Link Popularity drop from 5 to O

[TonyM]

Hi all
Ive been reading the forum for several days (its been enlightening and I wish I'd found it sooner) because trying to understand whether my site has been banned in this latest Google update.Its a mystery to me......

Apologies this is a longish note
Some background
I have managed my own site for the last 3 years building it up to 2500 uniques per day with 30% from Google and a pagerank 5 or6 and good positions in Google for many popular keywords/phrases ...until two days ago!

In the latest update I expected several new sites I have set up to go into top 5. They were showing up in www2 although not in www3.

When the shift came sites appeared in aol/google main search for just 1 day I noted a slight surge in visitors as pages briefly appeared in new www before disappearing completely..

My site is now given PR0 and the new domains that were included in www2 have disappeared also.

I have read many explanations on the board for people being banned and suspect that either

1 I had used Webpostion some months ago to check site positions and although I was blocked, this may have something to do with it.Refer note from Googleboy. If so maybe I'll get back in next time???

2 I noted that someone (likely a competitor) had clicked through to one of a rdirected site via www2 search.(I'd moved into position 4 on a very competitive word) and they have somehow got me banned.

3 The site has a large number of in links some of them come from redirection with URL "grippers" Does Google penalise this? and would this result in a ban?

I am praying that 1 is the reason since I can't imagine Google will permanently ban a site for using webposition a few times. I hope then to get back in next time round.

Please could anyone shed some light on this, I noted somewhere that there may be a test to see if your site has been banned,. Could someone point me in this direction.

Any comment on URL redirection and whether Google dislikes this would be appreciated and help me sleep easier.
This has been a shocking several days
Thanks in advance

One confused though I remain a Great Google fan

TonyM

[nutsandbolts]

Putting your URL in your profile often helps - but I understand if you want to remain private.

It seems like you've answered your own question. You've used Webposition AND you were caught and blocked. Plus you have multiple domains pointing to your site? I take it this what grippers means.

Google has an excellent spam filter for checking exactly the things you've done. Because you are now 0 ranked it does sound like a penalty - Especially because in previous months you've enjoyed a rank of 6 thanks to lots of links (via the multiple domains)

This will be hard to shake, to be honest. It may come back with a 1-2 rank next month and increase slowly (like my profile site has... now it's a 4) - but don't be surprised if it takes many months for this to be lifted.

Had the toolbar gone all grey it could of just been dropped for 1 update as Google sometimes misses sites - but with your 0 rank and the kind of things you've mentioned (which I think you know are not without these kind of dangers), it really does sound like a big penalty slap has come from the Big G.

[ciml]

Welcome to WebmasterWorld, TonyM.
(Make sure to check out paynt's welcome post [webmasterworld.com])

There have been other reasons for PR0 in the past but as nutsandbolts writes a sudden drop in PageRank often happens with a penalty.

Google change their penalties, including how to get them and how long they last. I don't think that we can tell you anything for certain.

[TonyM]

Thanks for the replies
Sorry, I'm new here and didn't know you couldn't post the URL in a message - it's in my profile now.

Regardng the links they are all directed to relevant internal pages so I thought they were OK and not considered spam.Indeed one site went to no3 for "webpositin gold" in the www2 index (some feat I felt)only to disappear in the transition. Some redirected URLs are even in Yahoo directory.

Webposition Gold was used very infrequently and also some months ago. A ban seems all very harsh.

I dont really know what to do now.
Should I set up a new domain and move links etc.Is their any way to tell if I really have been banned.
Is the webmasterworld "banned" tool a read about available yet??

Thanks for your your comments todate
Tony

One sad Google fan

[bluemi]

To me it doesn't look like PR0 but the PR bar is gray, which means that for some reason Googlebot must have missed your site. You will most likely be in again after the next update.
I'm myself relatively new here but I wouldn't use different domain names simply for redirection to various sub directories of your main domain. Why not fill the domain names with content and interlink them?

[TonyM]

Thanks Bluemi,
I looked several times and toolbar was white when I looked.
So maybe there has been a glitch and I might have not been banned after all.
I dont have the Google toolbar on my computer now (Webposition warns against it ) so a grey is very good news if its true. I will recheck in day or so.

Re redirection to subdirectories. I guess its just a cost thing and allows simpler maintenance. If I do get a new domain its easy enough to write the content as you say.

I use Verio, its vgood but not cheap. I would want a quality host for the two or so pages. Have you any suggestions. It must be quick loading and on the internet backbone ideally.

Tony

[bluemi]

Have sent you a sticky mail...