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Alternating SERPS

Anyone else seeing this?

         

webdude

12:58 pm on Feb 2, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



I have seen it bantered about that the G may be alternating results to keep the SEOs off track on trying to pin-point the new algo.

Well for the past several weeks, the results for my 2 word money phrase have been really wierd and was wondering if anyone else is seeing the same. Every day I come into work and the first thing I do is check the SERPS to see where we are today and every day I get a different result. Today, I am #15. Yesterday, I was #5. last week on any given day the returns showed anywhere from #1 to #20. It seem to be fluctuating all the time.

Now maybe Austin is not done yet, and that is the reason. But I believe these results are being alternated intentionally. This would give the G the upper hand in keeping the new algo/filter from being figured out.

Any Thoughts?

djgreg

5:42 pm on Feb 12, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Looks like updated backlinks on 216.239.37.98?!
Anybody?

webdude

6:15 pm on Feb 12, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



I am seeing great results in 216.239.37.98 also AND it appears that these are the results that keep bouncing in and out, at least I believe so.

Last week, every time I ranked on the first page and then was pushed to the second page, I would run through all the datacenters to see which results I was getting, but was only on the second page for all.

This, I thought was very strange, I assumed the ranking was in some sort of flux because of this. Now today, I am seeing the results from 216.239.37.98 pop into www once in a while.

I am in the US. I wonder if they are tweaking 216.239.37.98 at night and that is why the site is ranking higher, then being pushed to the second page from the other datacenters between 5 and 6 am.

Just a thought...

drewls

6:26 pm on Feb 12, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Those results have been popping in and out of www results for several weeks now. The only difference is that there used to be 2 (sometimes 3) sets of serps on that rogue datacenter. Now there is only the one set, so it appears more often.

Hissingsid

6:30 pm on Feb 12, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Those results have been popping in and out of www results for several weeks now. The only difference is that there used to be 2 (sometimes 3) sets of serps on that rogue datacenter. Now there is only the one set, so it appears more often.

Hi Drewls,

Whats your "gut feeling" on this are we looking at next weeks SERPs on this DC?

Best wishes

Sid

samuel_ado

6:32 pm on Feb 12, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



yes updated links

drewls

6:46 pm on Feb 12, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Sid, I wish I could get a handle on it! :)

I would think that this index has some value to them, or they would have ditched it a while back. What worries me is that while this index gets freshed, the order of the sites in the serps (in the queries I watch) doesn't seem to change. That's odd, considering I know, at least in my area, that many of us have made significant changes in our sites since this whole mess began.

That's more of an observation than anything. I've been waiting for something to happen with this index since GoogleGuy first confirmed the Austin update. I had just about totally given up hope and all of a sudden this change occurred last night (my site is also climbing in the ranks in the other index, but still not doing as well as it is on 216.239.37.98).

The whole things too dang confusing...I'm gonna go watch the twin 125's and get my mind off it. :)

drewls

8:01 pm on Feb 12, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Well, since we're here, I'll add this little (probably over-optimistic) theory I've been kicking around the office here.

From the very beginning of this whole Austin mess, I got the distinct impression (Hey, I could be wrong, it's happened before) that the Austin update wasn't really an update, but rather an application of a new algo to the existing data, while the new data was on 216.239.37.98.

That was why the different data stayed on 216.239.37.98. It was also why GoogleGuy said it would move over 'soon' without giving any indication of how soon. What if the update hasn't even happened yet? What if soon hasn't happened yet?

needinfo

8:11 pm on Feb 12, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



drewls

When did GG say that the 216.239.37.98 SERPs would be moved over (I either missed that one or it was a private conversation). When you say 'move over' I presume you mean to WWW.

drewls

8:23 pm on Feb 12, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Ahh...never mind. It's somewhere in the supporters forum.

Search function still leaves a lot to be desired, but I'll refrain from complaining about such things.

