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A drop in the rankings - Is this a Google Slap?

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kieran
Posts: 75
Joined: 11 Apr 09
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A drop in the rankings - Is this a Google Slap?

I have been following the Niche Marketing approach to keyword research, making a Moneyword Matrix to find those keywords that have a high search volume/low search results combination. This is a fairly laborious process (I cannot afford any fancy software for this yet!), involving a Google Keyword Tool/Traffic Travis search for a likely bunch of KWs, then putting each KW (in Phrase Match quotes) into Google search and noting down the search results number. Eventually I achieve a list of suitable KWs, each with 1,000 global monthly searches or more and less than 10,000 results. Then I write my web pages around the most appropriate KWs for the product I'm promoting. All this is SEO only, by the way.

I have been getting increasing page rankings for about 25% of my pages, and increasing number of backlinks.

In the last few days I have noticed a dramatic fall in the number of visitors to my site (I can't analyse individual page stats because Google Analytics is playing up, but that is another story). Also, of course, a corresponding fall in numbers of hoplinks.

Doing a quick check on my keywords and the moneyword matrix, guess what? I find that KWs that had excellent search results last month (ie less than 10,000) ALL now have increased by a factor of 10! 8,000 results for one KW are now 84,000, and this is typical for a whole category that I have checked so far. This could seriously affect my page rankings and visitors, if true, and could be playing havoc with my on-page SEO. How on earth can I optimise my pages if the underlying statistics are so wrong or variable?

I know that Mark (and others) have said that we should take Google's stats with a pinch of salt, but are they THAT bad and inaccurate? Or am I being Google Slapped in some way? Or am I missing the point somewhere?

Glad of anybody's thoughts on this before I get carted off to the nuthouse!

Kieran
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Kieran

www.moneymakingbuzz.com - the Key to Online Wealth
www.buildthingsdirect.com - the Top Site for Home Improvement Projects
 
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wollowra
Posts: 869
Joined: 14 Mar 08
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Hi Kieran,
Welcome to Googles world...lol
I have had similar things happen and I suppose I just put it down to an anomaly or Google stuffing up.
I think this doesn't happen that often and you will see things settle down when you look at the data over a few months.
I don't think it has anything to do with a Google slap... as it is organic listings.

Keep testing and building...
It's funny... some sites can get constant sales, some are seasonal and at other times I can not put my finger on it why sales come and go and jump up and down.. The affiliate gods must be playing with us..lol.

Anyway, hope you sort it out..
Regards
Troy
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they were the big things.

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jasondodd
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Joined: 08 Feb 09
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As Troy mentioned it wouldn't be Google Slap because that only applies to PPC (when using AdWords) but there is another phenomenon that many attribute to Google and that's the Google Sandbox, which appears to be a dampening effect applied to relatively new sites.

It seems there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that a lot of new sites can rank quickly but then seem to fall away for a time. Its nothing to worry about, its all part of Googles complicated algorithms at work to cut down spam sites.

Just keep working at the stuff you know should be doing - creating valuable content on your site that s keyword-rich and your linkbuilding. In time your sites will establish themselves in the rankings.
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kieran
Posts: 75
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Thanks Troy and Jason

Kieran
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Kieran

www.moneymakingbuzz.com - the Key to Online Wealth
www.buildthingsdirect.com - the Top Site for Home Improvement Projects
 

This topic was started on Oct 03, 2009 and has been closed due to inactivity. If you want to discuss this topic further, please create a new forum topic.

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