How Does The Google Penalty "looks Like" Options

[SharonS]

Hi,

I have read many posts in this great forum as a guest, and now, I'm proud to be a member : )

My issue though, is a bit paneful (or not?): i think that my site is penalized, ill tell why:

10 days ago: it was ranked 8-11th place in a over 6 mil results keyword.
Friday thru Sunday, googlebot payed a visit, after two days another visit - Yippi im popular!!!
BUT - after that i saw that im not showing up in this keyword AT ALL, and a google has around 600K results less for it.

• I didn't do any Black Hat SEO (not that i know of any way)
• I think my site isnt banned since it shows in the "site:www.domain.com" search
• Few guys told me that it happened to them also, and that google is updating and im sure will come back soon, and maybe even in a higher rank

Did any one else encountered this phenomena?
Is it a penalty?
Should i write to google?

As you can see, im clueless... would love to have your opinion about it (please, only if you are sure about what you are saying, please)

Thanks a lot.

[Randy]

Welcome Sharon ! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/hi.gif)

Give it some time. You'll likely see your site make come roaring back up the SERPs.

A few random thoughts...

• The SERPs are not static. They're in constant fluctuation.
• Updates are happening constantly on all of the search engines. Algorithm upgrades also happen a lot more frequently than in years past. So you really can't begin to ascribe a rise or fall in the rankings to any one thing until and unless it becomes more permanent. A few days isn't enough time. Give it at least a few weeks.
• The search engines all maintain multiple data centers. You could be looking at one data center that's in the middle of an algo upgrade or a simple data update, while your site may be performing just fine in all of the other data centers. So the first thing you want to look at --instead of rankings-- is whether you're seeing a significant drop off in traffic and sales.
• As a general rule the engines don't go around penalizing sites willy-nilly. Quite the opposite in fact. It usually takes a lot to get a penalty, despite the common belief out there.

[Betty]

How old is your website?

[SharonS]

Welcome Sharon ! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/hi.gif)

Give it some time. You'll likely see your site make come roaring back up the SERPs.

A few random thoughts...

Thank, for the welcome and for calming me down a bit: (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarrassed.gif)

o.k. maybe you guys are familiar with the hittail tool, but incase you are not, ill tell you that I am using it:
This tool is to catch the long tail and it shows you the searches and keywords that leaded to your site real time - as they happen (ill put the URL on the bottom of this post. its great, wanted to share it with you).

Back the subject, i do get searches with the keyword leading to my site, i thought it was from google cache of some sort.
Do you have more info about those DATA CENTERS (of course i'll look it up myself, but just asking)?

Here is the HitTail url, its useful; you have free version and a paid one to get their recommendations, I use the free one. Enjoy: www.hittail.com

This post has been edited by SharonS: Jul 6 2007, 09:27 AM

[SharonS]

How old is your website?

kicking for around 6 month

[GOLFnTours]

How do we know we've been 'penalised'? A Google pagerank check on my site always returns '0' plus other complaints. Is my site 'penalised'? On keyword search, my site sits pretty well, sometimes on upper-section of front page! Please help.

[Martin C]

I would recommend signing up to use Google Webmaster Tools as a first step.

Try reading shearchengineland's Got A Google Penalty? A Workflow For Managing Google Penalties

[Randy]

On keyword search, my site sits pretty well, sometimes on upper-section of front page!

If your site is showing up in the SERPs for your keyword phrases, especially if it's garnering a first page ranking, it's highly unlikely you've incurred any penalty.

[GOLFnTours]

If your site is showing up in the SERPs for your keyword phrases, especially if it's garnering a first page ranking, it's highly unlikely you've incurred any penalty.

Does it mean I really don't have to bother with the PR if my site continues to show up?

[chrishirst]

You don't have to bother with PR Full Stop (Period for the other side of the pond ) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[SharonS]

The thing is, that even though i still get listed on some phrases/KWs, im not listed for the word that i have worked my *** off to get it to the dirst page (the explanation in the first post).

So How could it be? This is why i feel somewhat helpless, cus was in 8th position and now im wayyyyyyyyyyyyy (consider the Y's as houndreds of results...) back if at all there.

I have checked the google data center: have found few interesting sites: www.mcdar.net/dance/index.php
www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/internet/google-data-centers.htm
that gave me a gray sky once i checked my KW.

what can be the reason for that? Does any one any idea how can inquire this?

Reason for edit: removed live links as per forum rules

[Jill]

So How could it be? This is why i feel somewhat helpless, cus was in 8th position and now im wayyyyyyyyyyyyy (consider the Y's as houndreds of results...) back if at all there.

That's SEO. You go up, you go down.

If you want to stick in one place, you should buy PPC ads and bid the max, then you'll always show up there in the sponsored results.

Otherwise, just optimize for the hundreds of keyword phrases your site is related to, and sometimes you'll do well on some of them, and other times you'll do well on others of them.

[SharonS]

That's SEO. You go up, you go down.

Yeap, almost like the stock market...
BUT how low and how high? i mean, from 8th place to 12,15 or even 28th place i would understand, but from 8th to G*d knows where?! (or should i say G****e knows where... ; )

For a newb like me (7 months SEO) it seems a bit weired, but if a veteran SEO says it - ill accept.

[Randy]

And is this a new site? Meaning under a year old?

If so it's probably simply Google's aging delay.

It's not at all unusual for a new site to rank well on even very competitive for a few days straight out of the box. That's the way it's always been actually, just that before the "Grace" period for new sites to rank well was longer. Now, as soon as the aging delay kicks in the new site pretty much vanishes for many, many months for competitive phrases. Though they can still rank for relatively uncompetitve phrases.

If this sounds like your site, Scotties write up about it that's available in our aging delay thread should help you better understand what's happening.

[Jill]

For a newb like me (7 months SEO) it seems a bit weired, but if a veteran SEO says it - ill accept.

Yep, 7 months - 7 years. They're all subject to fluctuations. That's SEO. There's no exact science or magic bullet.