I was very happy because my directory ranked #1 for "Free Pr3 Link Directory." Now it is not even on the top 2 pages. I have been submitting to a few directories, probably around 50 with those keywords. Would that cause google to bump me back or something? This will definately make me have to deduct some money off when I sell it .
I'm so sorry to hear of the issue! I'm not positive if submitting to directories alone will cause this. Have you done anything else?
I'm having the same problem. I've been losing about 10 positions in SERPS day by day over the past 5 or 6 days. Not sure what is going on. When I first noticed it happening I thought it would come back after a day or two, but it seems to have settled out at a much, much lower position that I was at. I've redoubled my link building efforts but nothing seems to be helping at this point.
Have you done any changes in your web directory. Submitting in directories can't be only the reason probably.
Who searches for "Free Pr3 Link Directory" anyway? Ranking 1st for such a phrase is not gonna increase the price of your website, nor is it gonna devalue it.
That "something" is nothing new. A year ago google apparently woke up with the left foot and decided to completely stop sending visitors to my biggest website. Over night I was at 0. I didn't build links, I haven't made any changes to the website except adding content. It took me almost a year to recover the traffic. Lesson: One needs multiple sites or multiple streams of traffic.
Guys I think it's confirmed that there's a pattern. Let me explain my story. I just put this together in my head just now. My site was recently a PR3 and was just demoted down to PR1 and I couldn't figure out why until just now. Just before my site hit PR3 last January, I had submitted to about 1000-2000 link lists. Took me from a PR1 to PR3 along with some article submissions I did. What I think happened was Google found a good way of identifying link lists. Then they removed those as back links from corresponding websites. This explains my drop in PR and the person who write this thread as well. In all other SEO related forums I've been in, it appears the same has happened. We all share a big increase in PR depending on link lists. Since, Google cut this off, we're left out to dry. While using LinkLists is not really a blackhat technique. I now believe it should be categorized just that due to the new changes. Again, I can't confirm this but it certainly is pointing to this. Can anyone else confirm similar actions in the past week on any of their sites? Maybe, We just found something out and haven't noticed yet?
Rankings fluctuate - that's how Google (and all search engines for that matter) remains relevant. Your ranking may come back in a few days, and if it doesn't work on building links to the site (or a crazy idea: make something people would want to link to ).
From what just happened to me, and what I've read, I'd say there is sufficient information to assume that. Why would Google like a Link List anyways? It allows a web site owner to manipulate how many incoming links point to them. If Google found a way to identify these lists, it perfectly explains our recent PR problems with those sites who gained a lot of PR due to link lists. I'm almost willing to bet that 90% of the link lists are going to be garbage soon. That is if what I think holds up and is found to be true. I'd say we'll know for sure in a few weeks when enough people scream about their PR getting raped.
You'll need to use different titles and descriptions for directory submits. If Google will see that you got 50 new links with the same anchor and same description obviously they don't look natural and you might get a lower rank. The thing is... you'll need to use 4-5 different titles and descriptions for directory submissions and Google won't treat them as spammy link building.
Yes, I understand that but others do not. It's not going to stop it from happening and therefore not stop Google from identifying these lists. Other links on these identified link lists will be looked at the same way and have their links not credited for any longer. (Speculating what I think is true, really happened.) You can't control others actions, therefore you cannot prevent a link count penalty on a link list despite you're own actions.
i lost my position in google; now i am in 4th page and few days back i was in 2nd page; i am working continues for my site; then also i can't understand why this all is happening;
don't worry about where your site is around now. google is playing around with the search engine because it's going to update around april 1st. worry about it if your site is not where it should be after the next update. a lot of my keywords are floating around too, and i consider it a good sign, not a bad one.