How or why is Google cutting traffic to many websites?

[Play_Bach]

I'm interested in hearing some theories on how or why Google is cutting traffic to so many websites. What is the motivation? Is this just collateral damage from their algorithm updates, or do you think there's something else going on?

[tedster]

The Overstock.com fiasco

Jan 11, 2011 Overstock.com's Google Rankings - Too Good? [webmasterworld.com]
Feb 24, 2011 Google Penalizes Overstock for Search Tactics [online.wsj.com]

I've been assured by several sources that it was not our thread that kicked off the Google penalty. However, many people still think to this day that it was, and Google itself didn't say.

[backdraft7]

Search wants to be Switzerland, not influenced by money or their own products, but the best results for users.

this may be the company line, but the truth is when a Palo Alto based site gets 20 Million in VC, then suddenly goes from nowhere to the top 1000 and appears SEVEN times for one term and typically 4 consecutive results for other terms, it's gotta make you wonder? Sure looks like some of that VC wound up in Google's lap dance account.

SEVEN consecutive results from the same site! that sure contradicts the last portion of "the company line".

[tedster]

I do get the suspicion - I really do. However, a high visibility venture capital investment generates a whole lot of press, citations, links and so on. It changes the "brand landscape" rather quickly, and that also might be the effect that you're noticing.

[Whitey]

I think it's worth debunking the mantra from Google with regards influencing search results for commercial purpose. I believe Google - it doesn't skew the results , except in the context of "editorial" preference.

But that's completely irrelevant to webmasters and users.

Google does engage it's assets on pages, and that is what is relevant and squeezes the profits it breathes on and forces website traffic down for many. And i believe Google is doing this steadily, so that it's financial performance doesn't spike and drop. It's not all about quality. Profit is priority.

[Play_Bach]

Was in late 2005 IIRC..I posted about it at the time, cant get to my HD archives to pull the saved page to tell you exactly when, may have been even been early 2006..

Thanks Leosghost, that's close to how I remember it as well. First time I saw the Froogle brown shopping bag icons in 2006 pushing my site down from #1 was a WTF moment for me! I had (naively) assumed up until then, that the organics would always be separate from the ads. Once I saw that, I woke up quick.

[CainIV]

You have to BE the authority for whatever it is your doing, and then you have to make sure you LOOK like the authority. Otherwise, Amazon wins every time.

And be sure you are in a niche where you don't feel Google has a strong ability to permeate the niche.

Anything 3rd person is bound to get into trouble one day.