How To Recover From Google's October 13th Update

[JamesPenn]

Hi Warriors

As you may well know, on October 13th Google launched what it claimed to be a "minor" update.

I got hit hard, and according to this thread, so did a lot of other Warriors.

are you affected by Google Panda update Oct 13 2011

On October 12th, the day before the update, I got over 800 visitors from Google. On October 14th, (the first full day after the update) I had just 135 visitors from Google and yesterday 133.

I had a number of highly searched keywords on the first page of Google, and seven or eight of them were in the top three. Now, I have no keywords with more than 1,000 searches until position 8 on Google, and most have dropped to the second, third or fourth page - or even past page 10.

Doing a Google search for some of the main keywords I was ranking for shows some real junk and irrelevant websites, plus a lot of shopping links even for keywords that aren't buying keywords.

The site that got hit was a natural health blog. It's been online for three and a half years and publishes only unique, high quality content.

It monetizes primarily via Amazon affiliate links within the text. For example, if I've got an article about getting rid of dandruff and I suggest using a dandruff shampoo, then I'll link to it

I also have three Adsense ad units. One in a prominent position and two in not so prominent positions. I wouldn't say the Adsense makes the site look cheap or takes away from the user experience.

My blog has been promoted primarily by guest posts on a mixture of authority and smaller blogs in the health/beauty market. I had one article published on perhaps the most popular hair care website in the world. Aside from that the only other real promotion I've done is some article submission to EZA. Other blogs naturally linking to me have contributed to my link profile.

I can't work out why Google would penalize my site and thought we could use this thread to try to work out some common factors in blogs and websites that have taken a dive.

Share your website profile, how you generate backlinks, and how you've fared in this Google update and we can try and work out common factors that have led to sites getting punished.

Plus, if you have any links to any of the major SEO blogs and forums that discuss the October 13th update, please let me know.

Thanks,
James

[joecool1972]

A few of my sites have been hit. My main site normally gets over 1,100 visitors a day and that has gone right down to under 380, so I am feeling the hit.

I compared some of my sites that have been hit with one of my sites that was not hit and two things stood out.

1. My site that wasn't hit is a lot newer, only about 8 months old where as my main sites are 2-4 years old. (however, I don't think this has a lot to do with it)

2. When I started to create my newer site that wasn't hit I was trialing a new strategy. Now I always try to create quality content but this time I went one step further and I actually did a lot of outbound linking to authority sites. On any given page on my blog you will find 2-5 outbound, external links to authority sites. My theory at the moment is that google is beginning to put more emphasis on this because it sees sites that do that as really wanting to provide quality and give background well researched information, just like wikipedia does (in theory).

What does everyone else think? I am doing some more testing to check out my theory, but I think I am on the right track.

[packerfan]

Are you guys tracking which keywords you're losing traffic for? Maybe you're competing for something that's actively monitored or something. No clue really. None of my sites were affected.

[boxoun]

My theory is that it is just random garbage and if you escaped, you just got lucky. Tired of people talking about quality content as if they are the only ones who have quality content.

Let's stop talking about quality content and move on to other factors that might play a part.

I have bmr as my link structure for certain keywords that dropped. Not making assumptions just pointing out facts. I still rank top 3 for main keywords but loss long tail traffic for non competitive keywords that were naturally ranking before.

I also have other sites that rank with crappy link structure made before I understood quality links.
Forum links, bookmarks, web2.0s. So crappy links might not play as big as part as it may seem. Maybe just less weight given to them but we already knew this stuff was happening.

I agree with other poster. Link out and make sure you have good navigation.

Right now looks just like random garbage with emphasis on BIG BRANDS. Expect tweaks throughout the week. I know they update everyday but I'm talking about tweaks specifically to the October 13th update.

[36burrows]

Originally Posted by boxoun

My theory is that it is just random garbage and if you escaped, you just got lucky. Tired of people talking about quality content as if they are the only ones who have quality content.

Quote of the day right here.

[boxoun]

Originally Posted by packerfan

Are you guys tracking which keywords you're losing traffic for? Maybe you're competing for something that's actively monitored or something. No clue really. None of my sites were affected.

I lost long tail traffic for non competitive small niche and also lost long tail traffic on physical product niche. Phyisical product niche I can understand based on big brand emphasis thats been talked about but not sure why my long tail for very non competitive niche took a hit. I'm sure i can prop them up with links but that will obviously take a hit to the roi where they were naturally ranking for the long tail before.

These are early effects and can still change.

