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What is going on with my rankings?

by Dani052
17 replies
  • SEO
    • |
So my site has been ranking from 19 - 21 consistently over the past few weeks, but recently I decided to get some quality PBN links to boost me up. A couple links later, I move up to 16 but after a few days the ranking goes down to 26, and I just think it's a google dance. but over the past week they've been declining even more - now reaching position 56. I've been told it's just a google dance, I've also been told it's a penalty although I have nothing new in Google WMT and the site is still indexed. I've also read that when getting fresh links, sites sometimes go down in rankings before they come back even stronger. Has anyone experienced anything like this?
#rankings
  • Profile picture of the author scott g
    Yes, this is called the "Google Dance."
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    scott g
    "Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve."
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    • Profile picture of the author Dani052
      Originally Posted by scott g View Post

      Yes, this is called the "Google Dance."

      That's what I thought too but it's been a week since this all started and my ranking has only been "dancing" lower and lower in the serps.. how long did this usually last for you?
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  • Profile picture of the author The Milk Man
    It might last a couple weeks maximum. Make sure you are still throwing social links at it so it looks nice and natural.
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    • Profile picture of the author Dani052
      Originally Posted by The Milk Man View Post

      It might last a couple weeks maximum. Make sure you are still throwing social links at it so it looks nice and natural.

      Okay well if it is indeed just a google dance then waiting a few weeks is fine with me (as long as I come back to page 2 at least). I'm just fearful I got some sort of algorithm penalty which I'm told google doesn't notify you about when it occurs.
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  • Profile picture of the author PurbaRoyDas
    Originally Posted by Dani052 View Post

    So my site has been ranking from 19 - 21 consistently over the past few weeks, but recently I decided to get some quality PBN links to boost me up. A couple links later, I move up to 16 but after a few days the ranking goes down to 26, and I just think it's a google dance. but over the past week they've been declining even more - now reaching position 56. I've been told it's just a google dance, I've also been told it's a penalty although I have nothing new in Google WMT and the site is still indexed. I've also read that when getting fresh links, sites sometimes go down in rankings before they come back even stronger. Has anyone experienced anything like this?
    It seems you need to do is checking your onpage and correct it first
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  • Profile picture of the author DABK
    Why is it Google dance? Why isn't it, Google dance is over and Google's placing the page where it belongs in the line?

    That the OP needs more backlinks?
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    • Profile picture of the author Dani052
      I highly doubt it's about not having enough backlinks, I was so close to page 1 for a long time. This is either a dance or penalty
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      • Profile picture of the author DABK
        Or your competitors getting backlinks?

        Originally Posted by Dani052 View Post

        I highly doubt it's about not having enough backlinks, I was so close to page 1 for a long time. This is either a dance or penalty
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        • Profile picture of the author Dani052
          from what I've read competition usually pushes you back 1 - 3 spots , not more than 30 . I think I've figured it out now, I might've over - optimized my site with anchor ratios which google caught on to. I'll have to fix it
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  • Profile picture of the author Dani052


    well, 2 weeks after the initial movement and things aren't looking too bright... Thinking it's an over-optimization penalty. How long (if at all) will it take to get out of this?
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  • Profile picture of the author dave_hermansen
    I feel compelled to point out that it is only a matter of time before Google discovers ANY private blog network. If you found it, they can too. Sometimes they issue manual penalties, sometimes they are algorithmic.

    One thing that might give clues is if only certain pages and search terms dropped in rankings or if the downward shift was site-wide. Panda is a site-wide penalty. Penguin is more page-specific, since backlinks (good or bad) point to specific pages. A manual action would also be site-wide.
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    • Profile picture of the author Dani052
      Originally Posted by dave_hermansen View Post

      I feel compelled to point out that it is only a matter of time before Google discovers ANY private blog network. If you found it, they can too. Sometimes they issue manual penalties, sometimes they are algorithmic.

      One thing that might give clues is if only certain pages and search terms dropped in rankings or if the downward shift was site-wide. Panda is a site-wide penalty. Penguin is more page-specific, since backlinks (good or bad) point to specific pages. A manual action would also be site-wide.

      I think you've just confirmed it for me. Only 1 page on my website has experienced ranking drops, it must then be a result of a penguin penalty for over-optimization. I was told the best thing I could do now is to dilute the backlinks from different sources and with generic anchor text. I will try to do this, but do you know if it'll help at all? Or would you say this page is a lost cause?
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      • Profile picture of the author dave_hermansen
        Since you have not received a manual penalty, I would not say that it is a lost cause. If you have any control over the backlinks you recently placed, get rid of them. If you do not control them, you need to use Google's Disavow tool. Really, you should get rid of (or disavow) any backlink that you had any control over placing yourself - blog comment links, forum links and, of course, those PBN links. Getting backlinks is not supposed to be easy. Any link that you can place yourself and that is not editorially placed by someone other than yourself is considered a bad link nowadays. At best, they do nothing to help you. At worst, they kill your rankings for a page.
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        • Profile picture of the author seoquicktop
          Banned
          Your traffic is very irregular. Did you investigate the other similar websites – do they follow the same pattern? Google probably is researching behavior of web surfers by changing rankings of different websites and taking notes… and testing new algorithms along the way.
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    As always stop guessing and try to rank a fake keyword that obviously doesn't have any competition.

    Example:
    If you can't pass the fake keyword test the domain is toast.

    If you pass the fake keyword test odds are your existing backlink profile is devalued. Build new/better followed links.
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  • Profile picture of the author rishwoj
    type your domain name in Google and if it appears as number one in the results it is unlikely that your site has been penalised but if it's not first you are in trouble!
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    • Profile picture of the author Dani052
      Originally Posted by rishwoj View Post

      type your domain name in Google and if it appears as number one in the results it is unlikely that your site has been penalised but if it's not first you are in trouble!
      When I search just the domain (mywebsite.com) I do appear as number one in the results, but when searching site: mywebsite.com I'm down to the 8th position. Which way were you referring to?
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