Google Updates and SERP Changes - December 2016

[reseller]

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System: The following 11 messages were cut out of thread at: https://www.webmasterworld.com/google/4824428.htm [webmasterworld.com] by goodroi - 1:19 pm on Dec 2, 2016 (utc -5)

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Maybe we wish to keep focus on the important observations posted on this thread:

1 - On/Off conversions pattern.
2 - On/Of ranking of main keywords.
3 - High ranking of main keywords on Google SERPs doesn't necessary mean more organic traffic.
4 - Organic traffic could be productive or non-productive.
5 - Judging of present and past posts on this thread, It seems not all website are affected by above 4 points.

I think that Google bright engineers know exactly what they are doing with Google algorithms, and I can imagine Googlers are aware of above 5 points reported on this thread.

As such, I suggest we start looking at those sites affected by some/all the first 4 points mentioned above, and discuss for example what those websites have in common and what could be the reason behind that those sites are affected?

Thanks and God bless.

[mosxu]

@reseller

Thanks for asking, we have an ongoing conversion optimization process run clicktale on the sites and keep making the sites as user friendly as possible and we get higher and higher conversion rates but problem comes when the zombie hours start. Nothing works with the z guys we may even give the products for free they still will not buy. The z guys do not seem to have a mind of their own anyway.

Also creating great content and get some high quality links as well is another story

[RedBar]

sometimes we are seeing high street stores with only two products over ranking highly dedicated stores run by small businesses

In my widget industry in the US there are several huge importers/wholesalers and the largest seems to have been "selected" by Google to represent my entire US widget industry.

Ok, it's a good company with a massive range of relevant products however bear in mind it is an importer, it does not manufacture anything, therefore why does this company rank #1 in the local country SERPs for countries it imports from like Brazil, China, India and Italy? Even when using that country's foreign language and not in English!

It has even surpassed me for a trademarked widget product for which I have a 30 page dedicated website when all they have is a one page, one image, standard product description.

I spent many hours yesterday checking the Google.com SERPs for my trade widgets, nearly all the results were .coms with a few, read 2/3, .nets and .orgs and, amazingly, a couple of times one of my .eus. My own .coms, and several non-US .coms were still ranking yet not, in general, as well as previously, all having been demoted after two decades always on the first page.

One example, a keyword1keyword2keyword3 query, Google.co.uk, I am #1, I used to be the same on Google.com, now I do not appear ANYWHERE, well the first 100 results, on Google.com.

Today, Sunday, my sites are dead, they are at a complete and utter standstill, in 22 years I have never experienced nothing from the web.

Surely it can not be only me who is seeing this?

[ionguy]

not sure what happen; from morning im getting mainly mobile traffic; desktop dead; another rollout?

[glakes]

Which measures have you taken to resolve the issue of non-productive organic traffic (Zombie) affecting your websites?

When I saw Adwords following the same zombie schedule, I moved on to Amazon. I spent a number of hours going over the data with my Adwords rep/manager, followed their advice and adjusted bids very high and all I received were denials even though the data backed me up. Nothing I did in Adwords changed conversions. My organic ranks were and are great every time I check them. I don't feel there is a problem with my site that I can control. IMO, the problem is how Google is handling matching their users with what they are displaying in the SERPS. Bing/Yahoo traffic converts good consistently, and when Google has pushed major updates the apparent filter limiting converting traffic appeared to be lifted for a few days.

[reseller]

@mosxu

@ depends on the site it goes from 50 to 70% but some new sites 80-90%. The newer in the industry the worse it gets.

Regarding your new sites having 80-90% Zombies. Why not test moving one of them to a new domain via 301 redirect and see whether it would escape the zombies?

[reseller]

@glakes

I don't feel there is a problem with my site that I can control. IMO, the problem is how Google is handling matching their users with what they are displaying in the SERPS.

We can assume that not all websites in Google index are affected as your website by non-productive organic traffic (Zombies). I.e Google is handling matching users with what they are displaying of unaffected websites on the SERPs very well.

The question is what makes your website more attractive to Zombies than the unaffected webites?

Do you think its worth your consideration to move (301 redirect) your website to a new domain in attempt to recover your website from those ugly Zombies :)

[glakes]

We can assume that not all websites in Google index are affected as your website by non-productive organic traffic (Zombies).

Maybe, but maybe not. All my competitors quit bidding on keywords, as I did. All that remains are some competitors that bid in shopping. Though I don't know for sure, I would think the reason why anyone quits keyword bidding in Adwords is because the ROI is poor.

[mosxu]

@reseller

A 301 is on the cards next year just hoping for some more webmasters to share their 301 experience

[aristotle]

Do you think its worth your consideration to move (301 redirect) your website to a new domain

Why not just leave the current site as it is, and create a similar site on a new domain, without any re-directs? Then wait and see which site does best.

