Google Placement Dives

[AndyBorrett]

We have recently had a couple of phone calls from people claiming to be able to get us to the front page on Google. I always send them packing telling them we are are either first for second for our three phrases of choice.

Modern Silver Jewellery
Unique Silver Jewellery
Unusual Silver Jewellery

I checked our rankings yesterday and we have disappeared from the first pages of Google entirely.

My question may seem daft, but is there anyway these companies can cause such a thing to happen so they can charge us to put us back up there?

The only change I've made recently is to resubmit the sitemap generated by the MoleEnd product mash. This caused a few errors looking in the Webmaster Tools of Google so I removed the sitemap again.

Any thoughts...

[Duncan Rounding]

It is likely to be that sitemap. Best thing to do right now IMO is to wait.

[leehack]

There was a good thread regarding sitemaps by John at StinkyInk recently detailing how harmful these can be if not done correctly, i'd suggest a good read of that, search his posts to find it, its about 2-3 months old now. If you have only recently removed the sitemap, it may take a little time to get back as you were.

Then again you might just have been reranked lately. Make sure you are logged out of Google when looking at the results, you can see more favourable results when logged in and sometimes vastly different to the main 'non logged in' index.

[Duncan Rounding]

...Make sure you are logged out of Google when looking at the results, you can see more favourable results when logged in and sometimes vastly different to the main 'non logged in' index.

Are you suggesting you see 'results slanted' towards your Google recognised sites when logged in?
Conspiracy theories again?

[leehack]

Nothing conspiracy about it Duncan, it's a 100% fact, seen it with my own eyes. If you use Google a fair amount and you are logged in over the space of a few months, when you search, the results you see can be different to those that most will see in the main index. Seems to be proof (to me) on how much Google is collecting about what you do.

I have a search term that I am placed 6th on in the main index, but when logged in, I am 1st. My only conclusion can be that your movements are tracked and you are being presented with an index tailored to what you have been doing. Unless logged in searchers use different datacentres.

[Mike Hughes]

I'm surprised you ever ranked well for these keyword phrases as they don't appear on your websites. If you did do well then I'd assume it was because you get a boost as a new website.

To do well in Google you need the right content and links. Right now you're missing both.

Mike

[AndyBorrett]

Lee:

I had read the thread from Stinky Ink a few weeks ago which is what made me suspect the sitemap in the first place. The only reason I added the sitemap again was because Google was not indexing the majority of our sections. As soon as our placing plummeted I removed it again.

Olderscot:

It was one of those 'if it ain't broke - don't fix it" things. Although the key phrases don't appear in the text of our site much we have been number 1 or 2 in the listings for at least the last two years. As for being a new site, how long do you think this boost lasts - months or years?

I may take this opportunity of not being at the top to change the text in our site to make it back to the top more permanently.

[leehack]

On the site I looked at, the navigation into the sections was not great, often it seems the section links are search strings which is effectively using cgi-nav. I am pretty certain that is what is causing your indexing woes. I'd advise you start to think about your departments/sections and make these visible and easy to click on from both a user and SE point of view on all pages.

[RuralWeb]

Well you are ranking for all your search phrases in the top 5 as far as I can see - so whats the problem?

[leehack]

I think Google is having a laff with us today, I can't see any results ranked anywhere.

[RuralWeb]

Differing datacenters thats all

[brian.mc]

I think Google is having a laff with us today, I can't see any results ranked anywhere.

Me neither!

[RuralWeb]

People in differing parts of the country very rarely see the same results on google so situation normal IMO.

The best way to check is via analytics and look at the traffic on each keyphrase - if its dropped then you have a problem if not then dont worry.

The worst thing to do is have a knee jerk reaction and really trash your site trying to fix a non existant problem.

[Mike Hughes]

I only see them if if I tick the 'Uk only' box, even though I'm using Google.co.uk. If I don't do that they're not anywhere.

Strange.

Mike

Edit: These results http://weblogs.hitwise.com/robin-goad/2008/04/how_popular_is_googles_pages_from__the_uk_search_option.html suggest that only 14% tick the 'pages from Uk only' box. 86% don't. If you've recently been dropped from the main search results this could explain why all your traffic has gone.

[RuralWeb]

this could explain why all your traffic has gone.He has not said if he has lost traffic just that he has seen his rankings drop.

SO has your traffic dropped?????????

[AndyBorrett]

Well ticking the UK box makes me feel better as we're back at the top of the listings, shame that most people probably don't tick it - I know I rarely do.

The traffic has dropped off to the site but not by a huge amount, our sales are down but then again our orders have always been sporadic no matter what time of year.

All the main navigation along the top and on the pages themselves do not go through the cgi-bin. The links on the left once you are within a section are indeed search strings that let the user filter what they see in that section using Normans multi column search patch.

I never know whether to believe GA or the server logs as they both show completely different figures for the same days.

[RuralWeb]

If they were important key phrases linked to conversions and they had vanished then I would have expected a significant traffic and orders drop.

The fact that traffic and sales have not dropped much indicates one of two things either the rankings are still there bringing in traffic and sales or you never got much traffic from those key phases in the first place. Ga should show you exactly the money value of each of the phrases.

My view is sit tight.