July Update?

[Heywood_J]

Is it me or does it look like a significant update is going on at google. I am noticing a number of SERP changes for a few of my sites and they've been fluctuating for the past few days.

Anyone else noticing any major changes?

[steveb]

Backlinks updated 216.239.37.147

[Rugles]

>>>Backlinks updated

Yes, I see it too and I like it.

[steveb]

I don't notice a pagerank update though, strange.

And despite GoogleGuy's assurance, it does look like they have gutted the backlink command.

Interesting that they would make the command totally worthless instead of just getting rid of it. Direct attack on webmasters, especially novice ones.

[edited by: steveb at 1:49 am (utc) on July 17, 2004]

[Rugles]

Plus, it appears to be an increase in backlinks that do not have a page title or description.

[edited by: Rugles at 1:48 am (utc) on July 17, 2004]

[Stefan]

That IP shows no internal backlinks, no ODP or Google Dir backlinks, and no Y Dir backlinks for our site. I find it difficult to believe that the new backlinks for our site are a scattering of pseudo-directory dmoz links. There's something wonky.

<added>Especially because our serps haven't changed on that IP</added>

[edited by: Stefan at 1:52 am (utc) on July 17, 2004]

[steveb]

What is "wonky" is that Google would be so rude as to actually show this trash for any search, and do so deliberately.

[Rugles]

Lots of oddities from were I am sitting.

[Rugles]

Wonky, the new kind of update.

[steveb]

I'm seeing significant serp changes... the "worse" batch that has been on several datacenters.

[Stefan]

What is "wonky" is that Google would be so rude as to actually show this trash for any search, and do so deliberately.

For sure... it's a bizarro experiment, probably showing up on some searches, that should have never gone live. The backlinks are totally f#cked, guaranteed. The only ones showing for us are the dregs of our ODP clone links, the kind that never usually show, under PR4.