Google Caffeine Update - Preferes On-Site SEO To Backlinks - PROOF!

[Tom Brite]

Hey Warriors,

As with everything seo related people are always asking for proof. So i did some digging and found some. Actually i didn't do alot of digging but just remembered what i use to show people who asked how effective backlinking was on search engine rankings!

So if you haven't heard about the new change that will come in some time soon (or late lol) then i suggest you check out matt cutts blog!

More info on the Caffeine Update

Then once you have checked that out for more 'information' about it (heck matt doesn't give away alot anyhow), then i will show you my proof!

Okay so you have google normal version:

http://google.com

and the new google caffiene:

http://www2.sandbox.google.com

Now what i want you to search is.... click here

Its an old time favourite of mine that in normal google shows up with adobe having top position yet without even the mention of the word on its page let alone optimized for the keyphrase, that ranking is obtained just from backlinks... and lots of them with the anchor text... click here.

Then if we look in the new google then we will see that instead of adobe being top we have some other sites, the most prominent being Click Here: A Full-Service Interactive Advertising & Marketing Agency who is obviously optimized for the keyphrase click here and is actually more related! Okay adobe is still listed high but not as high as it was!

So the way i see it instead of people concentrating on backlinks so much now... its going to be on-site seo and then backlinks! Which really it should have been like that all along but people seemed to forget all about onsite seo apart from their title and maybe meta, and maybe a article thats optimized too but then that was it!

So there you have it!

Backlinks arn't as imprortant as they use to be and now on-site seo is a leading factor! With the all important PROOF!

Tom Brite

The exact reason why I posted about 2 months back about people not even doing "basic seo" on their site.. Trust me many don't....

I was laughed at when I posted that but guess who is going to have the last laugh ....

James

[VegasGreg]

I think that just confirms that Google wants it's search results to show high quality and on target content.

"Click Here" really has nothing to do with Adobe, but has something to do with a marketing company called "Click Here", so that is more of a targeted search result.

I think that will help eliminate all the crap that comes up in search results that has a zillion (or a googleplex:P) of backlinks to it.

(Not saying Adobe is crap, just making a general observation from some other high ranked sites)

I think this is a positive move.

[Tom Brite]

Originally Posted by TheRichJerksNet

The exact reason why I posted about 2 months back about people not even doing "basic seo" on their site.. Trust me many don't....

I was laughed at when I posted that but guess who is going to have the last laugh ....

James

James im glad that wasn't me saying that basic on site seo was a waste of time or just not doing it! It's always the first thing i ever do before wasting time on backlinks.... heck on site seo is much quicker than off site seo anyway!

Tom Brite

[Tom Brite]

Originally Posted by VegasGreg

I think that just confirms that Google wants it's search results to show high quality and on target content.

"Click Here" really has nothing to do with Adobe, but has something to do with a marketing company called "Click Here", so that is more of a targeted search result.

I think that will help eliminate all the crap that comes up in search results that has a zillion (or a googleplex:P) of backlinks to it.

(Not saying Adobe is crap, just making a general observation from some other high ranked sites)

I think this is a positive move.

Yeah i think it too is a positive move and i imagine there will be alot more influence and help for the on-site optimization factors!

I just wonder how google will treat wordpress and all in one seo plugins once they have finalized everything because some people who build their sites completely from scratch could argue that its a cheat and not many of the big authority sites are built around wordpress thats for sure!

Tom Brite

[Zeus66]

Don't for a second believe this will be the end of it. I was telling people as far back as 2001 that Google had locked itself into a never-ending pendulum swing, with both extremes being on-page and off-page. Clearly they've been giving off-page more weight in recent years. I think it was inevitable that they'd have to return to on-page to balance it out.

I'll bet you in a couple years or so, the pendulum will have swung back too far toward on-page, and Google will do another major overhaul (probably come up with a clever name like "Decaffeinated") and we'll all dance like puppets to start frantically building links non-stop again.

Interesting, but very predictable. Google made this bed, but all of us have to lie in it.

John

[DigiSumo]

WordPress is a great platform with SEO built in, but you still need to write proper titles, quality content, on-site, off-site SEO yourself to rank high and that takes manual work...

Mark

[SurviveUnemployment]

It's safe to say that both internal and external SEO are important, but thanks for pointing out that internal seems to have gained weight.

