Extended description at #1 -- now PLUS a #2 result

[tedster]

You know those "extended descriptions" where an authoritative site can show a list of internal links in the description? Someone just pointed out out me that now it's possible for such a site, with an extended #1 description to also get an indented result at #2. Wow, talk about dominating a SERP!

You can see this phenomonon for our very forum here by searching on the keyword "webmasterworld".

[ken_b]

Doing that search I see the extended listing followed by a second regular ... not indented ... listing.

Spots 1 and 2.

[manca]

Could you a little bit clarify about what you are talking?

[tedster]

You're right, ken_b, it isn't even an indented result -- my error.

For background, people can see this thread from last year:
Extended site description - what makes the extra sections happen? [webmasterworld.com]

This phenomenon first showed up late in the Summer of 2005, but when a site did get such a listing, then a second listing never was displayed (after all, 5 links in one SERP was already pretty good).

[SuddenlySara]

Got that too on one of my sites but the weird thing is the authority is not my index page anymore. It is a deeper link still with the sublinks then on the second result has authority index page as the indented listing from another page. If we can start SEOing page by page on one domain as much as Google is than I think they are going backwards on the quest of finding and indexing new information.

[ken_b]

The second listing not being indented is interesting.

On one hand an indented second can give an appearance of importance, maybe giving the impression that G thinks a site is more relevant and thus attracting a few extra clicks.

But the non-indented second could catch surfers who were about to pass on the 1st listing.

Now which of those two choices would be more beneficial to a webmaster?

[SuddenlySara]

Thought I should add that my site almost vanished June 27th 06 and came back about 2 weeks later and during that time I not only re-directed non www to www but even changed hosts. Googles crawling everyday but I have incoming links pointing to my site in every way (page) possible and I believe that this is messing with Googles new filters. Love some of my new listings for sure though;-)

[Bewenched]

I know alot of our incoming links are done without the www .. people are generally lazy about putting that in.

Has google actually stated that the www and non www versions are seen separately. Seems it would be rather easy to parse that out in their algo.

[Robert Charlton]

I've been wondering whether this was in fact a glitch. I'm thinking that it may turn out to be. Here's why...

Previously, when you searched the Google "ie" interface [google.com] that gives you 100 title-only results, sites that had gotten the multiple listings on Google.com ended up not getting multiple listings on this interface, which seemed unfair.

Now that's been corrected, but along with the correction there's an extra listing on Google.com. I can see where Google might eventually decide to change that.

Take a look at this search for webmasterworld [google.com] on Google.com, and the same search [google.com] on the "ie" interface, and you'll see that the second unindented listing is the same on both.

[dmje]

I am seeing the second listing for some of my main keywords and phrases.

The search on the particular word or phrase will show my site at the #1 result plus an indented result right under it.

Does this mean that my site is an "authority" or "hub" as talked about in the other threads regarding these extra listings?

By the way, can someone define just what an authority site is? I see the term tossed around quite a bit but not clear on exactly what it means.

[Halfdeck]

I'm seeing webmasterworld.com/home.htm #2 on google.com and #1 on google ie.

[steveb]

"...now it's possible for such a site, with an extended #1 description to also get an indented result at #2. Wow, talk about dominating a SERP!"

PLUS, like with webmasterworld, "[ More results from www.webmasterworld.com ]" after the first result AND after the second result!

Message to the 'plex, this is a wee bit overkill...

[GoogleGuy]

[goodroi.com...]

It's a deliberate choice to do that when we have SiteLinks for the #1 result.

[jk3210]

My site always has that compound listing format in the number one position plus (on some DCs) a repeat listing in the number two position.

I've also noticed that when I'm in Japan and doing a search on regular google.com (not .jp) it has a compound "shell" listing, where the structure of the compound listing is in place, but the additional urls are not present --only four "-" as place holders with white space underneath.

I'm not complaining, though...

[dmje]

So are the indented listings a good thing or a bad thing?

[SuddenlySara]

indented listings have to be a good thing or why would the Google bots waste their time even listing them?

[300m]

I have noticed this as well. I have a couple of web sites that have this happen. Its only on various keywords though. Would it be a fair assesment to think that when google does that for sites on specific keywords, they are in Googles eyes the authority for that keyword?

Also Sara,
"Got that too on one of my sites but the weird thing is the authority is not my index page anymore."

Keep watching as it will rotate links during every data refresh. I have watched that happen over time.

[skipfactor]

Additionally, I noticed today for the first time that the "extended descriptions" now have the full URL after the anchor text. Wow, talk about looking authoritative; it really stands out now.

[steveb]

Full URLs, more pages listing underneath, then ANOTHER URL, then more pages underneath that.

As a deliberate policy, this is silly overkill beyond belief.

[MissusC]

"Additionally, I noticed today for the first time that the "extended descriptions" now have the full URL after the anchor text. Wow, talk about looking authoritative; it really stands out now."

I'm loving it! Love seeing my site like this! Is about time.... Google owes me.

[skipfactor]

>>Love seeing my site like this!

Crazy isn't it? You own the first 9 organic links on the page and 6 of those have the URLs next to them. I'm not betting that it will last very long in its present state...

[Tropical Island]

I'm not betting that it will last very long in its present state..

Ssssshhh.. stop talking about this. I love it.

[rossendryv]

I have seen: 11 of first 13 clickable URLs go to a site, with two going to more results pages for the site and 4 of the URLs leading to a Download page.

[SuddenlySara]

So Googleguy gives an example of a site banished by Google?

[SuddenlySara]

300m, the site in question now has had the so called Google authority site removed for only major money keywords but still there on top for 1,000s of sub keywords (not as authority anymore). The weird thing is I'm still there for 2 keyword listing and it is still an internal page with an indented listing going to index page.

[300m]

Sara, It will comeback if it was there before for a while. I have 2 or so sites that went through that in the beginning. I do not think the links are going to go away. The way they show them might change, but I have had #1 for some keywords for a while and had those additional links for a long while now. However, the #2 spot on with the indent, that might change, but who knows these days. Currently for some keywords i have 6 links on page 1 all from the #1 and #2 position.