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Why am I talking about this? Well, Kalman filters have a knob that blends between how much you believe your model vs. how much you believe each new data point. If you tweak the knob all the way in one direction, you always trust the model and any new input just gets ignored. On the other extreme, you can ignore your current estimates about the state of the world, and only trust each new data point as it comes in. If you set the knob too far in that direction, the object you're trying to model jumps all over the place each time you see even a hint of new info.
Lots of people here are getting more stressed than they need to be--their knobs are turned a little too far toward worrying about the very last thing that happened: "Now my subpage is coming up higher than it should! Okay, now my index page is back and the SERPs look good. Gaaack! Now I'm showing well at DC but the subpage still shows up higher at FI! Too much pressure--I'm going to drink now, and start spamming every FFA I see tomorrow!" :)
If you look around, you'll notice not too many senior members posting here. They chime in every so often, but their knobs are twisted further in the other direction. They know that the index switchover takes a little time to settle, and they have the perspective not to get too worried about things right now, and in general.
I haven't posted much of my take lately, but if I could give advice, it would probably be: don't panic. Here's what I would expect. Probably about one data center per day will get switched to the Esmeralda index. You may see some improvements during the course of the switchover as ingredients get blended in as they're ready. I would expect another round of ingredient-adding after the index is switched over.
So: if you're really into Google-watching as a sport, I would check in once a day to see what data centers have been switched, and maybe to run 2-3 searches. Browse a little while, and then come back the next day. Find something fun to do at night besides poring over every last thing that GoogleGuy (or whoever) posts on WebmasterWorld. You'll feel better, I promise.
This is just my take. You're welcome to ignore it. But I mention it because during this index, I heard about a lot of good and bad searches from webmasters, and the more I dig, the more confident I am that things will turn out well.
doesnt budge in one serp and is a fricking yo-yo for others
i'm with you kirby- our firm manages a unique network of sorts of 60 sites (unique content) all with the same level of optimization. 75% have gone from 1,2 or 3 rank pg 1 to somewhere between pg 2-4 or out. ok, I say. but what about the other 25%. it is like just tell me WHY, i dont care just tell me. Because it is 100% impossible for me to deduce anything from this this irrational behavior. it is nothing short of a standstill. frustrating, but with you.
I'm in the same boat Stefan. Poof, Gone. Only for most popular searches though. Its still there for less popular searches. Any ideas?
My site is very "niche", has little competition, and continues to be top of the serps in Google for all the other pages. The index page hasn't gone missing because of someone else's SEO techniques; it's disappeared for no discernible reason. The index.htm is #1 for the obvious kw's in every other SE. Google has a problem.
First, I wasn't included in Dominic, then Esmeralda include blank pages, hey who knows, maybe Farfignuggen will actually include my content...
I'm now rooting for the other data centers (not -fi).
But, until all the bouncing around stops it is hard to do anything other than worry and/or hope, depending on the site, since every day brings new results to look at.
We're waiting to analyze everything until it all setttles down more. Hopefully by next Monday that will be the case. But perhaps when it does settle down, we'll again be able to draw some conclusions based on the differences and changes we're seeing now. At least, that was the case with Dominic.
Until then, go -dc!
Do what I do.
1) Compare the results of www2 and www. If they are different, the fat lady has not come on stage yet.
2) Look at the number of results found for your search term on both www and www2. If www2 is higher, then it has more data that should finally / hopefully end up on www.
3) Look at the cache of your site (if you changed it within the last 2 months). If there is no "Cached on" or the cache shows the old html, then it seems logical www will catch up with the new (better?) html and, maybe more importantly, any backlinks you are due.
That's my bit / theory.
Anyone agree or disagree that -fi is the new index?
UK_Web_Guy, I think some people have already mentioned that for the searches where they noticed subpages, index pages are starting to come back again. So I think it's begun to some degree already
I can see that happening. Index pages returning to the positions you would expect before a sub-page (non-relevant) shows up far down in SERPs.
I am still a little concerned and puzzled what changed in this update (relative to Dominic) that caused our ranks to go down +20 ..?
The top two ranked pages for one of my sites are the 'about us' page and the terms and conditions page.
mmmm...tasty relevance.
