Website Dropped like a Stone - Why?

Discussion in 'Search Engine Optimization' started by jj1, Jun 21, 2010.

  1. #1
    I have a website that is just over 1 year old: http://www.quickhousesale4me.co.uk/

    I haven't made any recent changes to it nor have I built up many links in the last month or so. I came back from holiday last night to find it had suddenly dropped from p3 (last week) to p10 (today).

    Does anyone have any ideas what could have caused this and what to do about it?

    Based on the onsite optimisation and the number of backlinks (mainly articles, the odd blog, a few directories, squidoo, hubs, gather, a couple of websites) the site should be on p2. It's p1 on yahoo.

    I have never bought or sold links or done anything black hat. The website is holding its place for most other search terms.

    Would appreciate any help.
     
    jj1, Jun 21, 2010 IP
  2. infogle

    infogle Prominent Member

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    #2
    it usually happens because your competitor has done good seo for their site... in these days
     
    infogle, Jun 21, 2010 IP
  3. jj1

    jj1 Active Member

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    #3
    If the site had dropped 1 or 2 places that could be true - but not 7 pages in 1 week.
     
    jj1, Jun 21, 2010 IP
  4. chaosicq

    chaosicq Peon

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    #4
    I find small changes can make big ripples, sometimes no changes can also leave you behind seo is jus a complex maze.
     
    chaosicq, Jun 21, 2010 IP
  5. selectsplat

    selectsplat Well-Known Member

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    #5
    There could be many reasons.

    Perhaps your 'live' pagerank has dropped. This wouldn't be noticeable until the next toolbar update. This happens sometimes if pages that link to you have dropped in pagerank or have been penalized. Or perhaps some of the backlinks that were attributed to you are now being discounted. For example, perhaps Google found that one or more of the backlinks there were helping you in your index placement also belong to you, and have therefore been discounted. Or, perhaps you have lost one or more significant backlinks.
     
    selectsplat, Jun 21, 2010 IP
  6. jj1

    jj1 Active Member

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    #6
    I would have thought that Google assumes that most links from articles, squidoo, hubs, directories etc come from someone related to a site?????

    The other 3 websites that link to this are - and always have been - sites I own; nothing has changed with this recently and I have never tried to hide it as they are on the same server with same whois info.
     
    jj1, Jun 21, 2010 IP
  7. visualskirmish

    visualskirmish Peon

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    #7
    I noticed when I did about an hour of SEO work a day I would rank pretty high. If I stopped for a week my links would drop dramatically. You put in the work, you usually rank well, just dont try to do anything too spammy.
     
    visualskirmish, Jun 21, 2010 IP
  8. selectsplat

    selectsplat Well-Known Member

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    #8
    No, Google assumes that links to your website are NOT from you. Especially since it's against Google's terms and conditions to link to 'interlink' your websites. They don't want you to do it because you can artificially increase your search engine rankings even if your website is absolute crap and no one else on the planet would even remotely find it useful.

    When Google finds that you have interlinked your websites through various methods, they usually de-value the backlinks, so they provide less benefit to your Google results listings.

    Google wants to see sites that are NOT owned by you link to you natually, as this means that your website is found to be useful or interesting to someone other than yourself.
     
    selectsplat, Jun 21, 2010 IP
  9. mimmolette

    mimmolette Peon

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    #9
    Sounds like Google has found some interlinking on your part, and you've lost some good backlinks.
     
    mimmolette, Jun 22, 2010 IP
  10. rainier

    rainier Peon

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    #10
    well i guess you know why,because you didn't update your site,plus continue link building for your site and join social networking sites.
     
    rainier, Jun 22, 2010 IP
  11. jj1

    jj1 Active Member

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    #11
    No that doesn't explain why a website can drop 7 pages in one week.
     
    jj1, Jun 22, 2010 IP