Update Florida - Nov 2003 Google Update Part 2

[GoogleGuy]

Continued from part 1: [webmasterworld.com...]

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I stopped by several times yesterday, but it seemed like people were into the analysis stage already. caveman, this update didn't add any penalties for hyphenated domains, so that's not a factor. Just a reminder that people with specific feedback (good or bad) can send it to webmaster [at] google.com with the keyword "floridaupdate" somewhere in the email. I've mentioned that a few times, but as more than one person has pointed out, it can take 2-3 hours to read the whole thread from beginning to end. :)

[jddux]

I just had another site that is new that we have been working on for 5 months go from a PR 1 to PR 5, could this be the beginning of somehting good?

[kittyheads]

Backlinks updated on -zu.

[jddux]

Im not saying that isnt the best idea for the company in the long term, I completely agree, but how can you say they didnt get greedy right before the company goes public? Sorry, but this is more than shaking up the algor a little.. Which is what they have always done and have kept them successfull, hopefully none of this matters anymore but all my page ranks are jumpin up like crazy

[ewanfisher]

Backlinks updated on -zu.

www-va showing them too with the new Google backlinks being 299,000.

[steveb]

Whoa, the -va backlinks are very different than what was shown two days ago, or what has been showing for the past two weeks (or two hours ago for that matter), definte change here.

==
yahoo at 762k

[edited by: steveb at 3:25 am (utc) on Nov. 18, 2003]

[kittyheads]

Agreed, ewanfisher. Setting toolbarqueries to -va in HOSTS file now showing updated PR consistently.

[c1bernaught]

Cool... I found the index page of my top site. It's been top 10 for about a year. Clean, lot's of information, lots of content.

Oh yeah! Just found that baby on page 13... that's right from top 10 page 1 to page 13...

Good Times!

[ewanfisher]

SERP's are starting to make a bit more sense that have the new backlinks. Anyone else seeing this?

[rfgdxm1]

PR is definitely updating across the board. Hmm...looks like my sites survived the PR update, and from PR increase in some internal pages this is an improvement.

[caveman]

If Google was "broken" across the board, then I'd expect even non-competitive SERPs to also have great changes. All sites would have an equal chance of getting hit. Leading me to suspect that what is happening is by design.

Yes, this is an all out attack on:
A) spammers,
B) affiliate sites, or,
C) both.

There are plenty of sites with affiliate links that are not spammers. There are even more affiliate sites that are somewhat or very spammy. I hope G is going after spammers and not all affilate sites. Either way, there seems to be a lot of collateral damage.

Why are people posting before it's done? To let G know this update so far has problems. It takes a while - especially when minutes can seem like days as is currently the case - but always in the past G got the message. I'll keep assuming that will be true again, until G proves otherwise. If and when G lets the good guys down, there will be hell to pay. It's theirs to lose and so far they haven't lost it.

[steveb]

PR updated on -va

216.239.37.100

[ewanfisher]

Google seems to be counting a lot more of the internal links now which would explain the whole "big sites doing better" theory.

[kittyheads]

Noticing that this backlink update does not include the Google Directory link that we got after the recent Directory update. A little disappointing, but at least there's something to look forward to.

[ulysee]

It could be considered rude to post of absolute delight and thanking the Google Gods amongst a bunch of the webmasters whose sites had the reverse fate, and are in angst. And consider that the content, confident, satisfied and pleased webmaster just doesn't have the emotional need to post as much as the angry, confused, frustrated, and suicidal webmaster. I still find it curious that all the test info SERPs I have checked looked good post update.

That's fine but we do not work in the same industry {adult}. Google is not God if it were all serps would be 100% correct in all industries but they are not. Google has made it perfectly clear that zero and duplicate content zero backlinks, doorway pages are legitamite ways to achieve top spots for competitive terms. I wish not to accomplish top rankings by cheating but I guess have to now to survive.

[edited by: ulysee at 3:34 am (utc) on Nov. 18, 2003]

[rfgdxm1]

>There are plenty of sites with affiliate links that are not spammers. There are even more affiliate sites that are somewhat or very spammy. I hope G is going after spammers and not all affilate sites. Either way, there seems to be a lot of collateral damage.

