This is only a place holder

So why does it rank pretty well in Google?

[Buckley]

Hi,

I have noticed a couple of sites ranking pretty well for my main keyword phrase that are simply place holders to ensure the web space is working. Funny thing is, the one that is currently in the serps does not have a keyword rich domain. In fact the domain is not even related to the keyword or industry i'm in. I looked at the code and there is nothing there. No meta description or meta keywords. No title....just says this is a placeholder.

I saw one a few months ago....exactly the same situation as above. Eventually after about 4 months they uploaded a site....and it was relevant to my industry. But there is no way that you would have known that before.

How does this happen?

Thanks for your thoughts.

[korkus2000]

Check their backlinks and see if their link text contains the keywords. Off page factors are weighted well.

[Buckley]

Interesting!

40 backlinks. About 35 of them come from the same site. Same graphic link on many pages within the site. No text link and no keywords in the graphic.

Backlink check also shows a Google directory and DMOZ directory listing but when you go to the category there is no listing for that domain.

I don't understand that at all.

Any thoughts?

Cheers

[doc_z]

Probably there are more backlinks, but they are not shown by Google. I would expect that there are many backlinks with the keyword phrase (or similar) as anchor text. Check other SE for backlinks. Also look at the cached page for the Google directory and DMOZ directory.

[cornwall]

>>a Google directory and DMOZ directory listing but when you go to the category there is no listing for that domain

As well as the Google cache, which is recent, try the WayBack Machine for older versions

[Yidaki]

They prob just have problems with their server settings so the placeholder jumps in. I often see sites that return 403 status codes sometimes allthough they are old, established sites. Some people just forget to upload / set up a index page or they set the wrong cmod. There are many possible reasons. I'd say they had been online, indexed and ranked in the past and the place holder is just temporary.

>try the WayBack Machine for older versions

Could proof my guessing above.

[Yidaki]

deleted - wrong thread, sorry.