The true panda recovery - not in traffic, but income

[whatson]

Well I am going to give it a little bit longer, maybe see what comes up at Pubcon, but after that I think I eventually give up. But I still have bills to pay, mortgages, and a baby and wife to feed.

So instead of trying to get my traffic back, by offering such a good service to my visitors, I may just cover it in ads, and sell links from all the pages. It may not get back quite to my original income, but I am sure it will make a difference.
Doesn't seem to be much to lose anyway.

Maybe if that's not enough perhaps delve into some black hat.

How does that sound Google? Think Panda is going to be better for your users now?

[suggy]

@backdraft7

Hear what you're saying, but if google just becomes a glorified directory of the top ten websites in each niche, then it's kind of redundant.

As frustrating as we SEOs are, they can't afford to make the job too easy for themselves. Why? Because I don't need to search google to know that Amazon sells CDs, DVDs and books, etc., or that Ikea has cheap fitted wardrobes. I know that already. I want to find the companies that offer different (better) products to Ikea that I don't know about! That's kind of the point of searching...

[walkman]

Hear what you're saying, but if google just becomes a glorified directory of the top ten websites in each niche, then it's kind of redundant.

Google has done a lot of things and has barely lost market share, well 5% last year, but maybe they feel that they'll lose that much anyway. So let's make lot's of money meanwhile.

Think of who Google has decided to go against: Apple, Microsoft, TV companies, Facebook, Oracle etc and they need lot's of money for that. They spent $12.5 billion for Android and it didn't even change a thing. Google's only income source now are....our pockets. Don't forget the anti-trust in USA, EU, Korea and god knows where. Basically, Google isn't behaving like a company that's planning for long term. They have crossed the dark side and it's not sustainable but meanwhile we're screwed.

[affiliation]

I don't need to search google to know that Amazon sells CDs, DVDs and books, etc., or that Ikea has cheap fitted wardrobes. I know that already. I want to find the companies that offer different (better) products to Ikea that I don't know about! That's kind of the point of searching

Thats exactly how I see it, so there must be something else to Panda. Perhaps it is to put the sites out of business that offer a service or product that Google can or will be offering in the future.

If they put these sites out of business now, but in 12+ months time G are forced to include them again it will be job done anyway. How many sites will survive the next 12 months with Panda and penalities.

If it are the affiliates that are being hunted out, what about the affiliate networks,

no affiliate publishers = no affiliate sales

no affiliate sales = no affiliate merchants

no affiliate merchants = no affiliate networks

So who can step in and offer a similiar product, yes the one and only. Perhaps all these small business' are just being caught up in the fight, or can G offer your product to your customer better?

[falsepositive]

@affiliation,
Except that I've spoken to my affiliate network reps and all of them say they are thriving! What has happened is that there has been a transfer of revenue from certain publishers to others. They even speak of recovery for many. So I don't necessarily agree with the anti-affiliate position that is taken. I have competitors who will be closing in on a million dollars on revenue this year, doing what I do, thanks to Panda. We are a tight knit niche and are open about the numbers. We know that Panda shifted the game for us and that there are winners and losers. The question is, why did some of us win and some not? Our business models are identical. So I continue to have hope.

[walkman]

So I don't necessarily agree with the anti-affiliate position that is taken.

In some niches that people search for specifically almost all are affiliates, 'credit card comparison' for example. Who is going to do it for free when they make money? And surely Amex isn't going to put Citibank's CCs next to theirs to compare them :). Some affiliates are also hurt by the brand bias which may put much larger aff sites ahead and almost completely starve others all of the sudden.

However, Google has cracked down a lot in general. In fact it may not even allow some to advertise, such as product comparison and travel affiliates, under the "unique and compelling" /low quality score criteria.

[whatson]

It would seem that the majority are starting to prefer Bing results, perhaps because you get a better variety of web sites, opposed to the big players for every search.
In any event, Bing just wont cut it. Look at how their search is lacking in so many ways compared to google. I just don't know why they haven't copied more of their features. What is it they invested so much money in to generate a $3.5b loss.

[dataguy]

After the 9/27 update and having all my post-Panda gains wiped out, I've decided it's time to take matters into my own hands. I'm going for broke with my website.

I've got a writers' community with 5,000 active writers. Since June these writers have gotten their own subdomains on my site. Now that traffic is so low that I can't possibly afford to live off the ad revenue, I'm going to allow my members to place their own ads on their own subdomains.

I'm also going to change the main domain name to one which is more appropriate. (This is one of those sites which is so old the original domain name doesn't really relate to what it does now.) Sure I'll lose some traffic, but I'll have a domain on this site which I'm proud of, and the users can be more proud of.

My core users don't really care about traffic, they enjoy the features the site offers, and the personal interaction and attention they receive. But I'm afraid this website will only be a side hobby for me. I start a regular full-time job next week.

I'm getting off the Google rollercoaster, and it's Google's loss and my users' gain.

[mslina2002]

I'm going to allow my members to place their own ads on their own subdomains.

So they will be able to earn from these ads on their subdomains? So you will be charging them for using the subdomains, is that how you will make up for the loss in revenue?

dataguy, good luck in your new job and read your story earlier on and was impressed with what you have accomplished.

[dataguy]

So they will be able to earn from these ads on their subdomains? So you will be charging them for using the subdomains, is that how you will make up for the loss in revenue?

My users (the ones who qualify) will be able to keep 100% of their AdSense ad revenue, and I won't be charging them a thing. I just want to benefit them, I'm not worried about making money anymore.

In a week I'll be starting at my regular job with a regular paycheck, paid health insurance and a 401k. This job will almost certainly add years to my life, compared to what Google was doing to me.

My Panda recovery comes in the form of no longer being addicted to Google. My website will become my hobby and I will not longer be a Google addict.

[Zivush]

They have crossed the dark side and it's not sustainable but meanwhile we're screwed.

@ Walkman
We are on the same boat..
First thing I learned in business management (from my dad) long time ago was "Never put all your eggs in one basket".
Since Panda hit, I keep telling myself that. It is/was totally wrong approach to make everything dependent + place all one's resources in front of Google.
I don't know where G are targeting as they don't reveal specific reasons for downgrading sites - not general instruction but in WMT for example.
I don't need Google to tell me that my sites are great for my readers.
Readers keep telling me that.

Therefore, there's no other choice but to work harder with other resources other than search engines, you name it: Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Q/A, Newsletters, press releases etc etc.
Best of luck

[potentialgeek]

A few of my small sites with Adsense seem to have got re-SmartPriced after Panda and ended up generating about the same income.

I got some of my income on another Pandalized site with display ads back by making changes to double the average pageviews per visitor.

But overall it still feels like Panda ate my breakfast and lunch and just left enough for dinner.

[Web_speed]

Screw trying to "fix" a perfectly fine site for the google gods. What we all should be doing is promote the competition and do our bit to even the playing filed.

Here is good article to circulate to all your social network friends. Educate everyone you know about Googl's deceptive practices, major privacy breaches and Internet strong arm and censorship.

Article: Google's 'Bait & Switch'
[forbes.com...]

IT IS UP TO US TO STOP THIS MONSTER... start educating evryone you know. We gave google the power and WE can take it away. Get to work!

[johnhh]

Google's 'Bait & Switch'

yep - let everyone use Google maps .. too much success sorry now you have to pay to use the maps

[Digmen1]

Yes it seems Google are moving away from their original goal of providing search results based on the the most popular searches which were "therefore the most useful to people"

Now they are more interested in brands and money.
Don't they have enough ?