I had to go to a nameless site that quotes GG to find the damn thing. :)

And I didn't mean 'to www' just to be clear. I meant propagate to the rest of the datacenters. Technically, there is no www, as www is simply made up of all the datacenters together. Also, since this other index is on one of those datacenters, it is already on www some of the time anyway. :)

steveb

9:55 pm on Feb 12, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



216.239.37.98 and 216.239.37.99 have been different for weeks, and have as many lost sites as anywhere else, so I don't see there being any news in this. The results there now seem a bit weaker than what has been on 216.239.37.99 from the start of Austin, which were very good, but these are still okay. Definitely though there are just as many lost sites here as anywhere.

Backlinks are still 490,000 for Yahoo so no change in those.

steveb

10:11 pm on Feb 12, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Anyone craving another index to look at, try 216.239.37.98 -ststsrses

Similar but shot some anchor text sites up higher.

drewls

10:32 pm on Feb 12, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



steveb, .98 and .99 look absolutely the same for me. There used to be a fleeting difference, but that disappeared this morning.

Most interesting though, is how the -ifwrjirjgwven brings up austin serps in the ones I'm watching. Not just close to austin, but exactly.

<edit> finding VERY subtle differences between austin and the .99 using the -giwjgiwjg on some serps </edit>

4crests

11:03 pm on Feb 12, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



What i have seen every month for the past several months is this...

Normally my site gets a fresh visit from Google every day. My Cache will show my site from a day or two before.

Then there is a period every month where it will go for about 10 days with no fresh visits at all, and my cache date is gone from the serps. When this happens, my site cache will revert back to a version that is about two weeks old. I change the date on the bottom of my front page every day, so i can tell.

The last time this happened was about the 2nd of this month. I had a cache date of February 1st, then poof, for the last 10 days now my site shows a date of January 22nd. When this happens, i go to the #2 position, then when my site gets a fresh cache, i will be back at #1. Anyone else have a similar thing happening?

Chelsea

12:09 am on Feb 13, 2004 (gmt 0)



The vector space for search terms will always be a variable - so get used to it moving around.

That is until your pages are focused at the centre of the matrix.

But this is impossible, because Google doesn't understand words yet.

Shame they introduced this technology before they had a hold of it.

:)

Net_Wizard

12:09 am on Feb 13, 2004 (gmt 0)



that the Austin update wasn't really an update, but rather an application of a new algo to the existing data

Same conclusion here, at least in my own analysis. This kind of explained also why high ranking sites before are suddenly way buried in the serp.

The way I look at it as if the algo is a total rewrite instead of just improving the old algo.

What is scary though that it seems it's the complete reverse of the old algo with some new feature/filter added to it.

From where I'm watching, spam sites have dominated the serp...not just your over-eager seo type but I'm talking of redirects and throw away domains. Sometimes same-owner-different-domains dominating the top10 from a 1 word to 3 word keywords.

I don't know about your area of industry/business but in my area the serp is totally trashed.

Hissingsid

9:32 am on Feb 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Hi,

The pages in the cache on this DC are very new in my case I'm seeing changes I made earlier this week.

Best wishes

Sid

catch_22

9:46 am on Feb 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Still on topic, but a bit of a twist...

My site is also moving around, but with a slight twist. One of my competitors moves into my spot at #2, then I move down to page 4 or 5 or lower. Then I move up to my previous spot..and voila! He moves down to page 4 or 5 or lower. Every time he moves to my spot, my site drops off the map and vice versa.

In addition, when his site is low, I type in a &filter=0 at the end of the 'ole address bar and he pops up on the 1st page. So if there is a Google filter keeping this guy out of the top ranks, then why would Google randomly bump him back to the top every few days?

Surely seems to go with the alternating serps theory.

Any other ideas?

Hissingsid

10:44 am on Feb 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Any other ideas?

BUG!

This looks very much like a bug in the system.

Best wishes

Sid

catch_22

12:23 pm on Feb 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Sid, you might be right. As of right now I am back at #1, where I was after Florida. And the &filter=0 doesn't work like it did. Maybe it was a bug that is being fixed....or maybe back to page 4.

Musical chairs isn't as fun as it was when I was a tot.

Hissingsid

12:43 pm on Feb 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Catch_22,

Read the thread on all 10 data centres being down. Perhaps you are seeing results from diferent datasets.

216.239.37.98 is good.

64.233.161.99 makes my goose start laying golden eggs again.

If you have time check out those two DCs and feedback how they compare with your .com searches.

