Forum Moderators: open
This word was doing quite well, but it seems that there's a new Google dance right now, and I can't find my site using the key word, even though the stats say it's the most searched.
I tested the same key word on All the Web, and most of the p0rn was eliminated and only genuine sites with real contents were used.
The p0rn stuff results on Google really annoy me because it seems that most are really the same sites spamming all over the Web and offering nothing new to surfers, while sites with real contents and unique information don't even show up.
Another thing that annoys me are all those new sites that pop up as directories claiming to be the ultimate reference for so and so. Again, all my important key words are used by these sites. When you log there, all you see are ridiculous link pages to a lot of other sites and no real contents. However, those sites are starting to creep in and show up on top. All they do is sell crap from affiliate programs.
All my Web sites feature nothing but contents, written by several writers. Articles are at least 800 words and provide real information. The navigation and interface are optimized. These sites are professional with real design concerns and all. I was under the impression that genuine contents was king and that sites like mine were favoured by search engines.
We use no "tricks" besides good contents (not written to highlight some specific key words). Just good old essays with real information that people can use. I thought we were doing well, but it seems that p0rn and directory spammers are taking over slowly.
What can I do (without having to join their ranks)?
[edited by: Marcia at 9:14 am (utc) on Nov. 22, 2003]
In this case, however, even though it's come up in the update theads about the preponderance of directory type sites ranking high in the SERPs, I think we're looking at an emerging area of potential vulnerability in the algo that could turn out to foster widespread abuse beyond just the Google index, including having an effect related to some second-tier PPC engines moving in on it en masse indirectly. The reason I say that is because I've caught a few odd instances of that here and there over time.
So let's look past the type of results you're seeing and try to focus on the methodologies that are being used to try to glean some productive discussion and insight about it.
Generally when there are unsatisfactory results that are consistent they end up being dealt with in due time, but that doesn't mean that there may not be some valid points uncovered that bear looking into further and can be useful when used properly, in moderation and with balance.
There's obviously something that's "working" with the knobs turned a little too far to the right, but that doesn't change the fact that there's an element that's been barely mentioned and discussed that needs to be looked at a little closer.
This was a change from previously when a more targeted blue widgets page would usually beat a slightly better linked page, and from before that when a page with high PR would normally have won.
Now, it changes again for a lot of people. But, what are we seeing? Do we see internal pages doing much better, or are we just seeing home pages doing worse in some areas?
Always remember: The main reason why someone's page does badly for a search is normally that others are beating them; a rather simple point that for a lot of people that requires a mindset reversal away from "what have I done wrong?".
Assuming that we're now discussing penalties and other filters, the opposite of this principle can become true in extreme circumstances. In other words, in some sectors the deep pages of directories, massive ecommerce sites or comparison sites rise to the top in these unusual cases that a lot of the otherwise top scoring pages are filtered down. So the question for some people should become "what am I doing wrong?" rather than "what are they doing right?".
Some of those well linked home pages are ranked very poorly for their favourite phrases. So, we ask ourselves what attributes do the filtered pages have that the others don't. Our first clue comes from this seeming to happen most to the home pages of sites in SEO-heavy sectors.
> What can I do (without having to join their ranks)?
That's a much easier question Harry. Do what Google likes, while avoiding what Google does not like. Currently these things are close to indistinguishable which gives you and me, as people who are looking closely at these issues, a huge potential edge...until Google change again and the fun begins once more.
Google algo/filter is too flawed...for a couple of months now. I'm inclined to believe that Google relies heavily on users to report irrelevant results.
But how about 'somewhat' relevant results but using questionable techniques? Questionable in a sense that it doesn't follow the official guidelines or the commonly accepted sense of fair play.
There's realy nothing you can do about it unless of course if you are crusading for the betterment of the internet.
If you have proof of wrong doing then report it there's nothing wrong in doing that either.
Google reaction is to tweak the knob in response to complains rather than deal with individual issues. I'm not going to argue the pro's and con's of such action.
However, the 'tweaking' is really an opportunity for those who are into cracking the algo.
There are a few who seem to have figure this out, sadly no real content is offered but dedicated to just generating traffic. No matter where the knob is turned.
IMHO, it's just a matter of time that this technique would spread out and hopefully, Google by then have manage to pull itself out from its own obsolete algo.
Cheers
