It feels like something going on with Google that nobody really talks about and employees who know don't tell others because they are scared to lose their job? Web masters tools did not update for a long time. Many Google execs are leaving their positions. Big web sites are "sealing" top 10 positions for pretty much any possible keyword term, leaving no place for anybody else. Is Google becoming a place where nobody can make it to anywhere except those who already there? Seems like trying to get somewhere is not worth it, you will be stock in the sandbox forever. Does anybody else feel the same way?
I'd have to disagree with this. The big brands have a lot of credibility in the eyes of Google, which helps them to rank for big keywords, but a lot of the time it makes sense they would rank for these search phrases. Why would you expect an affiliate site to outrank a big brand when searching for a keyword like "used cars" ? But that doesn't mean smaller websites can't still obtain organic search traffic. You just need to be intelligent about your online marketing efforts and focus on the long-tail, which is going to make up the bulk of your traffic in any case.
Bad timing, we had another user all het up about this too but he got banned. You two could have enlightened us. How do you know the Google execs are quitting? Wikipedia is obviously behind the times, they still have Amit working at Google. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amit_Singhal
Well, to even come close to any long tail keyword, you need enormous investment and tons of links.... A lot more compare to the year 2000 for example, don't you agree? Long tails don't convert. For example, anything with word "buy" in it - best of luck, you will never get even to top 20 these days. What long tails are good for - answering questions to non converting traffic, I am not a charity or non profit organization, I am trying to make money. I don't see SEO as a profession, it will faint away in 2-3 years at most. There no pie left for the beginners to share. @sarahk - http://recode.net/2016/02/03/google-search-king-amit-singhal-retiring-artificial-intelligence-research-head-taking-over/ Here is my point Google is merging two departments together. What's the reason behind it? Did they fire "dead wood" or something else happen? Something that nobody talks about.... I find changes of that nature to be really disturbing. I will not be surprised if Google start layoffs soon. Right now they are trying to "leak" as less information as possible to keep the stock going, but I feel like major mess is on the way in 2016... How do you interpret Matt Kutz media messages, "I am leaving for a year", "oh I am taking longer a little", "oh I never return".... Don't you think it is sneaky practices to keep stock market in the dark to avoid MAJOR stock price drop? Isn't it called "fixing"? I am selling my Google stock...
I don't agree with you at all. Long tail searches for the most part are less competitive because they get fewer searches (and also because SEOs don't think to target them), and since the search is laser targeted, these keywords tend to convert very well, even better than broader keywords! With more generic keywords, the intent isn't always clear. making it more difficult to create content that will convert the traffic. It is all about the long tail, and the opportunities are endless.
It all depends on your niche and what you are selling. The key is to do a business plan and think it all through before you start. If you are wanting to sell pharmaceuticals online or a dieting service then you're stuffed without some sort of viral gimmick to artificially boost your site. However if your site is linked to a real world business then local search kicks in nicely. I'm pretty confident that if @dcristo searched for used cars then Australian sites would turn up, and probably ones nearby. I know that when I search I get local businesses returned and they're ALL local and relevant. I didn't watch the video but the article didn't hint at any dissent.
@dcristo interesting point, I mean I've heard a lot of theories about long tail, but it all comes down to investment. How much money you have and that number needs to grow year after year. That's what I mean by "monopoly". @sarahk local is fine, but it does not pay much. You need to be global.
Yep, but that's because local sites are favored in local search, hence the importance of getting a ccTLD if local marketing is crucial for you and your website.
Right, exactly, so an area of potential growth is in local sales - so create a business that can exploit that.
The webmaster tools updates ever 3 days at maximum and every day at minimum. Every now and then it may not update for 4-5 days. So I am not sure what you mean by "Web masters tools did not update for a long time. ". Why not use Analytics? It's being updated hourly. No need to wait for the tools to get updated. I don't think Google is having the issues you're alluding to. By the way, in the last 3-4 years they've driven more people to using AdWords (which is their bread and butter) than in all previous years. Do not have solid facts on that one, just a hunch. Obviously, not having social media sites of their own, equal to Facebook or Twitter, hurts them. Not being able to penetrate the mobile world with their advertising the way they'd like to hurts them even more. There's still so much more money that can be made, yet they are stuck in 2005 or something and are feverishly trying to find a way to get out of it.