[ezzypro]

My website went pretty much untouched, and a few of my keywords actually went up, but I did have a random website pop ahead of me for one of my keywords (and it has close to nothing to do with the keyword... lol)

Sorry to all you guys that were hit hard...

[JimmyR]

Yep, this is the first update that hit me hard. The weirdest thing is, it would say it was my 'most quality' site that got taken down. The one I was putting all the effort into because I was sick of making tons of MFA sites. Now, it makes the same coin as my crappy MFA sites.

I feel like Google screwed up on this one. They've fairly well succeeeded in hammering the IM community, which is probably what they want to do, but it seems that it is the quality sites getting slammed more than others.

It's clear that better social integration and hence branding is going to win in the long run, but it doesn't explain why crap sites are still leading. Like the OP said, there's mostly crap in his top 10 for his old keyword. Same deal here.

Even popular blogs with reader engagement and social interaction took big hits. I was reading one the other day who dropped 70%, losing most of his long tails.

Hopefully there will be some tweaks to this update which may fix some things, because it really does seem big G has messed up at least a little bit.

As for the OP's question, my site that was hit has basically every kind of link I can think of, because it has been around to see a lot of different strategies. There are all the old standard ones like bookmarks, directories, RSS feed submissions through forum links, article directories, web2.0, blog comments. Social links like FB, Twitter, G+. There are also many niche specific links such as travel blogs/logs.

A big factor could be anchor text variation, as the old school strategy of having the same anchor text every time, if not already, will probably hurt your rankings. It wouldn't be hard for google to say "if 90% of links have the same anchor text, flag site as crap". That said, I have sites built with this old school strategy which haven't been touched in over a year still ranking.

There really seems to be nothing in common! But there are so many other variables like competition which may be why sites with similar promo strategies have remained high in the SERP's, yet some get hammered.

I'll stick around and see what others have to say

[Fraggler]

Wouldn't this be best kept to the one thread? There is already a lot of good discussion about people's site's profile. Spreading it out seems pointless and will only water down the discussion.

[mentormatt8]

Fraggler, a link would be helpful.

[Apollo-Articles]

Get out of Google, it's a poor business model to rely on a third party to bring you income.

I'm glad this happened now rather than down the line where I may of been relying on income generated through my SEO efforts.

Move into article syndication it's the original method of generating traffic to websites and still works well.

Even if you did again rank well, Google could come along next time and hit you even harder.

Don't become reliant on Google.

Sam

P.S.
Article syndication has nothing to do with backlinks from articles, it's about building a network of alliances with websites/blogs/trade journals ect which will publish your articles (which then contains a resource box).

[Sasha Gibbs]

I have a suppliers directory, after every panda update i have to face fall in ranking. I have changed description of every supplier, on site for all my pages and even minimizing the my web pages, but this time again i have been hit.
I have start writing article on different blogs, writing for ezine and few other unique article directories and few bulk article directories.

Can any one point out what is the major fault in my work that is becoming the reasont to push me out from SERP.

[Fraggler]

Originally Posted by mentormatt8

Fraggler, a link would be helpful.

It is in the original post.

[Cool Hand Luke]

I agree with a lot of the assessments. Some of my best sites with the most natural linking from visitors, the best info for visitors, and content that people genuinely WANT are the sites that got hit the worst. Meanwhile, a bunch of adsense-based sites I'd just started that look like crap, and are obviously built for adsense skyrocketed up in the rankings...as did a couple of my 5-post Amazon sites.

Google is obviously trying to hit affiliates, but they seem to be hitting a ton of the affiliate sites visitors actually like, and all of the "junk" affiliate sites are rising up out of nowhere.

Whatever. Google is going to do what it's going to do, I'll continue my link building efforts.

[smartyjohn]

I have 5 sites, none of them are affected by 13th Oct Panda update. You can check our keywords "BPO website development INDIA" for globeium.com. We still ranking on 1st position on Google.com and Google.ca .

[bmcgoff]

Of my 10 5-10 post Amazon sites, most got hit pretty hard. One is starting to come back to almost where it was. Like others have mentioned, my "best" site (highest quality content, most reviews, most links) got hit the hardest...just when it started to make me some real money too! Frustrating...

I'm hoping to see a comeback with all of these sites. The top ranking sites that replaced mine are crap. Copycat sites with bad content and half-finished designs. This can't last.

BTW my SEO strategies are pretty basic: social media blasts via OnlyWire, manual article marketing to the top directories, forum profiles, forum sigs (all relavent), and manual blog commenting.

[bmcgoff]

One more thing...for the sites that I'm doing no SEO on there was pretty much no change in rankings.