No this contributes nothing to the discussion. It's entirely irrelevant to the thread basically. Sound like a search engine you know?
This message brought to you by the words: confusion, and the sound of irate clients ;)
OH MY GOD. Secrets of Google revealed.
This is no analogy, this is a labor violation.
:) ;) :o
Well, you gotta start somewhere on a site, and knowing who you are dealing with is as good as any I suppose.
But, seriously, I'm aware of several sites where the "contact us" page with just name, phone number, and email address is #1 whilst a content filled page about what they actually do is buried 6 to 10 pages down, and the index page even further still, or unlisted.
Still, having any page of the site at #1 is OK with me, as once the visitor is on the site, any other page is only one more click away.
I didn't check them all, but Google is now back on page one for "search engine". :)
Actually went away one search result at a time. First "blue widget" disappeared two nights ago, then "blue widgets", and now "Custom Blue Widget". I'm going to assume "Custom Blue Widgets" will be gone tomorrow.
Sure enough...didn't even take until tomorrow. "Custom Blue Widgets" is no longer pulling up the home page even though it was just in the results at number one. Now the home page has been pulled from all four results that were in the top 1 and 2 positions and only the sub-pages show up further down the listings.
HELP!
rocks up the slope
i'm grinnin', grinnin. you sound like you have some philosophy in your soul.
The Myth of Sisyphus, by great French Existentialist, Albert Camus In Greek mythology, Sisyphus, who had once deceived the gods and cheated death, was condemned for eternity to roll a stone up a hill. Every time he was about to complete his task, the stone would roll free back down to the bottom of the hill. Sisyphus would then have to start over again, even though the same thing would just happen again. Thus, the punishment of Sisyphus is a punishment just because it is an endless exercise in futility.
SEO..Esmeralda? ;)
yet, now they do show up on the first page. so what is the theory now? that only their backlinks have put them there? actual page content doesn't matter? i'm not suggesting they don't belong there, because obviously they do, however, it is interesting to speculate on what specifically gets them there. obviously its not Title or Description or Keyword Density, etc...
I wonder if Google can actually detect a frantic SEO checking and rechecking their listings. And then apply penalties? I suppose in theory thay can detect it if you have the toolbar installed.
that only their backlinks have put them there?
That's it dazzlindonna. This SERP shows their ranking for the anchor text "search engine:
[www-ex.google.com...]
a frantic SEO
isn't that supposed to be a contradiction?
anyway, i seriously doubt G has time to worry about your toolbar or -fi inquiries. just as you are thinking that someone is watching you, there is a thousand others that have that same synapse firing.
But I guess you also believe the old cache data is still being applied to current search results in updated data centers?
oranges: pre-dominic: 1500
apples: post-dominic: 718
apples: mid-esmeralda: 318
the two apple counts dont even cover my internal pages at pr4+
1. "Probably about one data center per day will get switched to the Esmeralda index."
2. "You may see some improvements during the course of the switchover as ingredients get blended in as they're ready."
3. "I would expect another round of ingredient-adding after the index is switched over."
In regard to point no 2, since backlinks are a key ingredient, if I take into account current Esmeralda search results as well soapystar numbers (mid-esmeralda 318 backlinks), the 318-backlink data hasn't been blended into the results? soapystar, am I on the right track?
a. pre-dominic
b. post-dominic
c. mid-esmeralda
Share your guess with us!
[edited by: zafile at 7:08 am (utc) on June 20, 2003]
The Myth of Sisyphus, by great French Existentialist, Albert Camus
Camus! My hero!
William Blake and Albert Camus form a trinity of TRUTH! (yes, I realize they are one less of a trinity, I know..)
Camus wasn't an existentalist, he was an absurdist!
[edited by: martinibuster at 7:19 am (utc) on June 20, 2003]
he was an absurdist!
Yes!
i find it very hard to tell these days where exactly we are at. At this stage of dominic my apples count was 178 but the extra backlinks made no difference to the serps. My internal pages show more backlinks than my index page which is linked from each internal page.
"I can see almost all my newly added links."
We can see as well the newly backlink data via link:ourdomains.
However, do you believe those newly added links are being applied to your current ranking within the esmeralda serps?
