Google Updates and SERP Changes - May 2014

[chalkywhite]

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System: The following 17 messages were cut out of thread at: http://www.webmasterworld.com/google/4659095.htm [webmasterworld.com] by brotherhood_of_lan - 11:06 am on May 1, 2014 (utc -5)

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I know its Labour Day around the world but my god is quiet today, wouldnt be surprised if an update has rolled out also.

[superclown2]

Slowly but surely over the last week or so I've watched the big brands with their single page boilerplate junk returning back to the top for the major search terms in my niches. A lot of excellent, dedicated sites which re-appeared in the update have slipped back into oblivion. Mediocrity seems to be re-asserting it's rule I'm afraid.

[robster124]

We were hit negatively by this update on one of our popular business information sites. On that specific site, we have been no-following a huge amount of links after receiving multiple link takedown requests froms site owners that we just couldnt realistically keep track of. Our other sites which have fewer dofollow links have kept their rankings. Not sure if anyone has seen something similar. If having a huge amount of outbound links with no-follow is now a negative ranking factor we can just delete all the links however poor it is for user experience. I do notice though that rival sites including Yelp seem to be still deploying the no-follow strategy for their links.

[FranticFish]

Looks like Google's apparent preference for uber-brands (and perhaps its own properties too?) is starting to become known outside webmaster circles: [thedailymash.co.uk...]

[Note to mods: off-topic I know, but I thought it might raise a few smiles and provide some light relief.]

[Wilburforce]

having a huge amount of outbound links with no-follow

Having a huge amount of outbound links could be an issue, whether or not they are nofollowed.

I don't know whether it is a factor in the current/recent update, but if it is then removing them is unlikely to help until the next iteration. Whatever else it means, 'lay[ing] groundwork for future iterations' implies strongly that it will run periodically (i.e. it is not integrated in the main algorithm).

[petehall]

Seeing significant changes in the UK across almost all verticals.

It seems to me that any site wide penalty that Panda was applying to sites is no longer in existence.

[petehall]

On closer inspection.... has there been a Penguin update? Some sites have vanished entirely!

[Shepherd]

Still not seeing any signs of a penguin update here Pete. (here, U.S.)

[samwest]

Traffic has been totally decimated by recent updates. After 14 years, the site is pulling numbers so low that any coroner would call it dead. Whatever traffic is left is all foreign, mobile or otherwise non converting.

[colemans]

Hi everyone first post for me!

I have a theory on this old sites now penalty lifted - could this be google be attempting to negate the effects of negative SEO ?

[Wilburforce]

could this be google be attempting to negate the effects of negative SEO ?

@colemans

Welcome to Webmaster World!

I think not: if it is Panda-related, it is addressing on-page/on-site issues.

[colemans]

Recently I have been hit by some severe negative SEO on about 10 sites and am sure even if this was done last year they would have tanked very quickly (not to say they still wont was done about 7 weeks ago) but at the moment they seem to be holding ok so am not sure whether they have also tweaked this part of algo as well.

I hope so anyway as it really was/is? just too easy to destroy a lot of hard work nowadays

[ubound]

Looks like Statcounter is having issues today. It stopped tracking completely about 2 hours ago. I couldn't believe my eyes...lol

[umerjutt00]

Mozcast is showing a huge spike in temp. Since the past few days, experiencing a lot of google dance like -80, +80, gone. and so on.

[System]

The following 4 messages were cut out to new thread by robert_charlton. New thread at: google/4676767.htm [webmasterworld.com]
1:49 am on Jun 2, 2014 (PST -8)