[paulgl]

Originally Posted by Fraggler

Wouldn't this be best kept to the one thread? There is already a lot of good discussion about people's site's profile. Spreading it out seems pointless and will only water down the discussion.

LOL!!!! There is no way that's going to happen, unless the mods make
a separate part of the forum just for this nonsense. Then it
would keep the trash in a can, so to speak.

I for one am sick and tired of panda people.

It's almost ruining the forum. The forum is becoming one big
whine-fest about panda.

Thread after thread after useless thread...

One IS enough, right?

Originally Posted by mentormatt8

Fraggler, a link would be helpful.

Link? How could you possibly miss them?

Paul

[JamesPenn]

Originally Posted by paulgl

LOL!!!! There is no way that's going to happen, unless the mods make
a separate part of the forum just for this nonsense. Then it
would keep the trash in a can, so to speak.

I for one am sick and tired of panda people.

It's almost ruining the forum. The forum is becoming one big
whine-fest about panda.

Thread after thread after useless thread...

One IS enough, right?



Link? How could you possibly miss them?

Paul

Like it or not, Panda has made a huge difference to the way in which we set-up and promote our sites, and as such it warrants discussion.

Just like you can't limit all article marketing, affiliate marketing and list building discussion into one thread, you can't limit Panda to one thread.

If Panda hasn't affected you yet, then avoid the Panda threads.

James

[touchpadgames]

The day after this hit I actually had a spike of about 200 hits. Then it has been going down ever since. Weird..

[karrin86]

Originally Posted by boxoun

My theory is that it is just random garbage and if you escaped, you just got lucky. Tired of people talking about quality content as if they are the only ones who have quality content.

Let's stop talking about quality content and move on to other factors that might play a part.

I have bmr as my link structure for certain keywords that dropped. Not making assumptions just pointing out facts. I still rank top 3 for main keywords but loss long tail traffic for non competitive keywords that were naturally ranking before.

I also have other sites that rank with crappy link structure made before I understood quality links.
Forum links, bookmarks, web2.0s. So crappy links might not play as big as part as it may seem. Maybe just less weight given to them but we already knew this stuff was happening.

I agree with other poster. Link out and make sure you have good navigation.

Right now looks just like random garbage with emphasis on BIG BRANDS. Expect tweaks throughout the week. I know they update everyday but I'm talking about tweaks specifically to the October 13th update.

I also use BMR and I lost all my rankings.

[iAmNameLess]

Originally Posted by Apollo-Articles

Get out of Google, it's a poor business model to rely on a third party to bring you income.

I'm glad this happened now rather than down the line where I may of been relying on income generated through my SEO efforts.

Move into article syndication it's the original method of generating traffic to websites and still works well.

Even if you did again rank well, Google could come along next time and hit you even harder.

Don't become reliant on Google.

Sam

P.S.
Article syndication has nothing to do with backlinks from articles, it's about building a network of alliances with websites/blogs/trade journals ect which will publish your articles (which then contains a resource box).

Man, if I believed SEO and optimizing for google was a bad business model then I would be cutting my money in half. There is a difference between playing the SEO game and trying to keep up with what people think works or doesn't work.

Originally Posted by paulgl

LOL!!!! There is no way that's going to happen, unless the mods make
a separate part of the forum just for this nonsense. Then it
would keep the trash in a can, so to speak.

I for one am sick and tired of panda people.

It's almost ruining the forum. The forum is becoming one big
whine-fest about panda.

Thread after thread after useless thread...

I couldn't agree more. I'm tired of it as well. It is like the people with 2012, and every other doomsday theory. Although, the panda does exist, I just wonder if they really even understand it.

So many people claim they are effected by it, but a great deal of them never had consistent rankings in the first place. The others that were effected, probably used BS services to achieve their rank.

[iAmNameLess]

Originally Posted by JamesPenn

Like it or not, Panda has made a huge difference to the way in which we set-up and promote our sites, and as such it warrants discussion.

Just like you can't limit all article marketing, affiliate marketing and list building discussion into one thread, you can't limit Panda to one thread.

If Panda hasn't affected you yet, then avoid the Panda threads.

James

Yeah, I just disagree with you.

I think it is kind of funny though that a lot of the same people who used to be fond of spamming pointless links, using BS services and all the other controversial techniques, at least in my eyes... are all the same people hit by the panda.

The panda update has not changed anything that I have already been doing.

In fact, I recently finished an article directory, with all regurgitated content from ezine, goarticles and other sites, just changing the title tag in each article and having amazing success. Ranking for 300+ keywords within 6 weeks, and making pretty good adsense income out of that.

I have helped a few people over skype, and none of them have been hit either.