Originally Posted by Tom Brite

James im glad that wasn't me saying that basic on site seo was a waste of time or just not doing it! It's always the first thing i ever do before wasting time on backlinks.... heck on site seo is much quicker than off site seo anyway!

Tom Brite

It is the first thing that has been built into everyone of my sites that I have built for myself or clients and that is thousands... All my clients actually have full control from the admin area (most of my sites are php) to edit and change the basic seo..

Maybe now more people will finally take notice...

James

[Jenni Mac]

I can't imagine people building a site and not concentrating on on page SEO! It's the first thing I do, I don't even think about it anymore, it's just part of the process...isn't it?

Originally Posted by TheRichJerksNet

The exact reason why I posted about 2 months back about people not even doing "basic seo" on their site.. Trust me many don't....

I was laughed at when I posted that but guess who is going to have the last laugh ....

James

[Jeremy Kelsall]

In the example you showed, it worked out like that...

However, I did some research earlier and found the opposite - Even google ranking straight up Spam on the first page

I think it is going to be interesting how it all shakes out.

[internetmarketer99]

Based on the videos of Q&A from Matt Cutts at panels, interviews and such, over the last year or so, it seems to me that Google is pushing to neutralize SERPS manipulation through backlinking campaigns.

Mark

Originally Posted by Jenni Mac

I can't imagine people building a site and not concentrating on on page SEO! It's the first thing I do, I don't even think about it anymore, it's just part of the process...isn't it?

It should be Jenni but trust me many do not know how and it is one of the easiest things to do... I already knew a large amount of people did not do basic seo but ever since I been bookmarking sites for customers, you would be shocked to know the number of domains that have no seo at all..

James

[jendoe]

Hmm interesting.

I'm still new enough to ask dumb questions, so forgive me but... isn't onsite SEO kind of limited? I understand there are basic things you should do, but aren't they fairly simple (so that most sites could easily get to about the same level of on-site SEO without drastic measures)?

(I'm not including quality or quantity of the content here.)

Once you get beyond those hurdles, how *should* Google compare sites? If you have a million sites that all have good title tags, and keyword density, and whatnot... how do you pick the *best* of those?

(Hopefully based on quality of content, but right now, if I understand correctly - backlinking is *supposed* to indicate that. The idea being that lots of links from good sources indicate your site has such wonderful content that everybody is talking about it )

And, the next question... what happens when Google figures out how to ignore user-generated backlinks? It seems clear, in this model, that backlinks in profiles and forum posts (ie self-promotion) *shouldn't* carry the same weight as backlinks that a website owner chooses to put on their site. If it's obvious to me, then surely Google has noticed this and is working on a way to fix it?

And... any news on WHEN the new Google is going to be released? My little goarticles test article actually ranks MUCH higher on the new Google (first page on new google, down to page 7 or 8 on current Google) - all from backlinking. So I'm hoping SOON!

Thanks!
-Jen

[Black Hat Cat]

Originally Posted by Tom Brite

So there you have it!

Backlinks arn't as imprortant as they use to be and now on-site seo is a leading factor! With the all important PROOF!

Tom Brite

Is this a joke? You pull one page out of billions, and label it as proof positive that Google no longer cares about back links the way they used to?

[Andy Fletcher]

I wouldn't be surprised if Google had a special case in their algorithm for the keyphrase "click here" since it's one of the highest profile examples of backlink manipulation of the SERPs.

Focusing on either onpage or offpage seo to the exclusion of the other has been a mistake for years and will continue to be so for a long time to come.

To rank effectively your pages have to be targeted and supported by a solid linking campaign. I will be *very* surprised if that doesn't continue to be the case with Caffeine.

[Steve Crooks]

The changes with Google's algo over the last 10 years has always been about improving relevancy and the quality of it's index period... Of course onpage SEO is as always important and I can't see that there are any major changes on that front. Page rank was their way of getting that relevancy and quality to be passed through the web naturally.

We all know that page rank can and has been manipulated by webmasters so it seems that they are looking at other ways of blocking off this manipulation of passing link love around. I think that it is a little bit more complex than just saying that more emphasis is now going to be with on page SEO in fact I believe it has a lot more to do with visitor interactivity with websites..

Why else have..

