TOPS30, Would you agree that Google started a Backlink Update on February 3rd? Are you aware that that Update did NOT complete across all Datacenters until February 18th? Would you concider that unusual? Did you click on either link I had in my previous post? If those changes were the results for ONE of your pages, would you consider that unusual? If you have seen very little change to you website or websites than you are a lucky guy. BUT, just because something is not happening to you does not mean it is not happening at all! A great many people have experienced and are still experiencing REAL changes. You are doing absolutely no-one any good by telling them, basically, that they are full of shit. Caryl
I agree that on that date we have seen Google reporting what appears to us as new backlink counts. From what I've read, yes. But I'm not checking all databcentres as oten as you do. No, not at all. Yes and I follow the 'long thread' as well. No. I expect change. And if there's one lesson to be learned from your research, it would be that we'll never know why these things happen. There's too many variables involved. I've seen big change when no one else seemed to notice odd things. I have my own speculation as to why. I wasn't denying that Hans V and others were seeing change. I was just saying that I didn't. But there's change all the time. That was my point. What are you talking about? Where did I say that? What is your definition of an 'Update' or 'Event'? Is datacentre differences the main indication? The sites of the people seeing change now might or might not have something in common. Some think it's a new update, some believe it's still the so-called Dec 24th update. I think it's an algo tweak they've done say yesterday. Your sleeping bag research can not be used to understand what's happening or has happened to other sites and KW's. That would be comparing apples and pears or even bananas.
I started this post because of my experiences and I would like to know how others doing, to see if there is a patern somehow. And of course to share my happiness a little ....hehe But if my site's apearence in the serps is a stable one I finally have a clue how it works. Well somehow. And that's a good thing concerning our other website's that we are developping now and in the future.
I checked out your site...a small note I noticed you are a co op memeber...change your links to 5 instead of 1 and make them text instead of banner...every little bit counts
Changes are STILL occuring! We showed a drop from Positions reported mostly in the 80s yesterday to now being reported in the low 40s this morning! Again, this is nothing new for our page/keyword that I am reporting on. This has been constantly changing since February 3rd. Here again are the links to the two tables used to document the entire event across all of the Datacenters. Google Update February 2005 Feb Update by C-Block Caryl
I agree, I'd only count an update nowadays as a PR or IBL changes. Google SERPS always seem to be in a state of flux and movement is now the norm rather than the exception. For the record I saw very little movement yesterday - less than usual in fact.
A few days ago I showed all DCs as having the BL update. It looks like some have rolled back again. I think this is the second time.
Spacen, You are exactly correct!!!!! This is indeed the second time the Update has been rolled back on these datacenters. Some time yesterday between 8:AM and 1M Google once again rolled back the Backlink Update on Datacenters... 66.102.7.99 66.102.7.104 66.102.7.105 66.102.7.147 216.239.53.99 216.239.53.104 Regardless of what others say, many of the changes people are witnessing are due to the ongoing Google Event! What I have been documenting has been ongoing since February 3rd. It has not stopped. If you have been relatively uneffected by this "event", count your lucky stars but don't discount what others are indeed experiencing. Caryl
Caryl, Are you watching any KWP that was 1st or 2nd place before the update? If so are they moving much? The reason I ask is most of our top listings don't move much even during BIG updates. The ones that are say 40 to 100 place move much more often already. Curious to know what you have seen with a top placing KWP. Thank you. -Shawn
Shawn, Certainly, there have not been enough hours in my day to actually record the changes I have seen in the top ten for the page/keyword I have been documenting but I have indeed witnessed changes when using the Datacenter Watch Tool. The number one site has remained solid #1 throughout. Others in the top ten have switched places many times but remained within the top ten. Then a few others have come and gone and returned again. So, not all have been effected equally! I did do this comparison of three different Datacenters early on (February 7th) because that is where I noted that allinanchor positions where being effected as well as serp placement. Comparing Datacenters Feb 7 2005 This is when I first started tracking the allinanchor placement as well during this event. Prior to this, in the past year of recording these figures, allinanchor placement did NOT flucuate much at all. Even last summer when the page I have been documenting drifted into oblivion from the serps the allinanchor reported for the page remained virtually UNCHANGED! As far as my documentation is concerned, these types of changes have been unpresidented thoughout 2004. Unfortunetly, not many people document their allinanchor ranking or follow it that closely, so there is little information to compare or evaluate. Caryl
I too have noticed a big fluctuation in allinanchor and also in allinurl. It seems to correspond with the BL rollbacks.
There are sometimes large discrepancies from Datacenter to Datacenter in reported allinanchor. But, from my documentation, this is NOT isolated to the "rolled back" Datacenters. As you can see in this table... Feb Update by C-Block Remember all of these entries are the results for only ONE page/keyword search! The allinanchor position is the purple colored numbers. Changes are noted by bolding. edited to add: Now as of 12:50 AM EST - a seventh Datacenter has been "rolled back" to previous Backlink data - 64.233.171.147 Caryl
Thanks Caryl, So, what I am seeing is really the same for you. The higher up the serps the less activity overall. Most of the kwp we have in the 40+ are not as important(a few exceptions of course), but the goal is to get them as high as possible also. You are such a great assett to this community, thank you for keeping us informed and the tools you offer. I would have been clueless if it wasn't for yours, Shawn's, and some others who know the technical end of things. Shawn
I had a site (Bailey Hotel) come from nowhere and rise to number two yesterday for the KWP "bailey hotel". I thought I had finally nabbed the elusive holy grail. Today it's back to nowhere. What am I doing wrong? And why is Google torturing us like this? I've got my site in the top ten for numerous other relevant KWPs, but not the one that matters the most.
Something else I have noticed: when the serps for a kwp are stablizing - you usually will see more sites with the double positions such as 1+2 or 3+4 If they are all single positions in the serps that usually show some with doubles then it probably hasn't finished yet. Just my 2 cents and not stating as fact so don't flame me. Just an observation.
Never though about it but you are definitely right as far as my rankings are concerned. I have a list of about two dozen #1's for one site and they have been for months on end, 7 or 8 months I think now. 20 out of the 24 are 1+2.
I look like a genius because of what's been going on. I'm now ranking highly for terms that would seem far too general to be competetive. Almost across the board I'm now in the top 10 and sticking or improving. Very little fluctuation now except I lost some BL on a couple obscure URL's I have. That being said...I'm not a Google genius and I don't have a concrete answer. I have few backlinks, a PR3 home page and a static HTML site with a little javascript tossed in. Although I have concentrated heavily on maximizing my KW density and using keywords in my anchor text. Plus I have used keywords in almost every graphic/button on the site. Perhaps that is the key...dunno. My point is, I think I got very lucky. I wouldn't go ahead and tweak a perfectly good site right away. I read some SEO pro ad text recently that said that they look at the top 10 sites for targeted keywords and mimic those sites to gain high ranking. Hate to say it but the code on my site is nothin' special. Compared to the rest of you, I'm a relative novice. I'm kicking rear-end right now but don't run out and mimic my site.
maybe that is the clue here. No fancy or heavy SEO actions. Just the content that's in the right place. I think it's the same with our site. It has the content you expect when you search in Google for the keywords. Could it be that it is just that simple? I get the feeling it is now. Good content and some backlinks to support it. Forget the rest. But I'm not an expert sure not. But I think it is just this you can do as to optimize your website.