If it has made you do things differently, then you were never doing things the right way anyway.

[JamesPenn]

Originally Posted by iAmNameLess

Yeah, I just disagree with you.

I think it is kind of funny though that a lot of the same people who used to be fond of spamming pointless links, using BS services and all the other controversial techniques, at least in my eyes... are all the same people hit by the panda.

The only links I've ever generated are through backlinks on authority blogs and other bloggers and websites naturally linking to me.

That doesn't sound like spamming or "using BS services" to me, yet I still got hit.

In fact, I recently finished an article directory, with all regurgitated content from ezine, goarticles and other sites, just changing the title tag in each article and having amazing success. Ranking for 300+ keywords within 6 weeks, and making pretty good adsense income out of that.

Isn't this exactly what Panda set out to eliminate from Google in the first place?

In fact, after reading Google's Reviewer guidelines that was leaked a few weeks ago, your site would without a doubt be classed as spam.

It states that if a site simply reproduces content from other websites with a view to earning from advertisements, then it is spam.

Panda, some other algorithm adjustment, or a manual reviewer will hit your site soon - it's just a question of when.

James

[JamesPenn]

Also, you state that people spamming "pointless links" are the one's that got hit, but in your signature you have links to a boulder tree service, led grow lights and how to get rid of pimples.

They seem pretty pointless and irrelevant to me given the content of this forum.

[iAmNameLess]

Originally Posted by JamesPenn

The only links I've ever generated are through backlinks on authority blogs and other bloggers and websites naturally linking to me.

That doesn't sound like spamming or "using BS services" to me, yet I still got hit.



Isn't this exactly what Panda set out to eliminate from Google in the first place?

In fact, after reading Google's Reviewer guidelines that was leaked a few weeks ago, your site would without a doubt be classed as spam.

It states that if a site simply reproduces content from other websites with a view to earning from advertisements, then it is spam.

Panda, some other algorithm adjustment, or a manual reviewer will hit your site soon - it's just a question of when.

James

And your mindset is one that they want you to have. If this were truly a problem, then websites like yahoo news, cnn, and others would be punished from using syndicated content.

Instead, lets look at the possibility of the panda not being related to duplicate content at all, but instead the prevention of PR being spread throughout a site. Low quality content doesn't mean duplicate content, it means content that isn't seen as valuable to users. Generating back links to your duplicated content, that gives more authority to your copy and paste job than the original post will usually work.

Using BS services, I was just being general, of course I have no idea what you are doing for your SEO or your backlinking. If all you did was web 2.0 and blogs, and such, then there has to be something else that was done to cause your issue.

I think many of you blame algorithm changes as to why you aren't ranking where you want.

Instead of blaming this on panda... maybe the authority blogs you were supposedly linking to, shut down, removed your link, or made some change that effected the true authority. Forget about the PR of the website, the internal trust ranking plays much more of a role than PR. Having authority, and having it taken away can effect your rankings, true, but that doesn't mean it was the panda.

Originally Posted by JamesPenn

Also, you state that people spamming "pointless links" are the one's that got hit, but in your signature you have links to a boulder tree service, led grow lights and how to get rid of pimples.

They seem pretty pointless and irrelevant to me given the content of this forum.

I don't think that is spamming.. it is testing. See, I don't go out on message board in a panic thinking that life is over. I do a LOT of testing to see what works, what hurts, and what doesn't matter either way.

Irrelevant is a matter of perception.. the only links the boulder tree service has, is my sig link. That is all.. and it bounces between position 6-17 depending on the day and how many posts I make the prior week.

All the sites in my signature get 100+ visits a month. My main site in my sig gets 100+ a week. My WSO gets a sale a day with no help from my list, or any other forms of advertisement. So I think what seems pointless to you, is just your perception. The howtogetridofpimples site is probably pointless, since I do forget what I was even testing with that one.

Forgive me for being a bit cynical, because I'm tired of people complaining or claiming that their results are out of their control. It is just like people who come on here, claiming they are penalized because they are now on page 4 or 5 when yesterday they were ranking #1. Then, they get their #1 spot back by signing back into their google account. LOL.

[iAmNameLess]

Originally Posted by JamesPenn

Also, you state that people spamming "pointless links" are the one's that got hit, but in your signature you have links to a boulder tree service, led grow lights and how to get rid of pimples.

They seem pretty pointless and irrelevant to me given the content of this forum.

OH.. and since you're taking the stabs at sig links... are you going to change yours to how to get 100 visitors now, instead of 1,000? I am just kidding with that one, forgive me if you don't get my sense of humor.