Google Webmaster Tools, why do you lie to me?

[tjcocker]

I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this kind of thing:

Website #1 shows up in webmaster tools in spot 7 for my main keyword, but I'm really in spot 8-11. No big deal.

Website #2 shows up in spot 3 for my main keyword, but it isn't found anywhere. In fact, all the keywords that they say I'm ranking for on the first page are nowhere to be found when I do the searches.

Both sites are on Bing at #2 for the main keyword, so at least I've got that going for me...

Site #1 is a .com that is 3 months old. Site #2 is a .info and only 2 months old.

Has anyone else experienced similar results from google webmaster tools, or know what might be going on? Do .infos really suck that much? They're just so cheap and I can usually get exact match for my keywords. Also, yes I'm cheap, but on a budget. Been laid off for several months and have a baby on the way.

I'm an XFactor fan, been lurking around here a while and decided to take action and make my own job since nobody seems to be hiring. I have 18 sites, most of them less than a month old. I'm averaging around $1.50/day from a few .coms I built 3 months ago. Looking forward for things to start going faster, but I'm trying to remain patient. Any advice is truly welcomed.

Also, thank you to all the warriors, and this forum for providing a way I can try to support my family through my own hard work and knowledge. It was very humbling taking the first steps, but every day I can tell how much differently I feel about doing this than any other job I've ever had. However, this is the most discouraging work I've ever done. I'll keep plugging away though, failure is not an option.

[tjcocker]

Originally Posted by blueice

Good luck and I hope you persist and pull it off.

Are you checking the Google Datacenters, I sometimes get really high search rankings but they are from searches places like Angola etc.

Not sure what you mean. Do you have a link or can you tell me about it? I just use the Google keyword tool, on exact, to do my keyword research.

[clickbump]

Originally Posted by tjcocker

Has anyone else experienced similar results from google webmaster tools, or know what might be going on? Do .infos really suck that much? They're just so cheap and I can usually get exact match for my keywords. Also, yes I'm cheap, but on a budget. Been laid off for several months and have a baby on the way...

I'm an XFactor fan, been lurking around here a while and decided to take action and make my own job since nobody seems to be hiring...

Also, thank you to all the warriors, and this forum for providing a way I can try to support my family through my own hard work and knowledge. It was very humbling taking the first steps, but every day I can tell how much differently I feel about doing this than any other job I've ever had. However, this is the most discouraging work I've ever done. I'll keep plugging away though, failure is not an option.

TJ, first of all thanks for sharing your story. It's inspiring to hear that you are taking matters into your own hands and looking for opportunities to provide for your family under trying circumstances. There are so many opportunities for anyone with a computer and internet connection that it literally amazes me what the Internet has made possible.

About the webmaster tools. I frequently find that they are off a few positions for me, but not by much. I never ever use .info domains. Its perhaps too late now, but if you have any niche domains to purchase in the next two days, 1and1 has a 4.49 special on .NETs. I consistently rank well with these.

You also want to make sure you are not seeing your personalized search results when looking at your rankings in Google. A trick I use to avoid this (since I'm always logged into a Google account of one sort or another) is to use a Firefox plug called SEO4Firefox in that enhances my Google searches with all sorts of essential SEO related information about each site directly there in the results.

I can then hit the "Top 100" button to see the top 100 sites (vs the top 10) and I find these results are not personalized (although the top ten are), so I get to see the results in the same order my site visitors see them before they click over to my site.

Finally, as I indicated earlier, your story is an inspiration to me and I'd like to give you something to perhaps help your progress following the Xfactor method. Check your PM...

[webpromoterservice]

webmaster tools is a bit slow in showing updates,so you have to give it time to catch up to changes and ranking improvements.

[tjcocker]

Thanks for the support clickbump.

I use anonymous proxy servers and other means to find the true search results, generally they are exactly the same.

I don't really like seobook, too spammy with all the emails trying to sell me stuff and get me to sign up. It's mostly things I can find for free elsewhere without the emails.

On the same note I didn't sign up for the XFactor course, reading his thread gave me enough hints. I'm sure the course is great, and it would save me a lot of time, but I'm doing this on the cheap. That means spending money on domains, period. I learned website design, how to do various kinds of backlinks, keyword research, competition analysis, and a ton of other things from reading the threads here, or doing a Google search...

I realize we're all trying to make money, but I'm looking for 100% free, good karma for you, passing along your knowledge to the next generation, altruistic, type of advice.

Anyone in marketing for more than a week gets a very touchy BS indicator. Even if people really truly love a particular tool, if it's a paid service don't bother telling me about it. It might make my life a dream, but I'll need to find a way to get the information another way for free. Thanks for the advice though.

[clickbump]

Originally Posted by tjcocker

Thanks for the support clickbump.

No problem, no charge for anything I'm sending you. Just wanted to lend a helping hand if you need it. Sounds like you are well on your way. Best of luck!

[freezzo]

I think I read in the google help somewhere that those rankings are averages across ALL of their searching, not just google.com. Not sure if that helps or not.

[Fraggler]

Download the complete data for your Top Search Queries and you will see what server you are ranking at that spot for. GWT shows percentages of total search results you appear in that position and the times clicked across all servers. In the top right corner you can change the servers manually but if you download the data and analyse with Excel you can see where you sit on their different servers. The data is correct, you just need to read it properly.

[sherry_d]

Those results in webmaster tools are seriously flawed. Its showing my top search results for keywords I have never ranked for. It sound a joke but for a while it show my top refering keyword to be adults girls position 8 ( i bet I will laughing all the way to the bank if i ranked for that). My site has nothing whatsoever to do with adult content and all things related. I checked my analtics and used all ranking tools to make sure I wasnt ranking for this and true I have not ranked at all for this term

In fact of the top 10 search queries only 5 are keywords I have ranked for, the rest are just random stuff that has nothing to do with my site

[Fraggler]

Have a look at the Keyword Analysis in GWT and see if it mentions that phrase anywhere.

You will be on the front page for more than 5 keywords. "adults girls" does not get searched that much (390/month) so it is unlikely to be targeted by any internet marketer so would be really easy to rank for. There is a chance that your site is ranking for that term on one of google servers even if you don't actively target it. Like I said in the previous post, download the data and find out which server is giving you that result.

Just because it doesn't tell you what you think or should be happening it doesn't mean it is wrong.

[sherry_d]

Originally Posted by Fraggler

Like I said in the previous post, download the data and find out which server is giving you that result.

I rank for that term adult girls apparently in google bangaladesh google.com.bd