Later you might want to use a canonical tag to identify your preferred domain, but you should wait a while before doing this.

As far as know, google doesn't have a duplicate content penality, so you shouldn't have to worry about that. Some of my articles have been scraped and re-published numerous times without any ill effects on my traffic, as far as I can tell.

[mosxu]

@aristotle

Do not think google is allowing same company to run many sites for same product

But intresting idea about cononical tag

[reseller]

@mosxu

@reseller

A 301 is on the cards next year just hoping for some more webmasters to share their 301 experience

GREAT!

I think people whose websites being affected by non-productive organic traffic (Zombies) should at least try to do something about it. Like test moving their affected websites to new domains with or without 301 redirect.

[expmrb]

@mosxu
Well our traffic is very low these week. I got a sudden boost in International traffic at the weekend but that's it.

[System]

Want to chat about 301 redirects and saving troubled websites? Head on over to google/4828915.htm [webmasterworld.com] and join the new conversation :)

[edited by: goodroi at 5:51 pm (utc) on Dec 13, 2016]

[mboydnv]

Traffic continues to no longer convert. New rankings everyday but not higher than #11. Bounce rate higher than usual.

Google did something this month to the traffic and it is terrible. This will be the great famine of 2016 if they don't fix it.

[ionguy]

@mboydnv
same here; conversions dead; traffic flat; all was great yet a couple of days ago;
sat was fine; sun fine before noon; then all dead and all I was gettin was full of z guys mobile traffic only.

[renatovieira]

Google Dance... again.... :(

[reseller]

A new Google Update might be underway. Let's wait and see :)

[renatovieira]

Algoroo--com it's very hot...

[reseller]

@mosxu
@glakes
@aristotle

Have you noticed remarkable changes on your websites organic traffic today? Thanks.

[mosxu]

@reseller

The quality of organic was a lot better in the last 4 days but not so much today a few hours gap in orders

[reseller]

@mosxu

Thanks for feedback. Maybe changes in organic traffic would be more clear in the next few days.

[masterjoe]

Ive noticed quite few downward drops, very minor but hopinh it bounces back as usual (new recent links could also be a factor).

[glakes]

@reseller
No noticeable change in the quantity or quality of Google traffic. The quantity is still elevated from the last update about a week or so ago.

[mboydnv]

Have not made a sale in 5 days. However being hit over and over from Russia with referral garbage in GA. Also installed wordfence for our site (which is wordpress platform) and blocking ips for anything that is trying to access wp-login. I read somewhere that these Russian referral spammers in GA spam the log files with their links which google also spiders? But it could be affecting my conversions somehow... suppose it;'s a good idea to keep bad bots at bay.

[Awarn]

If you have a strong costumer base don't focus on the Google BS. Use email marketing. You will find the customers will buy once you get your name in front of them. The thing I find strange is if Google is providing such great results how can I send out an email and things go wild? I am not even giving sale prices. I would gladly use Adwords if the traffic sent was worth anything but I expect more than to just break even on the traffic. It is just simple marketing. If you can't get the impressions from Google then generate them yourself.

[sench]

Wow, today I'm seeing a lot of rankings go out of 1st 100 results, across all my URLs, domains,verticals and geolocations...mind you a lot of those weren't on top 10, but rather 15+...the ones that were ranking in top 10 seem to not be affected. Algoroo 3,2 and Mozcast 3 degrees hotter than 18th of September

[sench]

Scratch the part about specific ranking numbers - just got info that the data was corrupted as a consequence of the SERP fluctuation, so something is definitely going on but no clue to what and "how much"

[mosxu]

@mboydnv

the only way ghost traffic in your analytics is going to affect your sales is if your site has a quota imposed and all that ghost traffic is eating into the quota, but this has nothing to do with the z boys who/that land on our sites and pretend to be looking to buy

[MrOnTheRopes]

"However being hit over and over from Russia with referral garbage in GA."

@mboydnv

Do you not use GA filters to stop it showing in your reports? I started off using a language filter (targeting "Trump!"), then added another when the next variant came along. Eventually I got sick of the new fake language things I put a country filter on "Russia" (but my business is UK only, so I don't have to worry about losing genuine Russian traffic from my reports).

[NickMNS]

@MrOnTheRopes
['quote']I started off using a language filter (targeting "Trump!"),[/'quote']
There is an even easier way to set the filters. Filter based on hostname and exclude all traffic that comes from a host that is not your domain. Otherwise filtering becomes a game of whack-a-mole. Not to mention that most of the referral spam I see comes from (not-set) locations.

@mboydnv
Filtering based on hostname will rid you of the annoying referral spam. And referral spam is simply annoying, it should have no impact on your site directly as this "traffic" is actually only calls being made to the analytics server and not actual traffic on your server. And it also does come from the Google serps.

Also, word fence is probably a good addition to keep your site safe, but it will do nothing in terms of stopping referral spam.