Google Updates and SERP Changes - November 2014

[Anon]

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System: The following 8 messages were cut out of thread at: http://www.webmasterworld.com/google/4706161.htm [webmasterworld.com] by robert_charlton - 9:17 am on Nov 1, 2014 (PST -8)

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"Anyway, something happened in the past 24 hours and things have gotten MUCH worse. Spotty traffic, long zero runs, non converting, page sitters...GA seems to freeze too, anyone else noticing that? "

I have noticed further drops the past 24 hours also. Really hope these new changed are only temp.

[JD_Toims]

Gotta be the best in the industry...

When it comes to rankings [and some other things] I'd go with "most known", "most liked", "most wanted", "most recognizable" over "best" -- M$ wasn't the "best" when everything they had ran on DOS. If it was M$ wouldn't have emulated Mac OS with Windows when it had something like 90% market-share. M$ would have waited for Apple to catch up if it really had the best OS, but it didn't so it emulated the competition -- What M$ did have going for it was marketing, which Apple epically failed with.

Moral of the Story: in sales great marketing [creating a need, fulfilling a need for a specific product] wins over being the best almost everyday -- Work the marketing angle to generate a need and fulfill that need. Sales and rankings will likely follow.

[JD_Toims]

I've boosted my social strategy the past year. I don't think this has a big effect on Google but I imagine they 'might' take it into account as part of the equation.

I wouldn't worry about social as a direct factor -- I'd worry more about what I said in my previous post more and let the social, perception, "need/fulfillment" based on "other avenues" turn into name-brand/domain-name searches since so many people think Google is the address bar and let clicks/direct visits tracked through Chrome be the "guidance" for "important" to show in the results.

[xelaetaks]

Word. Well my site is essentially an ecommerce store so we aren't reinventing the wheel with a new product but what we do offer better than others is select products and we work with specifically companies to provide the best stuff in our field. I've had customers from the embassy before for example - a lot of my sites succes comes down to the right people simply finding us.

I'm doing a bit of research into where do business people go online, what else do other sites in my niche do to get the word out. I'm kind of looking into how to best market without soending tons of money doing so. One post w had recently on Reddit for example got a lot of traffic and some upvotes - and while it hasn't shown customers from it - it did show how putting out a good piece can at least give a bit more exposure - which can be worked off of.

[JD_Toims]

...but what we do offer better than others is select products and we work with specifically companies to provide the best stuff in our field.

I've worked with Xerox before. I couldn't sell the lowest price, but I could sell the best value -- Product, service, quality, etc. -- Figure out how to sell "the best" to people [not Google] and you're golden.

It's tough, good luck.

[Mattypants]

as anyone noticed Google is still showing a cache from between October 20-24th?

I've noticed many websites in several niches are showing old cache data (October). It's almost December, what going on?

One of my sites shows a Google cache from only a few days ago, although, it is marked as a "snapshot of the page as it appeared on 21 Oct".

[xelaetaks]

"I've worked with Xerox before. I couldn't sell the lowest price, but I could sell the best value -- Product, service, quality, etc. -- Figure out how to sell "the best" to people [not Google] and you're golden.

It's tough, good luck."

Thanks. True. When it comes to business between me and a client Google is out of the equation at that point. Cheers

[JD_Toims]

Thanks. True. When it comes to business between me and a client Google is out of the equation at that point.

Welcome. Hope I helped you a bit & Cool, that's a good thing.

One of my sites shows a Google cache from only a few days ago, although, it is marked as a "snapshot of the page as it appeared on 21 Oct".

Google's cache has been noted to be "odd" or just plain wrong and out of date/sync when compared with the results for years -- It got to the point I don't even bother checking any more, because the "cached page" and the page results are based on can be a total disconnect based on what I've seen.

[samwest]

Isn't "BEST" one of those self promotional words that Google hates? Seems I read that some time ago and so far it's proved true in practice. Better get creative if you want to sell "the best" to customers through Google.

[trabis]

This looks very bad for me. My poetry site is being pushed by facebook pages and lyrics sites. Lyrics sites never ranked before and today there is 2 of them. I used to be in first place some years ago, today I'm ranking #19, worst position since... ever.

[Pudders]

Is Goggle buggering about with algo changes because of Black Friday? I'm seeing slight changes in the UK.

Cheers

[superclown2]

I think Penguin is mostly about links. From my own and many others experiences .......

If you really think this business is as simple as that then you might have done OK five years ago but right now you need to catch up fast.

I would recommend ignoring what you read in blogs, much of which is either out of date or hypothesising, and pay more attention to experienced people here who will help you if you let them.

Google's algo contains hundreds of factors. They have some of the finest minds in the world working on ways to make sure that none of us know exactly what they are doing and a lot of mis-information is given out routinely.

I have hundreds of sites and I can tell you right now that links, particularly after this last update, are even less important than ever before. Quality is what matters. Why people find your site and what happens when they land on it. Forget Penguin, Panda, and writing theories about convoluted linking systems and produces sites - yes sites, plural, because Google is fickle - which give visitors exactly what they are looking for quickly and cleanly and then promote them via every means you can so that people will actually look for them. Google will then love you. It will take hard work and investment but hey, this is a business after all.

