The Now Infamous Google Dance and Getting Found
WARNING: This article is rated R. R for Reality check. The tone and verbiage used is not suitable for all audiences. Those easily upset by the truth should be accompanied by an adult.
The November, 2003 pre-holiday season will go down as the one where the infamous monthly “Google Dance” (as those of us in this business have dubbed Google algorithm changes) kicked in and turned the usual dance into a mosh pit. So infamous are these dances that they are actually named like hurricanes - in this case “Florida”. And boy did this dance heat things up!
Talk about bad timing! Right before the big eCommerce Holiday sales season, Google modified their algorithms again. Again, you say? Well, this is generally a monthly occurrence that you may not have noticed before or that may not have effected you as dramatically as this dance did to so many Web sites that are now MIA in Google’s database. With this latest dance, Google cleaned house - but good. Should you live your life chasing after each dance? No.
Technology has always evolved at a dizzying pace - that has never stopped and Google is doing what they think they need to in order to continue to offer the best relevancy in searches for their visitors. This latest gyration isn’t perfect, none of the dances are. As a matter of fact, some of the results I am seeing do not make sense nor can I correlate against the varied and sundry analogies I’ve read from all the “experts” - each who happens to have a different twist on what Florida is about.
Consensus has it that Google is attempting to offer more targeted results by identifying sites who have abused highly competitive terms, by trying to expel those improperly optimized sites and by limiting search clogging affiliate sites. In the process a whole bunch of faultless sites were also removed. I’ve read stats that as many as 50-72% of the top 100 sites before the dance are now off the map.
One thing is clear, Google will keep on tweaking as they always have to try to reach that perfect mix of quality and relevancy in their search services. You can take it to the bank that will never end. Another thing you can count on is Google doesn’t care how you are listed - only that you are listed as you should be. Relevantly - based on the content and value of your site - which is subjective. Everyone has an opinion on how relevancy, value and popularity should be determined - however, the only opinion that counts on this matter is Google’s.
As been the case from the start, search evolution will continue and there is nothing you can do about it but wipe away those tears and deal with the reality of getting found - which really hasn’t changed all that much over the years. Sites that were dropped were those that were way over-optimized, were not quality sites based on Google’s algorithm criteria, played the linking game incorrectly or not at all or did not relay their niche well enough to hold strong listings for any one topic.
I’ve “preached”, so I’ve been told, on the reality of getting found online for years. I considered getting found an ongoing work in progress - always have. By having that methodology I do not go into a panic with every Google Dance or other search site algorithm change. Read any of my articles in my Article Archives and you’ll see I recommend hard work, diligence, budgeting funds to nurture one’s program, ongoing knowledge acquisition and more hard work to attain any reasonable goals. I’ve never sold on hype, easy success or low cost solutions because I know that would not provide clients the success they desired.
There are those who decide to follow the path of least resistance on the topic of their findability. These sites are now either completely out of Google’s database or listed so far down the list any clicks will be happenstance. At this point the truth is coming home to roost and only those willing to roll up their sleeves and deal with the reality of what technology is, not what they prefer it to be, will get found and therefore succeed online. This means no more free lunch! You want to get found, well you’d better be prepared to work harder, spend more (not just on Search Engines but on growing a quality site) and be open to understanding the dynamics of getting found as you never have before.
My reality based selling style has caused a few to go on their merry way looking for inexpensive (preferably free) and easier ways to “get traffic”. Many actually believing it will “just happen” with outdated sites, sites with no valuable content, a few links from friend’s homemade sites, by shuffling some Meta keywords and without having to spend a dime. “There has to be an easier way!” I’ve heard many exclaim over the years. There simply isn’t - it is what it is. See my 5 year old sermon The Ten Commandments of Search Engines on this very important methodology.
To understand why “Florida” and other algorithms occur, one has to go into the “way back machine.” In the early days of the Web, basic sites with basic information were easily found. There simply was not the volume of sites, the commercialization and therefore the competitiveness of the Web was not yet in full swing and there were not as many so-called consultants selling trickery or taking advantage of what potential clients didn’t know to get into their pocketbook.
The Web is now the bastion of commercialism, rabid competitiveness is what wins, spam abounds and there are consultants waiting in line to take your money with promises that cater to what you don’t want to deal with. You’ve all seen the spam touting “Guaranteed Top 10 Listings” and the like. That sounded good and people wanted to believe. It is consultants that reverse engineer every move Google makes combined with tactics to raise and take advantage of Google’s infamous Page Rank that has led us to this point. A question begging to be asked… was Google supposed to ignore these efforts to manipulate their search results?
