Google visits but never updates.

google doesn't update my site

[fatpeter]

Hello..after watching for ages, first post. My site was indexed by Google around Christmas. I have updated it all about 3 months ago and none of the new pages are indexed. My index page has been updated on google about 10 weeks ago and now seems to be stuck with a 10 week old cache. Googlebot has visited several times since,3 times putting the date next to it, and then it reverts to the old cache after a couple of days. I understand that system..no problem..but the last "4th time" the date went and the new cache stayed. (I thought I had cracked it) until 4 days later when everything reverted to 10 weeks old. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong!

Well...thanks if anyone can reassure me. No money riding on it :) lucky for me!

[fatpeter]

I forgot to add... I have a listing in Yahoo and Open Directory already.

[djgreg]

The Google Cache is a mystical thing sometimes. Don't worry too much about it.

greg

[WebRookie]

Welcome fatpeter, hope you enjoy WebmasterWorld. Do you have a sitemap on your site and linked in your navigation? If not, add one, this might help the robots find your new pages easier.

[ruserious]

It is the everflux ;)

There are differences between the regular Googlebot that crawls deep once a month for the monthly big update, and the minty fresh bot that will get your page into (and out of!) the searchindex very fast within and only a day or two.

Look here: [webmasterworld.com...]

[fatpeter]

webrookie "Do you have a sitemap"

My site is very simple..only front page plus one other level. Links from every page in it to every page.

ruserious "regular Googlebot that crawls deep once a month"

Thanks for the input.

This is what I can't understand. My site never seems to get deepcrawled. The pr has never changed from the 4 that it was when it first got crawled.
I made changes 3 months ago and none of those changes have made it into the cache. Can I expect the regular bot once a month minimum? This doesn't seem to happen.
The freshbot thing I understand as I read the forums last month when I couldn't work out what was happening :)

[WebRookie]

Oh, too bad about the number of pages vs sitemap, fatpeter.

Our new site had freshbot visiting constantly, but it took about three months before we had a serious "deep crawl" by Googlebot.

I'm guessing the more pages you have, the more Googlebot has to spider/ways to find you. Speaking of "finding you", you might want to try securing a few new links pointing to your website, always good to do and couldn't hurt.

Hang in there, see how things are going after the next update.

[fatpeter]

I have about 20 pages total and about 20 incoming links when i do a link search on google. Well..I guess I shouldn't be to perturbed if you waited 3 months. I was just trying to get a feel for whether I had a problem. I was reading somewhere about deep crawls every month and seeing as I'm a complete newbie :) I was getting worried.

[WebRookie]

As ruserious said, there is a "deep crawl" monthly. I was surprised it took our new site so long to receive a deep crawl, but we had freshbot visits with pages listed (not flux) in the database a month after submissions and our Yahoo/ODP listings in place - along with some link building before submissions/paid inclusions, etc.

With twenty pages you could set up a sitemap, I think you should consider making one, it would help with indexing. Always good for the visitor (even if it is a small site) and especially good for the robots. ;)

[fatpeter]

Again showing my newbie face...you would have to explain..exactly what is a site map? I thought it would be enough just to run the link table i have at the bottom of every page. That way you can go from anywhere to anywhere in the site. For sure I'm listening though. This is all new to me :)

Time for bed :)

Thanks WebRookie and ruserious. First time is always a bit daunting

[WebRookie]

fatpeter, check your StickyMail re: sitemap info.

[WebRookie]

FYI: fatpeter, you may want to check out the "Google Fresh Listings" [webmasterworld.com] thread, has some info about Google cache/freshness.

[fatpeter]

I think I understand the Fresh Listing principal. I read that Forum when I couldn't work out why the site kept updating..then disappearing. It just doesn't seem to make any difference to my cache. As soon as it runs out the cache goes back to 10 weeks ago. i guess I'll just have to wait :(