Update Dominic - Part 4

[Luke_SR]

Continued from: [webmasterworld.com...]

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www2.google.com and www3.google.com have the new -sj results.

Update is on :)

[AussieMike]

G'day! I reckon this update looks very promising.

All those annoying "made for google" pages/sites have dropped substantially. The ones that I'm sure have sadly been created by readers of SEO forums. Normally these sort of websites do really well for less competitive search terms but this index looks almost as if someone has manually gone through thousands of search terms, spotted these websites and given them minus points.

Looks like Content is King once more!

[WebMistress]

That's not true...I have incredibly relevant content..and peeps above me in these results don't even have the keyword(s) anywhere on their page or title or description...this is what I saw in February too...these are so Feb, I feel like I took at trip backward in a time machine

[RawAlex]

All I can tell so far is this:

Things are really screwy.

Alex

[quotations]

>Can anyone else confirm that the backlinks that are
>showing in the new index are from February? I can't

One of my sites was listed as having about 700 backlinks in February. After the Cassandra update I was down to 440 backlinks and this -sj index only shows 104 backlinks.

This is looking as bad as September, 2002.

[mrguy]

If content is king, how the heck do you get your content pages to show up!

3 months worth of creating content and getting good links shot down the tubes.

The backlinks showing are the exact number I had after the Feb update.

Since I've never seen backlinks added after the update has started and they are always the first thing you see, I don't know what to think.

Will they show, won't they, do I bother even creating content if it doesn't show up?

I will say I see less spammy results so I'm not complaining that way, I just don't understand why they had to go on a backlink party and dump a lot good back links from quality themed sites.

Think I'll get drunk! Oh yea, I don't drink..Maybee I should start!

[jbauder]

chicago ... just sent you a sticky mail give me a buzz if you're still up

jay

[cheater copperpot]

>>Looks like Content is King once more!

Naw, id say its expired domains and guestbook links..

[NewcastleB]

Here’s one for you. One of my sites has almost completely disappeared. I can only find three pages in the “new” index, but unfortunately, none of these pages have existed since December. Now, if the index is using old data, why just these three pages and none of the other pages from back then. One of my other sites, on the other hand, seems to be doing quite well with the exception of a considerable loss in backlinks (but it’s moved up in the SERPS) Go figure. I need a beer!

[willybfriendly]

Looking at my competitors it looks lime the meta-description is carrying more weight. On www2 I have fallen from #2 to #9 and this is the most obvious difference. (This on a 2 word term). Lower PR sites are above me apparently on the strength of the two words being first in their description.

WBF

[Jesse_Smith]

This is a GREAT update! I got 4,600 more store files indexed, and 900 more vBulletin board files indexed!

[AussieMike]

Can I just add that I think Google has a very good reason to reduce the number of "listed" backlinks. You still have links and they'll still be counted in the algos ... just less are going to be listed. If it's the reason I think it is then thumbs up to google.

[madmatt69]

Hey Critter,

Strange indeed! My site was indexed two months ago (about 100 pages) and has been listed through March and April with good success. The fact that it's now dropped for absolutely no good reason is just sad.

Should we keep waiting? Or does this mean we need to re-submit our sites even though they've been crawled months ago?

[Critter]

MadMatt:

I'm thinking to wait it out a bit...if there's no reason for the drop and you've been crawled we just may not be seeing the whole index yet.

Peter

[HayMeadows]

Once upon a time, GoogleGuy made a vow to have "better communication with webmasters".

Now....they are even letting us see pre-dance action :-)

I'd expect we'll see this every month now.

Just PLEASE turn on the filters before you update the main results. I'm already getting questions, LOL.

[aus_dave]

I agree with the general comments on weird results :)

I have one new site, crawled for the first time in early April and showing up as #1 for its key phrase. I hope that one stays put ;).

A more established site has some new pages indexed, less backlinks and some of the SERPS remind me of figures I saw a few months back. If they stay where they are then there is some serious study to be done on the new algo!

I agree with the theory that there is still 'something' to be added in yet. But who knows?

[jeremymgp]

Hi everyone,

I think in the long run this update is a great thing, it's showing a continued initiative to hone the algorithm to be as efficient and fair as it can be. I think it's actually pretty gutsy to play with such major changes online, and for me it means forthcoming change for the better.

My understanding is that the current www-sj/update SERPS are based on around 3-month-old data: -> this doesn't mean panic - it means don't panic. Only when the latest crawl data is applied will it really be the update. Let's just hope Google feeds in the latest crawl data ASAP!

all the best,

Jeremy

[madmatt69]

Critter:

I hear that - just keep our fingers crossed that google does 'the right thing' for us lowly webmasters.

[skipfactor]

Looks like www-sj is showing a fresh DMOZ dump now.

ADDED: Make that "newer" DMOZ dump than www.

[rfgdxm1]

Or, will things just be subtracted? As in, spam filters whacking spam that has crept in, but leaving what sites that aren't spam which are listed there?

[entropy]

I'm going to be very brave and say it's way too early for an update. All of you who agree should come into my corner.
It's not that the -sj data has moved across to www2 and www3, it's that the forward DNS records for www3 and www2 are now pointing to -sj.

Resolved www3.google.com to 216.239.35.100
Resolved www-sj.google.com to 216.239.35.100
Resolved www2.google.com to 216.239.35.100

GoogleGuy conveyed, in my opinion, that -sj was part of a "special sauce" used by google to test out new algorithms.

The results showing on www3 and www2 right now don't show any new pages that were crawled last month. I'm also seeing very old serps of pages that haven't existed for over 6-7 months.

The real update is probably another 10-15 days away.

[Jesse_Smith]

You need some sleep.

[crobb305]

LOL

[entropy]

We'll see about that. You might note that I predicted last month's update a day before it happened. People disagreed.

[1milehgh80210]

I'm showing new links by searching link:www.mysite.com
Or else they are old links that went above PR3?
Does that qualify as an update? curious..

[daamsie]

Hey entropy,

There ARE new pages on www2 and www3, so it is definately an update of some sort. How long it will be live is another thing! I suspect that there will be another update VERY soon (perhaps 10 days or so) to add the new directory results and possibly ditch some of the spam sites that have been re-included. Just guessing of course :-)

[mrguy]

We can only hope it's not the real update!

[aus_dave]

Entropy, I have an entire new site in the www2/3 index that had its first deep crawl beginning of April.

[RawAlex]

I have two new sites that I have found already on www2 and www3 - brand new created in the last 30 days... so no way this is just some old data being played with - there are new results in here too.

Alex

[8ball]

Is anyone seeing backlinks on newer sites though?

[Luke_SR]

"The results showing on www3 and www2 right now don't show any new pages that were crawled last month."

I'll take your word on the forwarding part ( haven't checked but it is possible ).
On the other hand, -sj does show new crawled pages from last month. 100% sure.