Combating Google Panda

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As millions of other sites, one of my sites was hit by the infamous Google Panda. I ranked #2 (as in #2 on Google Page 1) on my main keyword (#1 was wikipedia, lol). Everything was doing fine as far as traffic goes but then July, 2011 the Google Panda update tore everything down.

From SERP #2.. the site is now #300+ on the main keyword. This is a one-word keyword too, which was competitive. I am still #1 on many of our other keywords, but the one we lost is our main keyword for that particular site.

I hired a SEO consultant back in July, immediately after we got hit by Google Panda. 6 months later, we're still in the #300+ range. We got partial refund because the SEO consultant failed to bring us back to top SERPs.

The traffic is still great, but pre-Panda, traffic was 3 times more!

The questions:
  1. Is this a losing battle?
  2. Should I even consider hiring an SEO consultant for the second time?
  3. Should we just forget about the main keyword?
  4. Should we create another site with a different domain for that main keyword?


Thanks.
#search engine optimization #combating #google #panda
  • It wouldn't really be possible to estimate based on that information.

    But SEO consultants will pretty much tell you anything. I guess if you managed to link their pay to the performance of the site, that would be the best way.
  • Are you sure that the reason why you lost your ranking was the panda Updates? It's hard to say unless we see the site. But if it caused by panda, I think the site itself has the problem.

    - It's not a losing battle because you site is still indexed and has the possibility to get back to where it was. You lose if your site gets de-indexed.

    - SEO consultant is a good option. But make sure you hire consultants who know what they are doing. SEO Consulting: High Rankings Expert Search Engine Optimization: Search Marketing Agency Boston, MA

    - Forgetting the main keyword is not a good option. As I've said, you still have a chance to get your site back.

    - You can create another site with different domain for that main keyword if you have no plan to fix the problem of the other site. If you make another site for that main keyword, and you still want to fix the problem with the other, it will definitely a hard task because you will add another competitor to that keyword.

    Cheers.
  • Google will NEVER tell you what they think is wrong with your site. The funny thing here is that we were SERP #2. The only site that beat us was wikipedia. This was a one-word keyword too and we have been #2 for more than 5 years.

    The question why I asked if we should even bother is because the first SEO consultant we hire failed. They were not cheap.. they were also very popular. (I would not mention names for obvious reasons)

    I also do not want to state our main keyword because of competition.

    The fear we have is that even if we create another domain for the main keyword. The site will still be the same. Same content, same user base, and so on. We fear that even if we moved to a different domain, we'd still get penalized down the road.

    The SEO consultant said that the problem was due to lack of original content. This is probably what Google Panda saw. But this is FALSE. We are the authority for that main keyword, and we are the ones that people copy. Just like how ezinearticles.com got hit.
  • Doesn't sound like Panda. Have you tried filing a reconsideration request to rule a manual penalty.
  • Just an opinion.. Have you compared the domain/archive.org ages of the top serps ?

    After Panda, Google is inlove with old domains...
  • Banned
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  • By the way, How long you've been doing something to get your site back?
  • I Don't Think that it is Panda Affect, SO many Sites Hits by Panda Last year and most of them recover as well! As you mentioned that your site were ranked at number 2 before panda algorithmic update now its #300, my question is that did you change the content after panda algorithmic update?
  • I don't think so is panda affect on your web site traffic, if you are doing fear work for your web site or you are not using duplicate contents, panda nothing to do, hit hard your web site. we are seeing only negativity but we are forgetting positivity of panda, if you are doing good work according to rules of panda on your web site,with the few days you will get more traffic on your web site or get more online business.
  • First you need to remove all duplicate content from your site. Put high quality content. Besides start gettng high quality links through article marketing, guest blogging, four way link exchange, link wheel etc.
    • [1] reply
    • We have sent a reconsideration request. Google promptly replied to us stating there was never a manual penalty. What we got hit with was an algorithm penalty, most likely the Google Panda because it happened July, 2011, just like everyone else.

      Our site is WAYYYY older than the top serps. The current top serp is only 2 years old.

      Immediately since July, 2011.

      No content change, just improved on-page SEO.

      That's the problem. Our issue is similar to sites like ezinearticles. We are the ones that are being copied. People copy our content on a hundred basis daily.

      No duplicate content. Like I said, we were the authority site on our specific niche. We used to get 70K-100K daily. Now down to 30K.
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    Combating Google Panda

    As millions of other sites, one of my sites was hit by the infamous Google Panda. I ranked #2 (as in #2 on Google Page 1) on my main keyword (#1 was wikipedia, lol). Everything was doing fine as far as traffic goes but then July, 2011 the Google Panda update tore everything down. From SERP #2.. the site is now #300+ on the main keyword. This is a one-word keyword too, which was competitive. I am still #1 on many of our other keywords, but the one we lost is our main keyword for that particular site.