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I feel very strongly that until we have a good grasp on why it exists, it will be very hard to beat.
I don't buy the explanation that it's intended to be a method of stopping spam. Why? One, there's too much collateral damage it is doing. Two, if you accept the 80/20 principle (20% of spammers are doing 80% of the spamming), and you realize that there are multiple ways already of beating the sandbox that all of those spammers are aware of, it doesn't make sense anymore.
So, why does the sandbox exist?
The most obvious effect of the sandbox is that it prevents new domains (not pages) from ranking for any relatively competitive term. So, start thinking like a search engine - what would be the benefit of this?
The "Google Lag" is a side effect of an algorithmic evaluation
That's what I'm saying. That's all it is. A side effect.
Right now, and for the past 7 months, it's been virtually impossible for someone to launch a new web site and then monetize any amount of significant organic traffic from it.
You just might be right because it's hard for me to believe that is the master plan at the Googleplex.
hi leveldisc,
i'd like to know waht evidence you have.
all the symptoms you're experiencing can be explained by the "sandbox" index (for want of what to call this new index. it behaves like the supplemental index, meaing:
- shows in the serps for non-competitive terms; i.e. low number of query results.
- does not appear at all for competitive terms; i.e. if there are sufficient reults from the main index, then ignore both the supplemental and the "sandbox" index.
- serps will show site:, etc queries just like the supplemental index.
- no pr, no links. again like the supplemental index.
no need for complicated theories/conspiracies such as pr lag, sandboxed links, aging links, maturing links, etc.
i'm pretty sure google is working hard to eliminated their deficiencies of the main index that's forcing them to have separate indicies to hide this deficiency.
the big question is how they choose which pages/domains migrate from the "sandbox" index to the main index whenever room is created due to pages/domains being dropped from the main index.
hopefully, this aggressive bot activity is an indication that they are now testing a new index!
(for want of what to call this new index. it behaves like the supplemental index,
GOOGLE FLAW
The ODP biasing personalization vector is the cause for the sandbox. Also it is important to note the Query time importance score, which means it is necessary to be placed in the correct category in DMOZ to turn up in the SERPS.
So PR is still important, only thing is that it is diluted due to the personalization vector. One way to beat the sandbox would be to have high PR. The other sure shot way is placement in every relevant category of DMOz.
The launch of personalized search and site flavored search also point to inclusion of TSPR in the google algo. Also if you note the colored balls in front of the personalized results, are all sites which are listed in dmoz. Newer sites do not show the colored balls even though listed in dmoz.
The last complete updation of the personalization vectors seemed to have occured in early May, when many people reported coming out of the sandbox.
Since then something has changed, and I believe its the calculation of the query time importance score.
Also, another misfit is this scheme of things is that old domains dont seem to require a dmoz listing.
which means it is necessary to be placed in the correct category in DMOZ to turn up in the SERPS.
I don't dispute that TSPR may be in play, but I find it hard to believe that google has made all new sites dependant on DMOZ.
Although, it would be a nice way of getting people to manually check new sites (i.e. stop spam) - for nothing.
Although, it would be a nice way of getting people to manually check new sites (i.e. stop spam) - for nothing.
That brings up a good point. Has google perhaps thrown in the virtual towel with trying to fight spam via an algo change, and instead decided to use the free spam-fighting nature of DMOZ? It would seem to be an inexpensive (although far from perfect - as it can take literally years to get listed in DMOZ) way to add the human-review element to the algo...
Having said that, and having had our site hit in march with whatever mysterious dampening effect (sandbox, penalty box, or whatever we're calling it now), and having had a DMOZ listing for about 90 days now, I'm still waiting for whatever boost such a change would give our (commercial) site, if any.
I have a couple of sites that are currently affected by this "lag", sites that have been in DMOZ for a couple of months. So I don't think DMOZ is necessarily the magic pill you suggest.
Remember, these sites are still in the index - they're just not ranking
...
not for money terms anyway, I have new sites ranking #1 for one word search terms that are not money terms.
The sandbox is a PR flaw, nothing else - when PR is updated, loads of problems will get sorted - I think. G can do away with the visible PR bar, but never the concept of PR.
