Big Daddy and site hierarchy

Messed up site doesnt show it right in site:...

[wanderingmind]

I noticed this just now. All my sites that are ranking as usual without any major ups and downs - a site:www.domain.com search displays the serps with the homepage first, and the sections following.

However, I have one site which inexplicably lost rankings (plain static, no link-building, massive natural links) in august-september for which this doesnt seem to apply.

When I do a site:www.domain.com search for this messed up site, the pages of the site are displayed seemingly at random. This is not true for any of sites which seem to be ranking well.

The number of pages that appear is ten times the real number too.

Anyone knows what this means? I thought that Google was displaying site sections in the proper order since the last two months. For some reason, my messed up site's hierarchy and sections don't seem to be recognised. is this indicative of a penalty, or could this be due to the massive copying of my site by serp spammers?

[tedster]

I thought that Google was displaying site sections in the proper order since the last two months.

You mean the results from the site: query? I haven't noticed any particular order. I doubt that it's indicative of a penalty. The "massive copying" could be a problem, though. Have these scraped sites been showing above your pages on searches where you used to rank well?

inexplicably lost rankings

Have you read through these threads?

Checklist for Sudden Drops in Rank [webmasterworld.com]
Dropped from Google - a checklist to find out why [webmasterworld.com]
Dropped Site Checklist [webmasterworld.com]

[wanderingmind]

For all my sites, I am seeing pages in the correct hierarchy - I remember seeing it here some 2 months back.

When I do a site:www.mysite.com

The URLS are:

www.mysite.com
www.mysite.com/abc
www.mysite.com/def

etc and then the pages follow. This is true for some 5-6 sites I checked, mine and others too. Check this -- [google.com ]

This does not work for my messed up site.

Yes Tedster, I've been around here in WW for 2-3 years now, have gone through most of the stuff. Nothing that tells me anything so far.

I had a detailed post on what happened to my site somewhere here... Shall send you a sticky on that.

Thanks

[steveb]

The correct hierachy occurs maybe half the time, which may mean that half the sites on the Internet are now damaged in some way by Google's complete failure to address canonical and other issues related to supplementals and (real and phantom) duplicate content.

[tedster]

Well, I just checked a bunch of sites I work with, from the angle of a hierarchy being reflected in the listing order. Some of the most successful sites, ranking very well, do not show any obvious hierarchical logic -- although I grant you that some do. For some, Google lists directory index pages before any internal pages (this is easily seen in the listings for WebmasterWorld.) However, some sites that are thriving do not show this trait, so I think that this more of a curiosity than a real telltale.

Here's what I would do. First, I would cozy up to Google as best I could in this situation. Write them and ask if there's any penalty. Also, if yhou haven't already, get into the Sitemap program so you get feedback about any crawling problems (and possibly vanquish some of the incorrect urls they may have at the same time).

And second, I would very actively go after everyone who is copying your material through the DMCA. Intellectual Property needs a proactive defense.

[wanderingmind]

Thanks Tedster,

Thats a bunch of things I just dont wanna do, but looks like I have no choice now.

Does Google reply to mails you [e-mail]? Or shuold I file a reinclusion request - I think Matt Cutts suggested it even if its not a penlaty you are under.

DMCA - yes, I have been too scared and inexperienced in anything legal; again I think I have no other choice now.

Life is sure getting tougher :)

Matt

[tedster]

Yes, the reinclusion request was what Matt recommended.