron]

Not yet - but still trying!!

Anyone else?

Yes I have... for a few weeks till the next kick in the balls!

Actually I've got one now which is an insurance site thats 301'd from a slapped site and its doing well - currently page 2 for its main keyword (approx 50,000 local monthly exact match searches). The original slapped site was number 1 in google for the same keyword for over 18 months until penguin hit it. I just hope it stays put in google now (and hopefully improves) - really treading carefully with it now...

 

[cc976a]

So you had to redirect to a new domain to get back any reminiscent of your rankings ?

I've been persevering for 6 months now - gotta be a time when you consider starting again (??)

 

[Dextron]

i'm sure some have managed to rescue sites but I think its been few and far between. I followed the general advice on quite a few sites of mine, continued building quality links to them, made sure there was plenty of fresh unique content and the onsite keyword density was not too high but after almost a year theres been no changes or improvements. I've given up flogging dead horses and the 301's *seem* to improve matters (for now at least)