Big Shake-up on Google Serps...

Is it just my niche?

[The Grizzler]

At least three BIG players in my niche have dropped dramatically in the G serps. Also one of the leaders in my field has been spanked in the G directory dropping down about 20 places...

So I looked on WW thinking I would read page after page on this, but nothing...

Could this just be peculiar to my niche? (which is retail and very competitive).

These sites have enjoyed the top positions on all the big money keywords for years. It will be interesting to see if they will find it necessary to use Adwords.

[webnewton]

i dont' see any major changes as such.

[larryhatch]

In my niche I see the same players on the first 2 pages or so.
A few shifted a slot or two, minor reshuffling at most. - Larry

[GerBot]

can't see anything - sorry

[Rosalind]

Check out some of the nofollow threads, and bear in mind that this tag has already been implemented by some wikis and blog providers. I would expect it to shake things up for some sites.

[webmasterworld.com...]

[Liane]

I think what you may be seeing is just a different data center. I am # 1 & 2 sometimes for certain searches, but usually sit at 3 & 4 or 5 & 6 ... just depends on which set of data they are using today.

Today happens to be my turn to be #1 & 2. I don't think its anything to get excited about just yet unless it sticks! :)

[tedster]

I see some drastic changes, but for just one of my clients. They are industry leaders for their niche, and have enjoyed many top results for several years.

But this last change, which does not seem to be widespread at all, really nailed their area. It's almost as if the algo said, "let's give some insignificant pages a chance".

I don't pretend to understand it yet - but my client naturally is pressuring me to figure it out.

<fixed spelling>

[edited by: tedster at 6:42 pm (utc) on Jan. 24, 2005]

[kaled]

Periodically, one of my pages drops from #1-3 to about #20. This usually lasts about a week. It has just risen back to #3 on some datacenters so it is possible a minor, but regular adjustment is taking place.

Kaled.

[iblaine]

Check out Rank Pulse. The serps are not moving.

[steveb]

I see a bit of change on various datacenters in my niche. Looks like someone found the authority knob in the wastebasket when everybody was gone this weekend, reattached it, and turned it a millimeter or two.

[graywolf]

Thinks the one way link knob is connected to the authority knob.

[The Grizzler]

Well I knew it was too good to be true!

Both G Serps & G Directory were back to normal when I checked the next day. There was a 2 day delay in the mod's allowing this post so I couldn't point this out at the time.

What I would like to know is if

a) I saw a glimpse of the future
b) I saw a Google wobble (if there is such a thing)
c) A Google-bod tweaked a dial somewhere

What could cause 3 very successful, ever present sites to drop massively in the Serps and then be back again as if nothing had happened? Also, what would explain the yoyo of 20 pages in the G Directory?

[hazardtomyself]

In my space their has been significant movement.

[claus]

>> "let's give some insignificant pages a chance".

I see the same thing. It's hardly authorities taking top positions (in my niches), those have been downgraded a bit in favour of pages listing search results and duplicate sites.