[xelaetaks]

Yeah I don't mean 'best' but I do mean creative and relevant but what happens if you're under Google Penguin you really show up in results for anything even if you have the most relevant query for a search - as in even if noy many people even wrote about the query. Google is not my only strategy but it makes a signifcant difference if Google penalizes you from eveb showing in results for more than a few people a day. But sure it's best to build a business even outside of Gopgle too.

[engine]

We may have a refresh going on right now. Anyone with Penguin 3 penalties care to report.

I'm also seeing too much clustering in the SERPs right now.

[Jez123]

@ engine. I'm not seeing anything in my UK niche yet

[SnowMan68]

@ Engine

I'm seeing what looks like a rollback of something from around October 24th. Our site saw a couple boosts that day and the keywords that moved up are now back at the their exact old spot. Weird. I figured I'd wait it out for a week to see what happens. My guess is that it's not done.

[engine]

Yes, it's not consistent as i'm sure there are datacenter swings and roundabouts.

I wonder if they are tweaking penguin. That's why it'd be good to get some indications from those that were hit by penguin 3.

[SnowMan68]

We were affected by both Panda and Penguin. We saw recovery from Panda in May and then Penguin October 24th. There were definitely two boosts on the 24th though. The first was an obvious penguin, because pages and terms that we penalized moved back onto page one. Then around 4PM CST we had a Panda boost. It has remained fairly stable over the last 5 weeks, until yesterday of course!

[SnowMan68]

And just like that they are all back to normal. Dropped for 24 hours. So weird. We'll see what happens now!

[Babadook]

Respectfully, no one should be focusing on the updates, that's a sure sign that you don't understand the fundamental problem. It has nothing to do with updates, it's almost like they are a distraction to hide the truth, the ugly truth. I am not a brilliant person, I accidentally stumbled on the answer. Think of it as Catch 22.

A basic review of Catch 22:

[en.wikipedia.org ]

[edited by: Babadook at 3:14 pm (utc) on Nov 28, 2014]

[edited by: aakk9999 at 4:29 pm (utc) on Nov 28, 2014]

[rish3]

Respectfully, no one should be focusing on the updates, that's a sure sign that you don't understand the fundamental problem...

It feels like you're trying to create some air of mystery and intrigue in preparation to start selling advice or something.

[nomis5]

It feels like you're trying to create some air of mystery and intrigue in preparation to start selling advice or something.

Have a look at Babadooks previous posts in this thread and you will probably get the measure of the man / woman.

[xelaetaks]

It seems like this could be a revert back to pre-penguin 3 - maybe do put through some changes in Penguin but not sure yet. Webmaster tools shows a dip down two days ago (when it was slightly worse before this penguin update) - may need a day or two to see if goes back up again.

Question is if this is kind of a pre Penguin refresh or if this is some kind of resfresh. I'm not convinced it is a regular refresh though. I think it may be the start of a Penguin do-over for Penguin 3 but it may need some time to see what exactly this update is about.

[RedBar]

I haven't a clue what they're doing other than being US-centric with their results in G.co.uk. In my widget sector they're letting US sites, forum boards and youtube rule the roost, it's absolutely pathetic.

It wouldn't be so bad IF the results they gave were good or accurate but they're not, for example I do not consider that a search for a specific product should deliver:

4 x social pinning sites
2 x youtube
1 x forum board with inane garbage
2 x US company sites, relevant products but there are better sites

Yep, there were only 9 results, and they call this their answer on Google.co.uk? It's no wonder my trade is pi$$ed off with these jokers. Incidentally the same query on Bing gave:

8 x UK company sites, all good ones and relevant for the query
2 x US company sites and relevant

[Shepherd]

just getting back at things from the holiday, noticing penguin movement, all positive.

ALSO, that cache date they told us not to worry about, updated at the same time as the movement... curious...

[Hollywood]

Re: RedBar

Go Bing! Hope Google fails miserably going forward, hoping it fails very big, they are a ruin and a mess.

[Kelowna]

you guys gotta stop saying penguin this penguin that. Penguin is over, it ran over a month ago, algo tweaks and updates have nothing to do with penguin... it is long done.

[Babadook]

I sell no service...and won't be.

[Mattypants]

you guys gotta stop saying penguin this penguin that. Penguin is over, it ran over a month ago, algo tweaks and updates have nothing to do with penguin... it is long done.

I'm not disagreeing with you, but how would you explain so many people reporting sites that were released by Penguin last month being thrown back down on the SERPs?

I personally didn't see any Penguin-like activity over the weekend, but did see local pack changes just before the weekend, similar to what I saw last month.

[GreyBeard123]

@ Mattypants

Perhaps those people should consider the possibility that it wasn’t penguin that released them…

[System]

The following 16 messages were cut out to new thread by robert_charlton. New thread at: google/4719320.htm [webmasterworld.com]
5:04 pm on Dec 1, 2014 (PST -8)