Best wishes

Sid

webdude

1:12 pm on Feb 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Okay, Same thing happened again last night. I popped up to #1. Not sure when, but when I got in this morning, there I was. In fact I am still there. It is now after 7am and still #1. This is the longest it has stuck so far. It seems to be sticking a little longer each day. Yesterday, I dropped rank at about 6:30 am, day before about 6am.

I am crossing my fingers and hoping I can get a day ranked #1, but I have been hoping that for the past couple of weeks. :-)

Hissingsid

1:16 pm on Feb 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Hi Webdude,

Remind me where in the World you are.

Are you searching om www.google.com?

Try clicking on the directory tab when you are at #1. What happens?

Best wishes

Sid

webdude

1:36 pm on Feb 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



I am in the US - Central Time zone. I clicked on the directory tab as you suggested and I am gone, It looks like my results are coming from 216.239.37.99. To me it looks like the data from 98 has moved to 99. Was not like this yesterday.

BTW - as per another thread, I tweaked the site one more time 2 days ago as per the synonym experiment. I am hoping this is the last tweak if I stick.

:-)

[edited by: webdude at 1:38 pm (utc) on Feb. 13, 2004]

webdude

1:37 pm on Feb 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Yes, I am searching www.

webdude

3:19 pm on Feb 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Well,

I guess this thread is now a mute point. I am searching all the datacenters and am now popping up #1 except in www2 and www3 where I went from #16 to #14 :-)

And after the Brandy thread, it appears things are now going to settle down.

What a roller coaster!

webdude

3:54 pm on Feb 13, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Oops! My site just dropped to #14 on www. I guess I don't know what is going on. On www, www2 and www3, I am #14.

Yet on the datacenters:
[216.239.37.98...]
[64.233.161.99...]
[64.233.161.104...]
I am popping up #1.

I was under the impression from the Brandy thread that this was going to be the new data set. Guess it is still in flux right now OR my original thoughts on the G alternating the SERPs to throw of the SEOs might be right.

In fact
216.239.39.99
216.239.57.99
216.239.37.99
is showing up in nslookup but just
216.239.39.99
216.239.57.99
is what is showing up in www here right now

while
216.239.37.99
Is showing up for one of the dns entries and showing me at #1.

This could be the result of 2 data sets that will alternate between the 2, or more for that matter.

You think?

metablue

4:04 am on Feb 19, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



This is still going on, exactly as described in previous posts. There seem to be two completely different sets of data. Every morning, my site is back at the top of the serps, and some time later in the day the other results get switched in and it's on page two.

The worst thing is that in the evening results my site is outranked by unrelated pages that happen to link to it. The only reason these pages come up is because they carry my link, and the highest ranking one (#3) is somebody's broken "rate this link" page for my site. Meanwhile my site is on page 2. There has to be something wrong there.

flobaby

4:06 am on Feb 19, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



The Google dance is still very much in progress. I've been monitoring the dance tool all week and slowly but surely, the 64 results are getting integrated into the other datacenters. I imagine it will be next week before it's all settled, but until it's over there'll be movement for everybody.

djgreg

11:08 am on Feb 19, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



At the moment I see the 'old' 64 results on www, but on 64 I can see other results, which seem to be another improvement.
I wonder if 64 is a kind of update IP and all reshuffled results will appear there first before going live?

Thanks Google, now I can go skiing without thinking about 64, www2 and www all the time ;-)

greg

Hissingsid

11:41 am on Feb 19, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Hi,

In Europe the new Brandy update results have gone across to all the nationals and .com. Syntheticupper says this happenned at 2am this morning.

The SERPs on these are not exactly the same as 64 was earlier in the week nor now. They are (pretty sure) exactly the same as www2 and www3 were before they came accross.

The currently live results look better than 64 to me in that one or two major compatitors who don't get into 64 are in the live results. I'd rather they were not there but IMHO they do deserve to be there from a users point of view. This could be a geographical effect so if someone in the States wants to take a look I'll give them an example site that is #3 here for a term but not on 64.

Does anyone else hypothesise that in part Brandy had something to do with backlinks and or adding back ODP listing into the algo?

Best wishes

Sid

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