The Google Scare Tactic

[Joe118]

OK, that's a controversial title What I'm talking about is that sinking feeling you get when you click on your main search term and "POOF!" you don't see your listing anymore. You used to be in position #6 on the first page. Now you don't appear on the 1st page, the 2nd page, the ... 9th page!!! What is going on?!??!?!?! You don't even appear on the 9th page! Did you do something terribly wrong? Are Angela's link tactics backfiring? Is your uncle a secret VP of Google and he's conspiring against you? The conspiracy theory thoughts are racing through your mind...

Then 20 minutes later, after a good cup of coffee, you try again. Bingo, you're now back on the 1st page, in position #7 or #5 or #6.

What is going on with Google?! Why are they doing this to me?

Does anyone have any opinions, ideas, suggestions?

[Gene Pimentel]

Imagine yourself as a salesperson at a paint store. A customer walks in and says "I need red paint". You know there are hundreds of shades of red, so you start by showing the customer a few choices. They give you some more feedback like "well, I wanted bright red", so you proceed to show them several bright red paint chips. The customer then realizes those are much too bright, and asks to see something closer to the original paint chips you showed them, maybe a touch brighter.

This is what Google does. Until they can get enough feedback from the searchers, your site will bounce back and forth until the right position is found for your site in their listings, based on search and click data. Some people call it the "Google Dance". There can be a lot of movement until Google decides where yiour site really belongs.

[Steve Crooks]

Loving the analogy Gene.. Sounds like my wife choosing paint at a DIY store.

Originally Posted by Gene Pimentel

Imagine yourself as a salesperson at a paint store. A customer walks in and says "I need red paint". You know there are hundreds of shades of red, so you start by showing the customer a few choices. They give you some more feedback like "well, I wanted bright red", so you proceed to show them several bright red paint chips. The customer then realizes those are much too bright, and asks to see something closer to the original paint chips you showed them, maybe a touch brighter.

This is what Google does. Until they can get enough feedback from the searchers, your site will bounce back and forth until the right position is found for your site in their listings, based on search and click data. Some people call it the "Google Dance". There can be a lot of movement until Google decides where yiour site really belongs.

[Ben@SearchFit]

More importantly where you are on Google SERPs depends on other factors like, what did you just search for.
Example we have two unrelated sites Halloween Costumes and Sexy Lingerie. If I did the following searches in Google, "Bras", "Panties", "Negligee", etc... Then I decide to start searching for "Halloween Costumes". All Halloween costumes containing Bras, Panties or Negligee will automatically get a palpable boost in Google.
So there could be many reasons for your dance