What is Google playing at ?

[SatWorldwide]

Just done a search for: farm buildings for sale
2 sites have the top 7 positions.
Bring back Altavista at least they new they where rubbish

I just tried the same search I have to say that all the results I am seeing in the top ten are relevant. The only result common to a single site was Adtrader, which has two. Perhaps something to do with your personalised results?

I do agree that the results lately seem to be featuring more and more multiple results from the same site and that is not necessary.

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[SatWorldwide]

Originally Posted by BDW

I just tried the same search I have to say that all the results I am seeing in the top ten are relevant. The only result common to a single site was Adtrader, which has two. Perhaps something to do with your personalised results?

I do agree that the results lately seem to be featuring more and more multiple results from the same site and that is not necessary.

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I just searched again and its ad trader 3,4,11,12,13 so that is different again. Iam using firefox all settings are ok

[Adam H]

Results will change slightly for everyone, It could be different factors like personalised results/ browsing history / recent searches, location and which datacentre each of you are being shown at the time of the search with slightly contrasting results etc .

[SatWorldwide]

Originally Posted by Adam H

Results will change slightly for everyone, It could be different factors like personalised results/ browsing history / recent searches, location and which datacentre each of you are being shown at the time of the search with slightly contrasting results etc .

No it's not that, it can be slightly different between browsers or if you are logged into Google but thats not the case. They have messed up somewhere

They have messed up somewhere

Apparently not, it's intentional ...

How does Google decide when to display multiple...

(Note the lack of enthusiasm from Cutts as he squirms while trying to justify this.)

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[SatWorldwide]

Originally Posted by BDW

Apparently not, it's intentional ...
How does Google decide when to display multiple results from the same website? - YouTube

(Note the lack of enthusiasm from Cutts as he squirms while trying to justify this.)

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That is the very thing that destroyed Altavista and that was un intentional

Wouldn't it be great if the same thing happened to Google?

In this case it won't because they have a stranglehold on the Internet that will be extremely difficult to break.

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[SatWorldwide]

Matt Cutts has already said seo is going to get harder. It seems now that if Google favours a Large Corp then they will get multiple high listings. I knew something was not right. A few years ago Google and a couple other large search engines claimed they could never be hacked. Some clever guys saw the challenge and took Google took Google out for nearly a week

[leemason]

Just done the same search: adtrader in positions 3 and 4, ukfarmbuildings.co.uk in position 1 and 8.

[Adam H]

I apologise, I totally misread what you were talking about.......i have no idea why lol, I should probably not reply to threads at 3 in the morning

Multiple results in the same search has been happening for a long time but it its been emphasized more since the panda updates because the relevant sites which used to compete against these results have been dropped off the face of the earth.

Your 100% correct that with the updates Google has pushed out over the past 6 months has an air of large business syndrome , SEO isnt getting harder at all its just evolving just like it has year on year , if you dont keep up you'll loose out.

Its is........or will get more expensive for small businesses however to hire someone, We have already taken our pricing to reflect Googles changes for competitive terms which is pricing alot of small businesses out of the market, which will eventually result in small business looking for other forms of marketing or taking on SEO's who think they can compete at the highest level at something silly like £99 a month , which quiet simply is outrageous. But people will still take the risks because they feel they have no choice.

[SatWorldwide]

Yes I also noticed the changes in the results some time ago, however it did not seem quite so bad (or in your face) I agree with you regarding SEO and costs etc. I do think this won't push the black haters out but increase the bad tactics. You know as well as I do some people will always try and find a backdoor. I am concerned that the good guys that use legit methods in seo will find it frustrating competing against more and more restrictions and hurdles to jump.

SEO isnt getting harder at all its just evolving just like it has year on year , if you dont keep up you'll loose out.

I think SEO is getting much harder, especially after these latest updates. Let's face it, Google is in the business of making it hard for us. Sometimes they get it right and sometimes they get it wrong.

I have several sites that have basically all had the same (essentially white hat) SEO applied to them. Three or four of them have lost 80% of their traffic since April. the others have only had a slight flicker. How am I meant to get this back?

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[Adam H]

Originally Posted by BDW

I think SEO is getting much harder, especially after these latest updates. Let's face it, Google is in the business of making it hard for us. Sometimes they get it right and sometimes they get it wrong.

I have several sites that have basically all had the same (essentially white hat) SEO applied to them. Three or four of them have lost 80% of their traffic since April. the others have only had a slight flicker. How am I meant to get this back?

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Google has NEVER wanted its search manipulated, Nothing has changed and as SEO's we are effectively manipulating search, Google gives us as much info as "they want" us to have.

