Forum Moderators: Robert Charlton & goodroi
Now we have the new BigDaddy infrastructure rolled-out, its about time to make some assessments (could be damage assessments for some publishers).
Though Google data centers are in everflux (or possible update of some kind), signs of improvement or deterioration should be becoming to some extent clear.
To judge whether the new infrastructure is a success or a failure, we might use the following items as a check-list and see whether they are met yet or expected to be be met very soon:
- improve search quality (otherwise why should it be there at all)
- reduce spam to large extent
- fix the canonical issue
- possibly deal with supplemental issue
- more correct indexing of sites (again.. otherwise why should the new infrastructure be there at all)
Thanks for feedback.
I'm with you if it turns out that this actually IS Google's new and final results from BigDaddy. But the converse of the fact that webmasters who are hit will tend to be the ones who complain is that webmasters who are not hit will tend to assume there are no problems with the index without really paying close attention to it. Among those who are watching, I think there is a consensus that the current update is not over.
re: "When I do a product search now instead of getting small affiliates I see all the large ones like eopinions, nextag, buy, pricegrabber, etc. Those sites have less content than the small affiliates for the most part, and aren't quality sites. Some of the small affiliate sites are/were way better than those, oh well guess it is all big business for BigDaddy. :"
I've tried to start a separate thread on this one, but nobody seemed interested enough to make a single comment.
I'm glad that someone else feels the same way about the mega-sites getting top ranking at the expense of the smaller (possibly/probably of more value/interest) site.
An argument can be made that most of the internet community already know about eBay, amazon, pricequote, bizrate, etc etc.. but how many know about the smaller points of presence that might better serve the consumer?
Although I'm sure to some extent it has always been the case with big ("authoritative") sites getting ranked higher, I've seen a definite boost to these sites since BD and again more recently (starting mid to late April)
All I can say to Google is.. remember the dinosaur (bigger is NOT always better)!
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What you said about Google's ability to deliver more traffic was true at the time of the Florida update, but it's certainly not true now.
Due to our heavy involvement in PPC advertising, we are able to monitor traffic patterns regardless of whether our ads are clicked or not.
If you are an Adwords advertiser, for example, you can easily see how many searches there were on Google for any given keyword for any period of time. In our sector, almost all have been dropping at a steady rate.
The search landscape is way different now than it was at the end of 2003.
Well, I've never paid Google a dime and I do just fine.Good for you. Obviously an SEO genius. Congrats, through to the second round.
The number of webmasters reporting problems with their own sites does not indicate that Google has major problems. It indicates that those experiencing problems with Google have major problems with the new infrastructure and should be working on rewriting those sites if they ever want them to enjoy the success they once had.
Wrong. 1] The majority of these webmasters are claiming that they practice white hat SEO, they follow Google Webmaster Guidelines, hang onto every last word of MC, GG etc and yet still they are at a complete loss to discover what, if anything, they have done to offend the BD algo. ‘Tell us what’s wrong, we are only too happy to fix our sites to appease the God of Search’. Hence all the head scratching over hyphenation, canonisation, (ir)relevant link issues. Three liaison officers are not providing anywhere near the quality or quantity of feedback required. There was light, now we are in the dark. Contrast this with Yahoo, MSN where you get real replies, even if somewhat delayed, to SERP related queries.
2] Look at the scale of the problem. The numbers of ‘complaining’ webmasters right now is huge. I have never seen anything like it in 12 years or so working with sites and monitoring SE forums. Underestimate webmasters - safely through to the 3rd round, Liane.
Nearly 50 percent of all Americans did not vote for George Bush. While their numbers are impressive, and many continue to complain ... where has it got them? As the Borg said, "Resistance is futile". ;)It is you, not Google who has to change! Accept that as fact, (if you wish to rank in Google) ... get to work on your site(s) and get on with your business. Complaining is futile and a waste of time and effort. Put your efforts into fixing your site(s).
What a load of baloney! Liane is saying democracy and consumerism are dead. He would be more comfortable living in an autocracy like Zimbabwe.
He says complaining is futile? In total I have spent nearly $1m on Adwords since 2002 and have collected proof of significant click fraud. Lane’s Gifts and Collectibles also had a similar problem and had the guts to start a Class Action. Thanks to them I may well get some of that lost money back in Adwords credits (wonder if they will pay in Yahoo SM credits?).
While it is not likely that Google will resurrect its algo to a pre-BD era, the dire state of Google search quality right now will undoubtedly mean that there will be some major corrections. In my view failure to do so will precipitate a slow slide down the back of the product life cycle.
Oh and Liane? Congrats, you got the job. Google needs people like you.
