SEO Question...

[PintoPotts]

OK, not sure if it's just me but something strange seems to have happened on Yahoo & Google this week...

Strange thing 1) I often check the number of back-links to a site at www.yahoo.co.uk (http://www.yahoo.co.uk) using the command 'link:www.marketingasolicitor.com' (let's use my blog website as an example) - a few days ago there were about 150 links showing from various sites, including links from UKBF, but now Yahoo is only returning the indexed pages it has of the site (all 4 of them!) and not showing any of the links to it.

Strange thing 2) Google used to show no links at all for www.marketingasolicitor.com (http://www.marketingasolicitor.com) but now when you type the command link:www.marketingasolicitor.com into Google there are 85 links, i'm not moaning about this! I just don't understand.

I know a Page Rank update is due any time soon and I wondered if it had something to do with that?

Does anyone know what has changed, why it has changed and where is the best place to check links.

[sabian1982]

Yup the PR update has something to do with the backlink update in Google - pior to the PR update, Google updates backlinks to sites.

In terms of the number, this is the number of sites that Google deems important (how google defines important however is anyones guess as even talk of PR being abandoned is now being discussed).

As for yahoo, not really sure, but i presume yahoo could well be going through a similar update or change...

[PintoPotts]

So it must be good news in terms of www.marketingasolicitor.com (http://www.marketingasolicitor.com) then - I set it up 3 months ago, obvioulsy with zero links, now Google is showing 85!

Do you reckon I could be in for a decent PR? Or am I getting excited over nothing!

PS: Please don't anyone enter into the PR is/isn't important debate, we've all been there and done that.

[sabian1982]

To be honest PR is pointless unless your using it as a means to sell links - which is something that Google has recognised and doesn't like. I'd forget about PR and concentrate on SERPs - as a business im sure you'd prefer better ranking and traffic than a little green bar that has an assigned number between 1 and 10...

As for the 85 this is really only a sample of the backlinks that Google recognises...

PS: if you haven't already seen it, i sent you a pm yesterday re the other thread discussion.

[PintoPotts]

Thanks, I take your point, but let's be honest PR is internet respect and we all want it!

My marketing blog is nothing more than my ramblings about marketing and other stuff, it isn't used to sell anything, although it does link to the Personal Injury Lawyer where I work (http://www.pintopotts.co.uk/news) so a trickle of business may come in from it.

Anyone else got any views on the strange goings on at Yahoo and Google?

[sabian1982]

Its quality content though; people love to read. If you can get the traffic you can use it as a stepping stone to send traffic to your other sites to help generate further sales.

You might also want to consider not publising the entire article on both the blog and pintopotts as Google (among other search engines) hates duplicate content - it could potentially result in one or both sites getting sandboxed or banned (although its unlikely, its something to consider) - content should ideally stay unique!

[PintoPotts]

Thanks for the tips, although I never put stories that are on www.marketingasolicitor.com (http://www.marketingasolicitor.com) on www.pintopotts.co.uk/news (http://www.pintopotts.co.uk/news) (other than our campaign to save the West End Centre, but the copy is different).

The Pinto Potts blog (http://www.pintopotts.co.uk/news) is totally related to articles about Personal Injury and what is happening at the firm, the marketing blog is my personal account of marketing ideas, thoughts and comments.

Anyway, I don't feel much further forward in solving the strange goings on at Yahoo and Google...

[RayB]

I think Sabian has summed it up bang on the money.


Yes, Google has updated the links it shows via the link: operator and also related sites via the related: operator (our site shows related sites for the first time now).
Indeed, this generally indicates a Toolbar PageRank update is round the corner. (Roughly a quarterly event based on history)
PageRank has little if any influence on your SERP's
As a user I find the green bar useful for sites I visit as a general "quality" indicator
That said the green bar is abused by link sellers - it's biggest problem
Regarding Yahoo! - yes they are definately playing with their algo at the moment - probably rolling out an update but bug fixing and testing bit by bit which is why there are fluctuations

[peterjhale]

the yahoo link command should be "linkdomain:www.yourdomain.com" - you have searched for anything with "link:..."

Google updates their backlinks and PR about once every 3 months or so - so perhaps they have just updated your site (you say it's 3 months old so there you go)

Google doesn't (and never have) shown all backlinks - they are just a random sample (based on an algorithm :) )

[sabian1982]

The PR update is imminant!!!

[sirearl]

Thanks, I take your point, but let's be honest PR is internet respect and we all want it!




out of the mouthes of babes:D

PS: Please don't anyone enter into the PR is/isn't important debate, we've all been there and done that.

[Subbynet]

According to Matt Cutts (Don't you love that saying lol) Google now updates super doper quick - and not each month, each week, each day, but can be as low as each hour... So an hour after putting something online it could show up in the SERP's.

Google has recent been found giving away / and / or / selling backlinks from high PR Google pages. Yes you read right - the almightly Google is guilty of Do As I Say And Not As I Do.

Google needs cutting down to size - like a dominate Microsoft is bad for business, a dominate Google sucks for online business.

Anyways slightly OT - but basically Google has made big changes recently in the speed of indexing.

[PintoPotts]

Yeah, I read Matt Cutt's article (http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/minty-fresh-indexing)too, some new posts are now showing within 10 minutes of hitting the web! Makes very interesting reading...

But that doesn't explain the odd changes with regards to the number of links to my marketing blog (http://www.marketingasolicitor.com) and also why Yahoo is no longer showing links.

[Subbynet]

No true - but then don't look for explnations because your wasting your time lol... Just be happy it has back links and work at getting more.

[PintoPotts]

Now, that is a fair comment!

[Subbynet]

Now, that is a fair comment!

:D

It did sound a little abrupt - sorry... But I mean Google is a PITA, just when you think you've got an edge on how it all works, they update and your then working towards different goals.

I'd try not get bogged down with it but just keep plodding away at the things you know will do you no harm.

Martin

[ScottB]

Google updates link: counts and toolbar PR values during different "updates" so you can get an increased value for one without the other changing - there has been a recent link: update so that's why you see links now.

But these are just snapshots in time - so your site has been ranking at a "85 backlink weight" for a while - it's just now Google shows that. The same goes for toolbar PR values - you could be shooting at a "PR4" weight for months for example, but it won't show on the toolbar until the update.

Consider the values as more of a FYI value then a reflection of your current "fighting value". Useful for quarterly benchmarks of growth comparisons more than an indication of any kind of ranking factor.

Scott

[sirearl]

Google updates link: counts and toolbar PR values during different "updates" so you can get an increased value for one without the other changing - there has been a recent link: update so that's why you see links now.

But these are just snapshots in time - so your site has been ranking at a "85 backlink weight" for a while - it's just now Google shows that. The same goes for toolbar PR values - you could be shooting at a "PR4" weight for months for example, but it won't show on the toolbar until the update.

Consider the values as more of a FYI value then a reflection of your current "fighting value". Useful for quarterly benchmarks of growth comparisons more than an indication of any kind of ranking factor.

Scott



Agreed love the term "fighting value" one of my partners puts it that "we out punch our weight division" as he can't understand how a PR 3 can beat a PR 6 ;)


Earl

[brightsparkelectrical]

Yes I have noticed this to, google have updated backlinks PR is soon coming, as for yahoo they ahve started a new campaign of not showing up links.

[RayB]

PageRank - good for warm fuzzy feeling - thats about it