4 replies to this topic

[xavier]

Hello,

I redesigned a union web site a few months ago using only CSS to manage the layout and all the positionning. It is now powered by a CMS (spip).

While I was at it, I modified the html page to put the main div (the middle column) at the top of the html page and all the "decorative" elements (the logo, top banner and top menu) at the bottom of the html. This web site had a Pagerank 4 and now it's at 5 (according to googlebar), althought I strongly suspect other elements (more incoming links) as being the main reason for this increase.

However, google has dropped some pages, like the home page or just kept the URL for some others. In fact, most of the pages it has kept on its index are old pages or documents from the previous web site.

I've read threads on this forums about other sites having the same problem and I don't think it's because the web site contains duplicated content from other web sites nor that it has been down.

In fact, the only reason I could see mentionned is that I'd tried to trick google and I've been caught.
Would it be possible that google think the CSS optimisations I've used are spam ?

Any suggestion welcome.

Edited by searchrank, 21 June 2004 - 11:02 AM.

[anthonyparsons.com]

Mate, the CSS positioning should have little to do with it. Google does take CSS every now and then for a little look, but it is unlikely. The PageRank has nothing to do with your modifications, that is only link related.

You may find that Google has just dumped your pages because of the changes and will reindex next time around. That is the most common problem when you make major changes. This allows them to relook all your new content from scratch for any possible spam techniques. It is normal.

[domokun]

I would agree with Anthony. It's unlikely to be the CSS itself, and more that the site code has almost completely changed since it's last visit. In a week or so everything should have returned to normal.

[xavier]

Thanks for your comments and advices.

I forgot to mention that I changed the website a few months ago, until recently, it worked fine and the new web site has been googleboted and indexed without any problem a few days after the change.
Would it be possible that google took that long to "discover" that all the web site has changed ?

Xavier

[Randy]

It's entirely possible Xavier.

When you make massive changes to a web site Google, and all the rest for that matter, basically put the pages on "probation" and need to figure out everything from scratch again. It's much like the process you see with brand new sites, except for the fact that the existing site already has some links pointing towards it.

To put it into human terms, let's say there was a site that you visited almost every day over the course of a couple of years. Suddenly, the layout and content is totally changed because the owner revamped the entire site.

It's going to take you a little while to figure out where everything is again. Instead of knowing exaclty which links to click on to get to your favorite area you're going to have to look more closely.

That very well may be all that's happening. Googlebot is trying to figure out what's still there and what's not. And how to get from Point A to Point B.

9 times out of 10 if you simply give it some time everything works itself out.