1. Google been pushing webmasters to install analytics?
2. Google been pushing webmasters to have webmaster accounts with them?
3. Google introduced so many enhancements to user interaction with their search results? (sort options etc..)
4. Google have their own browser that they are pushing hard(chrome)?

I will tell you why.. All the emphasis on future google enhancements is purely about web searcher's experiences. It is about the behaviour of web searchers, what they like? what they don't like?

I don't know how this is translated into their algo but trust me this is what it is all about. I don't have any proof and anyone who does is still just guessing or works in the hub of Google but it just all makes sense when you think about it.

What does this mean for us? Stats like bounce rates, average time spent on certain pages etc.. are all things that add up to visitor experience. All Google analytics users received an email several months ago asking for permission to use the data from our accounts. I am convinced this data was used as a profile for building the picture for Google about user experiences along with their own data. I don't mean down to website level but just an overall picture of what sites rank for various keywords and what sites provide the best user experiences.

The upshot of course is that the same guidelines hold absolutely true as always. Great content, easy navigation and good quality backlinks are the key to doing well. In essense nothing has changed except the way Google judge this quality via the people that matter.. The visitors to our sites.

[bgmacaw]

Originally Posted by Steve Crooks

I will tell you why.. All the emphasis on future google enhancements is purely about web searcher's experiences.

It's actually more about how Google can make money from advertising to web searchers by violating the privacy of searchers, webmasters and everybody else. But, you can always opt out.

YouTube - Google Opt Out Feature Lets Users...

[Steve Crooks]

A glimpse into the future...

Originally Posted by bgmacaw

It's actually more about how Google can make money from advertising to web searchers by violating the privacy of searchers, webmasters and everybody else. But, you can always opt out.

YouTube - Google Opt Out Feature Lets Users Protect Privacy By Moving To Remote Village

[Steve Crooks]

Of course it is about putting relevant adverts in front of people, it is all part of the same thing really. I don't however subscribe to the idea that Google is all evil and is just about making huge profits. Of course they do want that but they also realise that the key to this is by offering continually better and more relevant results in their index. I don't doubt also that they sail close to edge when it comes to violating privacy of webmasters..

As webmasters, resistance IS futile so you either go with the Google flow or fight against it and end up making little money from your sites. It's a stark choice but that is the reality. Black hat techniques or just trying to game the google system is getting more and more futile with each update. Of course you can always find loopholes but it is a pointless exercise at the end of the day as they never last for long.

[Daniel Molano]

Originally Posted by TheRichJerksNet

The exact reason why I posted about 2 months back about people not even doing "basic seo" on their site.. Trust me many don't....

I was laughed at when I posted that but guess who is going to have the last laugh ....

James

Basic/Advanced on site SEO has always been half the battle, at least for the most competitive terms.

I guess now it's going to be even more important.

Nevertheless, I don't buy the the whole backlinks being less important, at least not yet.

[Daniel Molano]

Anyway, there's already a thread discussing this exact same topic, there's no point in making multiple threads about the same subjetct.

Here it is: Google Caffeine - Will the IM game change?

[Ursa Anzur]

Exactly! I always thought that on site SEO is the first thing that has to be properly optimized.

The first thing I do is check my clients' on site SEO. If they don't want to (or let me) correct and improve their meta tags and content (many don't), I won't do their off site SEO, as I believe it won't have such an effect it would if their website was properly optimized.

Overall more than 95% of websites I check are not even close to being properly optimized.

This is especially true here in my country. I would be a millionaire by now, if only I had a chance to do SEO for a quarter of companies in my town. Unfortunately they are (all) too cheap to pay for what is getting to be one of the most important parts of their business.

I had one company which wanted me to do SEO for their three websites - they were willing to pay €100. Their websites were a disaster .

[Kurt]

Originally Posted by Steve Crooks

The changes with Google's algo over the last 10 years has always been about improving relevancy and the quality of it's index period... Of course onpage SEO is as always important and I can't see that there are any major changes on that front. Page rank was their way of getting that relevancy and quality to be passed through the web naturally.

We all know that page rank can and has been manipulated by webmasters so it seems that they are looking at other ways of blocking off this manipulation of passing link love around. I think that it is a little bit more complex than just saying that more emphasis is now going to be with on page SEO in fact I believe it has a lot more to do with visitor interactivity with websites..

Why else have..