Searchers want relevancy and Google knows this and has always found a way to provide it better than others. Searchers do not want the sites that know how to pull high on Google - that doesn’t necessarily indicate relevancy or even quality. Nor do they want 100 affiliate sites in lieu of the original product or service provider’s site.
Now it’s 2006 and all bets are off. I really never understood why many believed getting found was easy, something owed to them or should be at no cost. In addition, if you only depend on Google for all your online exposure, you really do not get the big picture of opportunity available to you.
If you were to open a new business with a physical location, you need to advertise. This would include different newspapers, yellow page type guides, specialty mailings and publications, targeted magazines and possibly radio or T.V.. You wouldn’t open that new business without a marketing budget and without placing a single ad or promotion and just expect customers to funnel into your business in droves - just because you unlocked the door. Nor would you expect any off-line publication or directory to list you for free.
Here is the rub that many Web site owners refuse to acknowledge. The Web is not a stagnant telephone directory, newspaper or magazine. It is evolving technology that has changed from the start and will continue to do so. This, I believe is what drives Web site owners crazy the most - the lack of predictability ability. So don’t try to predict - just get used to reacting.
Why is it then when it comes to Web sites that so many site owners believe that if they have a site - regardless of quality, content, useability - that Netizens are going to crash their server with inquiries or orders and that search engine listings should be at no cost for perpetuity? I guess we only have spam and lack of real world business experience to thank for those misconceptions.
Pretty much all industries and markets were effected. Highly competitive markets and Real Estate seemed to get beat up the most this time around. Why? Those were the folks who were more likely to over-optimized and/or used tactics to factitiously inflate the true relevancy and quality of their sites. Some even misusing their Page Ranking to sell links to artificially inflate other site’s Page Rank. So, the question comes up again - was Google to allow this type of manipulation they knew to be going on to continue? I think not.
To be fair, yes, some site owners were misinformed victims. They made changes to their sites themselves based on inaccurate information on some Web site somewhere that included practices frowned upon by Google. Or, they hired those who said what they wanted to hear and used tactics unbeknownst to them that caused them to disappear from Google. If fault is to be handed out with this situation, site owners need to be willing to accept their equal share for the decisions they have made to date.
Folks, the jig is up! Your quest for high rankings can easily be attained with a quality site that is a work in progress - for the long haul. You had better have a great site - not just a site “you” think is great, one that your market will be impressed by. I wrote an article years ago, Just Don’t Bother Unless… stating at that time “the only way you can succeed is to offer all around excellence in your company’s presence on the Web - to stand out from the rest”. Years ago I was saying that and the folks that followed my lead are doing very well and were not effected by this latest “dance”.
There are billions and billions of individual pages online. Why should you pull near the top for your keywords - just because? Because you change some “Meta Keywords”? Those are basically ignored by most crawlers by the way. Oh, you have some sites linking to you. Yes, that may help (Careful, careful - not all links are created equal!) however that is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg of an overall ongoing effort to make your site excel out within your niche.
So, now what? You need to work towards being the best in your particular market/niche so you can have solid natural listings in addition to working PayPerClick programs smartly. And if your site is home-brewed looking those PayPerClicks will mean cost not revenue when folks see your site and jump to hit that back button. It really doesn’t matter if you like that concept or not - that is the way it is and what will be required to attain and/or maintain listings.
For the each site owner moving forward, getting found involves cost, time and ongoing hard, very hard work. Don’t fool yourself. Statistics, data and learning new things - every day for the foreseeable future will be involved and add to that anything new just over the horizon that you will have to address. One better learn to enjoy and become exhilarated by technology or they need to hire someone who is or they simply will not succeed. The gravy train has parked. The rules are clear. And if you don’t like the rules of the game, that really doesn’t matter, only those who play by them will succeed.
My “preaching” on this topic has been consistent for years. Create a content rich niche site, that gives the perception you are THE expert in your field, nurture it, grow it and budget for your marketing program and everything will fall into place. How can I say that without hesitation? Because I know it to be true because I’ve lived it for almost a decade. I’m lovin’ “Florida” and hope there are more changes in that direction. And true to my character I am not saying that to gain new clients or encourage current ones to sign up for any of my programs. Facts are facts. None of my various commercial sites were dropped, actually a couple moved up in positioning because they are cleanly coded, content rich or niche as niche can be.
The formula for success online is clear and has remained relatively unchanged for years. Florida is simply one of the first of many more steps in the right direction.
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