SEO certainly isnt getting harder, Its just cutting out the crap which previously used to work , they done it years ago with down grading the weight of directory links , then they done it with article directories, then Forum profile links , blog comments and low quality blog posts, scraper sites, auto blogs and in some ways Syndication.

All of the above is basically spamming, the only thing that google has done is to want what they've always suggested and thats for people to build links which look natural , i.e guest posts with an author bio, articles which are actually designed to get tweet's , likes and social interaction or that are good enough that people actually want to read and share. Those are the links which ( at the moment, until they get spammed to hell ) are the ones people should be looking to capture.

Not to mention that everything still needs to remain diverse not only in terms of type of links but type of anchor text's and the way and rate of which links are built.

Basically low quality links are on the down , high quality is the only way forward. Now the problem is alot of people either cannot afford to spend the time needed to get high quality links or they lack the knowledge of where and how to get them which is what pushes the cost up for small businesses.

Those sites that have taken the hit id put money on that if we looked into their backlink profile it wouldnt be loaded with natural looking high quality backlinks ?

[SatWorldwide]

Originally Posted by BDW

I think SEO is getting much harder, especially after these latest updates. Let's face it, Google is in the business of making it hard for us. Sometimes they get it right and sometimes they get it wrong.

I have several sites that have basically all had the same (essentially white hat) SEO applied to them. Three or four of them have lost 80% of their traffic since April. the others have only had a slight flicker. How am I meant to get this back?

.

Up until recently I have always claimed seo has never changed much for many years. If you did the correct things and there are a few guidelines that most of us do know, you will get the results. Now it seems there is an unfair playing field and the rumours flying around that Google wants to support big business is looking ever more correct. I think BDW we have to find a way of making it a positive (not sure how mind you) I have found a new search engine that does not use the tactics of G perhaps we should all use that one (it's called Buzit) ok it's a directory not a engine

[SatWorldwide]

Originally Posted by Adam H

Google has NEVER wanted its search manipulated, Nothing has changed and as SEO's we are effectively manipulating search, Google gives us as much info as \\"they want\\" us to have.

SEO certainly isnt getting harder, Its just cutting out the crap which previously used to work , they done it years ago with down grading the weight of directory links , then they done it with article directories, then Forum profile links , blog comments and low quality blog posts, scraper sites, auto blogs and in some ways Syndication.

All of the above is basically spamming, the only thing that google has done is to want what they've always suggested and thats for people to build links which look natural , i.e guest posts with an author bio, articles which are actually designed to get tweet's , likes and social interaction or that are good enough that people actually want to read and share. Those are the links which ( at the moment, until they get spammed to hell ) are the ones people should be looking to capture.

Not to mention that everything still needs to remain diverse not only in terms of type of links but type of anchor text's and the way and rate of which links are built.

Basically low quality links are on the down , high quality is the only way forward. Now the problem is alot of people either cannot afford to spend the time needed to get high quality links or they lack the knowledge of where and how to get them which is what pushes the cost up for small businesses.

Those sites that have taken the hit id put money on that if we looked into their backlink profile it wouldnt be loaded with natural looking high quality backlinks ?

Any form of seo is manipulating the search results in Google or any other engine. If it did not, we would not have any work. The thing that is being missed is that the small guys won't have a chance to get ranked well and that was what the internet was all about at one stage, everyone had the opportunity to be seen. Its going now the chosen few, unless that is you want to line G's pockets using the ever increasing price of Google Ads

[Adam H]

Originally Posted by TAG

The thing that is being missed is that the small guys won't have a chance to get ranked well and that was what the internet was all about at one stage, everyone had the opportunity to be seen. Its going now the chosen few, unless that is you want to line G's pockets using the ever increasing price of Google Ads

Totally agree, as i said before its forced our hand in basically turning away clients if they havent got a half decent budget because its just not viable anymore to take on the smaller jobs. Turning business away is never something that id thought id do however if it no longer makes a reasonable profit margin then its not going put bread and butter on the table when my time can be spent on other more profitable projects/clients.

[umbrella-technologies]

Anything which is in it's starting phase will be easy as there will be very few players in it, so the more it grows, the no. of players will increase and its going to be difficult. One must change according to the time and situation.... and google or any other search engine will make most us to change...................

Small businesses have to look for new avenues on the internet were they can reach their potential customers......

No business can completely rely on SEO because in the end show must go on....

[DomainRegistrar]

Probably old news to everyone but I had to post this

Hitler's reaction to Google's panda...

[Mark]

Seen many of those but not that one. Very good.