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The reason is because a search engine I use often seems to be in a constant flux with regards to the constancy at which it is displaying its results.
It was a good thing when Freshbot first made its appearance because it meant that *power* sites, and by that I mean site of a significant PR, were able to have pages updated in the database in much the same time, sometimes even quicker, than the respective paid inclusion models offered by other search engines. God, I remember seing a page updated overnight! NOW THAT IS COOL!
However, whether the Freshbot was manipulated to death by the spammers in the index or another reason is something I don't know, but, what I am sure of is that whereas before I could expect to see perhaps 1 week of variable listings assigned to a domain when "dancing", it now seems to be 2 weeks or sometimes three.
In fact, if I were to believe everything I read in the forums it would appear that the new Google now never settles!
While true there will always be minor indexing problems, domain specific, that get blown out of all proportion and, by nature of the online forum, assumed that this situation is the same across 1000s of domains, when in fact it applies to just one, I am a little worried that Google is loosing its edge a little as a result of the length of which its fluxing pattern is taking.
Google has also offered a great degree of transparency about its work with SEO's and Googleguy here is clear to offer any help about what's going on. It's just it seems to be turning into rocket science to understand what is going on every month. I'm not adverse to a bit of this, it makes SEO interesting, but if the end final SE results are served in a non-constant manner, the rocket science becomes annoying because things learnt are largely useless.
Google's feed from DMOZ also raises interesting questions. Having been unable to submit to DMOZ on and off for a couple of months I begin to wonder whether Google is offering an update of the DMOZ db that is a "representative snapshot of the new sites being added by the DMOZ editors". I'd also question the relationship a little further because if a good listing in DMOZ equals a good listing in Google and Google has massive reach and, the editors are volunteer, 2+2=? Furthermore, if people can't submit to DMOZ then how does Google benefit by RDF data dumping content which is not the best the net has to offer. Now I tend to go to Yahoo or Looksmart where the listings are quicker, sure they are paid, but if I am looking to buy, I tend to find these directories offer more diversity.
Are there any other dons out there that are having a similar concern?
I also wondered about CTR's on Adwords:
[webmasterworld.com...]
Thanks
Glyn.
Apart from possible Google indexing/updating problems, in a way Google can never do it right.
Some want consistent Serps everywhere in the world at the same time.
I should be able to call you in the States from the Netherlands and say take listing three and four from a Google search for "blue widgets".
Others rejoice at the fact that topical Fresh pages can actually temporarily turn up in first page Serps and interfere with the "old" results or that Geo-targetted or even personalised differences could occur. Others would even want randomised search results for the top twenty to make life more fair.