Interesting theory. How many here have been creamed that have no affiliate links, and also are not spammers?

[vbjaeger]

SERP's are starting to make a bit more sense that have the new backlinks. Anyone else seeing this?

I am seeing that our PR went up from 5 to 6, and that our backlinks ahve gone from 61 to 82. Yet we still got moved from top 5 position to mid 50s. It does not make any sense yet, but obviously the update isnt over,...so I am hoping the backlink and PR update means something good is coming.

[rfgdxm1]

>That's fine but we do not work in the same industry {adult}. Google is not God if it were all serps would be 100% correct in all industries but they are not. Google has made it perfectly clear that zero and duplicate content zero backlinks, doorway pages are legitamite ways to achieve top spots for competitive terms. I wish not to accomplish top rankings by cheating but I guess have to to survive.

I wouldn't be surprised that Google has just thrown in the towel when it comes to adult sites. Trying to keep up with the spam in that area is something that they may consider to be economically unfeasible.

[ewanfisher]

vbjaeger: whats your competition like thats ranking above you in the *new* SERP's?

[jddux]

When our site first got good rankings, our page rank went up a day or two before our site it shot to the top..

[synergy]

Noticing that this backlink update does not include the Google Directory link that we got after the recent Directory update. A little disappointing, but at least there's something to look forward to.

The updated G directory has shown my link with the new PR since saturday :P

[James_Dale]

VBJAEGER-

I also see a toolbar PR update now!...hmmm...wasn't there one last week too?

I've climbed up to PR7!, but my ranking has dropped by more than a hundred results.

And finally, maybe one of the strangest things I've seen for a while: on some DCs I show PR5, on some I show PR6, and on some I show PR7. I have never seen 3 different PR scores listed across DCs for the same site.

[edited by: James_Dale at 3:49 am (utc) on Nov. 18, 2003]

[customdy]

Back to the keyword1-keyword2 search.. something interesting, not sure what it means...

if you search keyword1-keyword2 and look at the highlighted words in the SERPS, google only highlights:
keyword1 keyword2 it would not highlight keyword1 keyword3 keyword2

if you search keyword1 keyword2 and look at the highlighted words in the SERPs, google will highlight every occurance of keyword1 and keyword2

Could there be some sort of pentaly for over optimizing keywords?

[rfgdxm1]

>I've climbed up to PR7!, but my ranking has dropped by more than a hundred results.

But that extra green in the toolbar may impress those few who find your site. Yeah, I know. REALLY bad humor.

[polarmate]

Hate to do this: can someone point me to the thread/posts where it shows you how to check your PR across servers. Something to do with my hosts file...much obliged! tks!

[deanril]

Since my white has turned black now........ James_Dale care to sell a link?

Just kidding!

[customdy]

The site that took over our #2 spot has a PR of 0, I would trade my PR of 4 for 0 if it got us back... The site that took over #2 is displaying Google AdSense Ads, maybe that it is :)

[James_Dale]

No probs, this update is keeping me entertained if nothing else :)

Would be very odd indeed though, if Google decided to keep a PR7 site optimized for a 200,000 competing results phrase, buried on page 16 of the SERPs. I don't see any site above me with PR as high as 7.

[edited by: James_Dale at 3:56 am (utc) on Nov. 18, 2003]

[HarryM]

Noticing that this backlink update does not include the Google Directory link that we got after the recent Directory update

Same here. Google's cache of the Google Directory page my site is listed on is older than the one showing before the update. Also several of the recently indexed pages are missing. It seems a chunk of recent data has fallen into limbo.

[geegee]

Yeah the keyword1-keyword2 thing is strange, why would it show results as they where before the update? (At least in my case, can't speak for all).

So that's the secret real index! eheh trying to convince myself everything is ok....lol

[customdy]

Yes, I get exactly the same top 10 prior to the update with keyword1-keyword2, exactly, no changes..