Suddenly less pages in supplemental

What does it mean, if anything?

[roodle]

Hi,

I have a 1,400 page site which had pages going into supplemental around page 170 up until recently, when it went up to around page 330. I'd like to think this is due to me doing some general housework over the least few months, cleaning up code, shifting content location within the code, and tying up loose ends here and there. Am I right or does it have no relation? We've also added some new content recently but only a handful of pages, all unique.

Regards

[tedster]

The factor you need to pin down in order to decide this question is whether it's just a change in the way Google REPORTS on your URLs, or whether indeed more of your URLs are now in the main index. If it is the second situation, you will probably be seeing more search traffic.

[g1smd]

As I have said many times over the last few years, your measure of success is in how many pages are marked as normal. That is, the page count of what is in Supplemental are irrelevant. Supplemental includes URLs that now redirect or are 404 and many such things, and they usually stay listed for a year after the problems are cleared up on the site itself.

[roodle]

I've noticed a definite rise in Google traffic over the last few days so I think you're right Tedster in that more pages in the main index = more traffic. But why all of a sudden? That's what interests me. We haven't done any link building at all so could it be down to pure housework?

I've also noticed that G is now listing the site pages in a lot more logical way, grouping them according to the type of page. Like it's "understanding" the site a bit better.

[g1smd]

>> But why all of a sudden? <<

Some age related factor kicking in?

[tedster]

I'd encourage you to get some good analytics going. It can be quite valuable to know exactly which pages are getting more search traffic, and exactly what the search terms are that improved -- then check out those SERPs and see what's going on. You will discover all kinds of things you are doing right, or that you could improve on.

[moussa854]

I did have the same thing. I think that removing duplicated content wand well internal linkage were critical to me ----> less supplemental :)

[Halfdeck]

"We haven't done any link building at all so could it be down to pure housework?"

Fluctuations of IBLs to sites that are linking into sites linking into your site can have an impact. If they become more popular, IBLs to your site become stronger, and can change things even if you don't make any changes to your site and don't do any link building.

Trust level of your IBLs can be re-evaluated at any time too. If Google thinks your IBLs are more trustworthy, Google might attribute more value to them. That can result in more pages in the main index.

[roodle]

Ah-haaa... Just seen that an ODP listing which now links to one of the main pages of this site has been updated. I requested an update of description and URL a few months ago, as the URL was originally to the root homepage, which is no longer the most appropriate. The page in question has jumped up about 10 places for a particular key phrase, part of which is included in the ODP link.

I guess this is the cause for less supplementals, presuming ODP links still count for as much as they used to...