My Site Changed Locations in Google

This is the question my wife asked me this weekend and did I do anything to her site. As you may know, Google’s search results change regularly as they update their index. When Google adds new sites and incorporates the updates to the content of existing pages, pages in their search results shift. Some will be ranked higher than before for a particular keyword and others lower.

Occasionally, fluctuation in ranking could be due to differences in Google’s data centers. Basically when you perform a Google search, your query is sent to a Google data center in order to retrieve search results. Google has numerous data centers, and many factors (such as geographic location and search traffic) determine where a query is sent. Because not all of our data centers are updated simultaneously, it’s possible to see slightly different search results depending on which data center handles your query.

Guidelines for Better Results:

  • Relevant sites linking to you
  • Submit to relevant directories
  • Clear hierarchy and text links
  • Check for broken links and correct HTML
  • Create a robots.txt file
  • Pages for users not search engines
  • Avoid Hidden text or hidden links
  • Do not create duplicate content on subdomains

Therefore Google can not guarantee that any page will rank consistently in their search results, or even be included at all for that matter. If you are interested there are webmaster guidelines that can be followed to better index your site.

May 29, 2007 | posted in The Net 

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6 Responses to “My Site Changed Locations in Google”

  1. digitalnomad on May 29th, 2007

    Hey Jason,
    Like that new logo thing you got going in the header. Seems like you changed your subhead?

  2. digitalnomad on May 29th, 2007

    Jason-

    This is off topic, but wanted to ask if you have made any progress or money with Squidoo.

  3. Community Building Blog on May 30th, 2007

    I think the most important point you raise in your guidelines is the one that states ‘Pages for users not search engines’.

    Please the humans first, and the search engines will come naturally!

    - Martin Reed

  4. Jason Neuman on May 30th, 2007

    Digitalnomad-

    Yes I made some changes this weekend. Updated the theme layout and logo to my site a look of its own since 40,000 others use this same template.

    Have not checked Squidoo since setting it up but will today. The main reason wasn’t money just another attempt to get more traffic.

    Yes true if you write for the users the serach engines will come in time..

  5. David Wilkinson on May 30th, 2007

    Hey Jason - just sent some linklove your way. ;)

    http://www.techzi.net/articles/2007/05/29/entrepreneurs-making-a-living-online/

    I’ll be seeing you around!

  6. digitalnomad on May 30th, 2007

    Jason,

    I did the same thing with Squidoo for traffic, but do not know how you would measure it.

    Evidently, Squidoo gets indexed quickly, but I always wonder who is looking at the lenses.

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