Search result for main keyword keeps changing?

alistair · 05-12-2012, 08:02 AM

I have a few sites that dropped in the rankings because of the penguin update.

Anyhow these sites have home pages that were always shown in the search results when searching for the main keyword, but now there seems to be either a post showing or a category showing instead of the home page, and these posts and categories change intermittently in the search results.

For example one day I search the main keyword and Google shows post A, then another day it might show post B or a category but the home page doesn't show any longer in the results for the main keyword. The search position seems to vary a few spots as well which is understandable I suppose.

I'm wondering if anybody else is seeing this since the penguin update, and I'm guessing it's because the majority of the backlinks point to the home page, even though it is optimised for the main keyword and the posts and categories are not, and this is why it has lost rankings. It's pretty stupid really if you ask me but I don't make the rules.

dmtaylor247 · 05-12-2012, 08:11 AM

Yeah Google declined to comment on whether or not the changes were page or site specific but it's clear by what is happening that it is page specific and affect only certain pages on a website.

I really don't know what it is with category and tag pages floating up to the top of Google as these should be hammered by the previous panda update but if your site is tightly themed then this could be why, your internal links could be holding some weight but the external ones have been devalued..

alistair · 05-12-2012, 08:16 AM

I think you're right. I thought the reason I had lost rankings was due to the fact that many of the backlinks have been devalued as you suggest.

05-12-2012, 08:02 AM	#1
alistair HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: England Posts: 343 Thanks: 24 Thanked 102 Times in 82 Posts	Search result for main keyword keeps changing? I have a few sites that dropped in the rankings because of the penguin update. Anyhow these sites have home pages that were always shown in the search results when searching for the main keyword, but now there seems to be either a post showing or a category showing instead of the home page, and these posts and categories change intermittently in the search results. For example one day I search the main keyword and Google shows post A, then another day it might show post B or a category but the home page doesn't show any longer in the results for the main keyword. The search position seems to vary a few spots as well which is understandable I suppose. I'm wondering if anybody else is seeing this since the penguin update, and I'm guessing it's because the majority of the backlinks point to the home page, even though it is optimised for the main keyword and the posts and categories are not, and this is why it has lost rankings. It's pretty stupid really if you ask me but I don't make the rules.

05-12-2012, 08:11 AM	#2
dmtaylor247 Advanced Warrior Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: London Posts: 648 Thanks: 25 Thanked 119 Times in 97 Posts Contact Info	Re: Search result for main keyword keeps changing? Yeah Google declined to comment on whether or not the changes were page or site specific but it's clear by what is happening that it is page specific and affect only certain pages on a website. I really don't know what it is with category and tag pages floating up to the top of Google as these should be hammered by the previous panda update but if your site is tightly themed then this could be why, your internal links could be holding some weight but the external ones have been devalued..

05-12-2012, 08:16 AM	#3
alistair HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: England Posts: 343 Thanks: 24 Thanked 102 Times in 82 Posts	Re: Search result for main keyword keeps changing? I think you're right. I thought the reason I had lost rankings was due to the fact that many of the backlinks have been devalued as you suggest.