Sorry, there nothing new, no new tools. For example sites getting hacked, Google deranks sites and never let web master know. There simply not enough alerts to the web master, for example "hey something out of ordinary happen, look here and there". Right now alert system is primitive, period. I mean, If I list improvements that can be done to webmaster tools, It will take me a day to type it up, seriously. It is hideous... Regarding adwords and adsense, I removed adsense from all of my sites... If Google gets paid for kywords like "mithothelioma" (I hope I spelled it correctly), $140 per click, why am I getting $0.05... I brought the client. I hate it, it is a rip off.... If others don't see it this way, they are wasting their time and money, there better places to sell your traffic. Also with adwords, it became so competitive that expecting immediate returns for products sales, when your margins are 5%.... please... You are paying for customer aquisition, similar to folgers coffee back in the days, selling to lose... Guess what, how much margin you have to make to even break even? Have you thought about that? I don't know where people getting their facts from and why they are having "rosy" thoughts about Google. Test it out, lose some money and we'll talk again...
I'm sure we all could, but it's a free tool that we aren't obliged to use. There's no monetisation of it, no incentive for Google to make it more than it is.
Don't you think by not giving web masters enough attention, Google might lose in getting valuable content posted in Google by web masters? I totally disagree with Google's position more like against web masters, placing everyone in "spammer" category, before trusting them and even trusted ones don't get enough attention. I think Google is in trouble. For example I'd rather optimize hashtags now for Facebook, Reddit and Twitter rather then writing quality content for Google. Google with their snobby people are losing the game to social media. I see Google is losing to wikepedia and done deal. Nobody will need Google any more. This domination is fainting, just like Microsoft.
autocorrect issues? I can't see how giving webmasters more or less attention has any impact at all on their ability to spider and index websites. Everything they give us is about the webmaster having to change their sites, add microtags, xml sitemaps etc. That just helps us ensure they see what we want them to see, but they'd have found it anyway.
still it feels like there huge distance between Google and webmaster. Even with the document that Google released about quality guidelines, I personally did not find anything that I did not already know. It proves that anything always comes to an end and I will be surprised if Google remains popular and will not faint in the similar way as Microsoft by 2020.
I love how you use the word "faint", did Microsoft "faint away"? I'm not sure what that even implies? A sudden collapse on the floor waking later saying "ooh, what happened?" perhaps?
Popular with who? Webmasters that are trying to manipulate their results? Lol. This all sounds like a bunch of sour grapes.
What about webmasters who are not trying to do that? Webmasters that are only helping Google. What do you mean "manipulate". You are referring to what comes out the most relevant to the search term, how can you even refer to it as "manipulate". Google is discouraging to what's more important than few bucks - content creators. I bet you $1 that sooner or later webmasters, including myself, will all focus on Facebook and other social sites... I guarantee that if Google continues this game, there is end to it, not so good for Google. I personally can care less about Google. My focus is Twitter and Facebook at this point. That's where my money goes now, that's where I spend the most time, not Google, by far.... I am not the only one... Google is losing...
Although FB can be used to get news, it's not a search engine. I don't think Google is going anywhere. Stop assuming the average Google user is a webmaster.
Really, FB is for news . I never knew any news company breaking $20B... LOL... Watch Zuckerberg interviews, where he talks about changing the way people search forever. Adsense and Adwords just rip off compare to paying Facebook or perhaps Twitter for keywords... A lot cheaper and more converting. Google is no longer go to place for "buy", its a myth... Google is like news now, yellow pages... Tell me something, can you select who you want to pay by age group, location, education level, gender, group interests and bunch of other parameters? Get it? I mean Adwords is in the stone age.... Why do I have to spend money on visitors that nobody knows who they are, they are not targeted audience... Google is behind on that. Google is losing in many angles Now that execs are leaving, on top of that many others getting bought by Facebook, Twitter and others.. knowledge base, Ideas are going away from Google. That's when spaghetti code and roll backs come in... Happens to everybody... Google is not an exception. Google base - gone, Google Glass - Gone, FeedBurner - Gone, what's next Google search will end?