Help - Drop in Google Listings

Guswold · 25-03-04

Nearly all of my sites, except one, have suddenly dropped in Google's listings. They have also all had a one digit drop in their PR ratings. This has had a fairly severe impact on the hits that they get (which aren't huge, but were good enough for me!).

My site stats have gone from looking like a Google directory to a Yahoo one (which is a small mercy), but I'm at a loss as to what to do about it.

I have just put AdSense on my biggest site (two days ago) to see if this makes a difference, but I've not seen any effect yet.

I can only assume that the sites have been penalised under Google's new algorith, but I would really appreciate any advice that you can give me - is there anything I can do to restore the status quo (or better!)?

999gi · 25-03-04

When did it happen - today or a few days ago?

Guswold · 25-03-04

I'd say the rot started setting in late February/early March - I just thought I could weather the storm, but this is now looking like more of a permanent thing.

There have been no major changes in the way the sites are run, so I can only conclude that it must be the changes in Google's algorith that have caused it as we seem to have been dropped like a stone. I just don't know if there is anything that can be done about it!

Guswold · 28-03-04

Has no-one got any suggestions??

Elaine · 28-03-04

Have you tried emailing googlebot to ask if you are being penalized in any way.

I contacted them because I'd made major mistakes with my website - ended up with near duplicate sites and my visitors dropped by over a third - trying to put it right was a nightmare - I emailed googlebot with an explanation and a profuse apology and received a reply the same day saying the sites weren't being penalized and the steps I was taking to correct it was ok. My pages started reappearing the next day and it looks as though I'll be back where I was within a couple of weeks.

2 morals of this story is

1) don't mend it if it isn't broken

2) if your'e going through a difficult time and trying to forget something go dig the garden - don't mess with the sites - there's a reason whey companies are generous with bereavement leave -it's 'cos they can't afford the cock-ups.

tomj · 28-03-04

are ur sites built in the same way?..eg, same template etc?

i started this game at the same time as the florida massacre and i thought to myself that i would try and make all my sites different so that if/when the search engines make massive changes, I might be spared a total wipe out.

as to something of techy use that might help, I'm sure there is someone here who might be able to help??

anyone?

Guswold · 30-03-04

Sorry for the delay in replying - this had kinda taken the wind out of my sails (or should that be sales!), so I'm not checking things quite so regularly!

Anyway, "yes" the sites all follow a similar template (just 'cos it's much easier for me to maintain), but the content is virtually all unique. The sites are "optimised", but nothing that's downright dirty or illegal, so I'd hope that it wasn't that - and I can't believe that all of the sites would be hit at once if it was.

As tempting as it is to muck around with the site structures, I'm currently playing the waiting game to see if they suddenly reappear, but after 5 weeks or so I'm getting a little twitchy - if you can't tell!

I guess I'll just have to wait some more - any idea when Google might next be making any changes?

Guswold · 02-04-04

OK, thanks everyone - appreciate the help...

Mogga · 02-04-04

I have been reading this recently.

http://forums.seochat.com/
Don't know if its any help though.

mobillica · 02-04-04

Im not saying this is correct, but its always worked for me.......Whenever I drop down in the listings I always look to see what my competitor has done differently to me. Then I go on a linking spree obtaining as many quality inbound links I can get, from pages of PR5 and above. Then I write a load of content.

After alot of biting of fingernails, I usually do ok in the next Google update.

Just my 2cents

Guswold · 06-04-04

Thank you Mogga and mobilica.

The site content is regularly updated and I have some good inbound links (although a bit of fresh blood probably wouldn't go amiss!). And having now disappeared from Yahoo as well, the number of unique visitors is now only about 10% of the site's peak last year.

It's all very depressing...

Elaine · 06-04-04

It might be worthwhile pointing some of the professionals on here to your site(s) - it might be glaringly obvious to someone in the know - not putting myself in that position though.