1. Google been pushing webmasters to install analytics?
2. Google been pushing webmasters to have webmaster accounts with them?
3. Google introduced so many enhancements to user interaction with their search results? (sort options etc..)
4. Google have their own browser that they are pushing hard(chrome)?

I will tell you why.. All the emphasis on future google enhancements is purely about web searcher's experiences. It is about the behaviour of web searchers, what they like? what they don't like?

I don't know how this is translated into their algo but trust me this is what it is all about. I don't have any proof and anyone who does is still just guessing or works in the hub of Google but it just all makes sense when you think about it.

What does this mean for us? Stats like bounce rates, average time spent on certain pages etc.. are all things that add up to visitor experience. All Google analytics users received an email several months ago asking for permission to use the data from our accounts. I am convinced this data was used as a profile for building the picture for Google about user experiences along with their own data. I don't mean down to website level but just an overall picture of what sites rank for various keywords and what sites provide the best user experiences.

The upshot of course is that the same guidelines hold absolutely true as always. Great content, easy navigation and good quality backlinks are the key to doing well. In essense nothing has changed except the way Google judge this quality via the people that matter.. The visitors to our sites.

I published a page about this 3 years ago, and predicted "people rank" and "you rank" in my private forum a few years before that.

Search enines are bound by logic, and the most logical way to have good results is to use REAL PEOPLE to rank the results, not algos.

Here's a look into the future, from an article I wrote 3 years in the past:
SEO and SEM Kurt Melvin's Big Page of Search Engine Optimization Strategies.


Specifically, check out my theories on "You Rank" and "People Rank".

[Fernando Veloso]

Originally Posted by Jeremy Kelsall

In the example you showed, it worked out like that...

However, I did some research earlier and found the opposite - Even google ranking straight up Spam on the first page

I think it is going to be interesting how it all shakes out.

Agree with you Jeremy. I saw a thread today by OMAR about Google Caffeine, started testing some stuff and this is what I can tell you:

In Google.pt the spam assault is ON FIRE right now.

Let's wait a couple days and see what happens when the dust settles.

[Steve Crooks]

Thats a great article Kurt.. You have always had a good handle on SEO though and I totally agree with what you wrote back then.

Originally Posted by Kurt

I published a page about this 3 years ago, and predicted "people rank" and "you rank" in my private forum a few years before that.

Search enines are bound by logic, and the most logical way to have good results is to use REAL PEOPLE to rank the results, not algos.

Here's a look into the future, from an article I wrote 3 years in the past:
SEO and SEM Kurt Melvin's Big Page of Search Engine Optimization Strategies.


Specifically, check out my theories on "You Rank" and "People Rank".

[timpears]

Just when I thought I was starting to understand this, they change it. Seems to be the story of my life recently. But like they used to say at my previous employer, "the only constant, is change".

[KirkMcD]

I checked on "click here" this morning and adobe is the second listing, so it's not being discounted all that much, if at all.

[tvanslooten]

Here is my take on this...don't sweat this "change." Just do what you should always do when you build and market a site - do on-site SEO and off-site SEO (i.e. backlinks) and you'll do just fine. I've been doing this since 2006 and despite all the "changes" Google has made over the years, all of my sites have performed just beautifully. Don't chase all these algo changes - just do your thing

Travis

[Julian Lockhart]

OK - no argument on the point that onpage seo is important.

BUT this is NOT proof!

Did you do backlink analysis? How many click here anchors for adobe vs clickhere.com.

did you even look at the rest of the results page in the caffeinated version

1. clickhere.com
2. Windows Media Player
3. doubleclick.com
4. quicktime download
5. adobe reader
6. adobe reader indented
7. cost of war
8. senate.org
9. real
10. java

The fact of the matter is all of these sites have backlink anchors that say CLICKHERE.

6 out of ten are some type of reader or player.
#7 50% of their BL anchors are CLICK HERE

Looks more like a shuffle of the cards than new rules.

So good advice on improving on page SEO
BAD ADVICE on backlinks taking a back seat.

[Mike Anthony]

Way too early to be making those assessments. I don't see backlinks going away much at all - not across the board. More likely is a change in how certain backlinks will be counted. Basically what we have now is backlink spamming and my bet is that google will do all it can to remove that. Using results from the sandbox is iffy. A couple changes and things can be way different. No one knows yet.

[Jack Doug]

Thanks Tom for the wonderful resources. When will the new Caffine version take effect?