Decided to block Googlebot after Sep/12th traffic plunge

[acutrician]

Has anyone else experienced a sharp traffic reduction (in Canada) from the 12th to the 13th of Sep/2014? My 14 year-old site has been hit by several Panda updates since Feb/2011, but so were lots of other sites. However as much as I have checked around, Sep/12-13th doesn't seem to coincide with any known, or named updates that I could find. Nothing has changed on my site, and there were no warnings or messages in GWT.

Google visits plunged by 60-70% overnight, while Bing and Yahoo stayed the same, so my traffic is down about 95% since Feb/2011.
Since I don't rely on Google for a living (it's a research/info site), I decided to return the favor and block Googlebot from spidering my site now. I'm hoping to get out of the Google index to a point where my site (11,400 hits right now) will not come up any longer through a Google search, which is probably not entirely possible.

Again, just curious if the Sep/12th traffic plunge was experienced by anyone else (similar type of site?), or if it was due to a random algo change.

[Samizdata]

you're really not telling new users [or anyone else] the truth

I freely admit that I am not now, and have never been, a truther.

But I accept that some people may choose not to believe it.

Such is life.

...

[mrengine]

Conversely, there is certainly something lost - the 30-40% of Google traffic remaining after the "plunge".

The OP's stated intention is to get Google users to switch to other search engines.

But making the site unknowable to those very users seems a counter-productive strategy.

A more effective method might be to allow them access and attempt to persuade them directly.

Otherwise they will just continue to use Google, none the wiser.

Samizdata, I get what you are saying about posting a plea to users directly. But most people are banner/advert blind and just get their information and leave. If the OP has really good content, which is in high demand, it's possible that some people will be compelled to use another search engine if they can't find it in Google. Though many will be non the wiser as you stated and settle for what Google feeds them.

Not all websites are monetized, and even a rise or loss in traffic translates into no net gain or loss for that website owner. Though the OPs intent may be to his part in nudging Google users to use a different search engine, my theory is that it gives him a sense of control of his content. This is something many website owners have gradually lost over the years, thanks in part to how the internet has evolved and those pushing its evolution in directions where their own profits trump social responsibility.