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Google Removing Organic Listings Entirely

by origin
22 replies
  • SEO
    • |
Seems like what was suspected all along is now starting to happen. (at least in my market)

In my local market Google has removed almost ALL organic listings in the SERPS par 1 - 3.

In the past the Google places listings were in addition to the organic SERPS. Now the top 10 has been replaced with google places almost entirely. I get 2 - 3 organic listings for certain searches, the rest is ONLY google places on the first page. So if you were ranking #4 in the past organicly, you are now on page 2. On the first page results are only google places listings and one or two normal search results.

I am seeing this on google.co.za , I am not sure if they are just testing and if you guys can see it as well?

Just another step to replace all organic listings with Google's own properties entirely.... They are almost there, they might as well kill the last two or three sites on there as well.
#google #listings #organic #removing
  • Profile picture of the author origin
    PS : Just saw this as well from trafficplanet : type in "best credit cards" in Google.co.uk and check how they rank their own thin affiliate page google.co.uk/creditcards right at the top. Talk about ranking your own content. I did not know google was that must of a publisher, thought they were a scraper....
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    • Profile picture of the author chrisonbd
      Originally Posted by origin View Post

      PS : type in "best credit cards" in Google.co.uk and check how they rank their own thin affiliate page google.co.uk/creditcards right at the top. .
      Ah thanks for the heads up.. I haven't seen anything like that before. In principle it's the same as the paid ads that currently appear at the top of the listings for certain keywords, it's just that there is now a compare page. Not good news for all those with sites trying to compete in this niche I guess.
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      • Profile picture of the author origin
        Originally Posted by chrisonbd View Post

        Ah thanks for the heads up.. I haven't seen anything like that before. In principle it's the same as the paid ads that currently appear at the top of the listings for certain keywords. Not good news for all those with sites trying to compete in this niche though
        Yeah. How many other niches are they entering into? We know of travel, other financial products and physical products, they own websites that apear as natural organic results in the SERPS now. And many. Will they eventualy be in all the markets and only show their results?

        Like terry from trafficplanet says about this, poor Microsoft gets penalised by the FED for including THEIR browser in THEIR windows products but Google can include THEIR own results in THEIR serps and nobody says a word. Nice hey?

        Soon the affiliate industry will be owned by them as well, taking up the whole internet for themselfs.

        And people do think that Google = The Internet. I get it just about every time I launch a brand new website for a client. 1 hour later comes the email / phone call. "My website is not on the Internet, I cant find my website on the Internet, my clients cant find my website on the internet even when they type my website name into the internet". Which always turns out to be "my website is not indexed in google yet" because hey use Google as a browser. Then I always have to explain that it takes a couple of days / weeks to index the website in google and that GOOGLE does NOT = The Internet. Happens TIME and AGAIN.

        And I think Google must recognize that they are regarded as "the Internet" in that way and regulators should also. So if Microsoft is not allowed to do it why is Google?
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        • Profile picture of the author chrisonbd
          Originally Posted by origin View Post

          I get it just about every time I launch a brand new website for a client. 1 hour later comes the email / phone call. "My website is not on the Internet, I cant find my website on the Internet, my clients cant find my website on the internet even when they type my website name into the internet". Which always turns out to be "my website is not indexed in google yet" because they use Google as a browser......?
          haha yeah if you look on alexa etc you can see that many people still type www(dot)example(dot)com into the search engines as if its the address bar
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    • Profile picture of the author lovboa
      Banned
      Originally Posted by origin View Post

      PS : Just saw this as well from trafficplanet : type in "best credit cards" in Google.co.uk and check how they rank their own thin affiliate page google.co.uk/creditcards right at the top. Talk about ranking your own content. I did not know google was that must of a publisher, thought they were a scraper....
      If I were looking for the best credit card for me, that is extremely helpful to me. Google's quality is always the best and that's why it's trusted. Doesn't matter if their profiting from their top listing. It deserves to be there in terms of quality and best results/search experience for the user.

      All in all, it beats having 10 thin affiliate sites with emd's .com,org,info,net,ca,etc filling up the first page.
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  • Profile picture of the author mosthost
    Google is doing whatever they can to increase profits. Google CPC has declined for 3 straight quarters. The only way to make it up is to get more clicks. The only way to get more clicks is to redesign their SERPS page to have more paid placements.

    This is reality and the golden days are gone.
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  • Profile picture of the author KingYoungPimpin
    I know my blog ranks on the top page of Google for my key words right now. Of course we see 1 to 3 paid avertisements on top first. I doubt Google snatches all the organic listings down off the #1 page anytime soon or ever. They still have plenty of advertisers that make them millions of dollars daily.
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    • Profile picture of the author origin
      Originally Posted by KingYoungPimpin View Post

      I know my blog ranks on the top page of Google for my key words right now. Of course we see 1 to 3 paid avertisements on top first. I doubt Google snatches all the organic listings down off the #1 page anytime soon or ever. They still have plenty of advertisers that make them millions of dollars daily.
      so if they can make a bigger profit they will not do it? we will trust them to do the "right" thing like we trust the banks to do the "right" thing? Sure they make a huge profit, therefore they do not need to make more? Just like the banks do not need to make more?

      you are lucky that your keyword has not been replaced by wikkipedia results. for some of my commercial terms such as "website designer" has been replaced by wikkipedia results. I am sure that Google will fill the gaps of the markets that they have not monetised yet with wikkipedia results. This way "if google cant have it, then no one can" will work until they cover that specific industry as well.
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  • Profile picture of the author RevSEO
    The minute Google eliminates organic, is the moment when Google will see traffic absolutely plummit.

    While this does exist for localized keywords, where most of the SERP results are local listings, a good majority of Google's searches produce a normal SERP result.

    While Google's actions have surprised all of us, one thing that still rings true is that Google is the dominating search engine, and not paid directory. I don't see this happenign anytime soon.
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    Originally Posted by origin View Post

    Seems like what was suspected all along is now starting to happen. (at least in my market)

    In my local market Google has removed almost ALL organic listings in the SERPS par 1 - 3.

    In the past the Google places listings were in addition to the organic SERPS. Now the top 10 has been replaced with google places almost entirely. I get 2 - 3 organic listings for certain searches, the rest is ONLY google places on the first page. So if you were ranking #4 in the past organicly, you are now on page 2. On the first page results are only google places listings and one or two normal search results.

    I am seeing this on google.co.za , I am not sure if they are just testing and if you guys can see it as well?

    Just another step to replace all organic listings with Google's own properties entirely.... They are almost there, they might as well kill the last two or three sites on there as well.

    That's called local competition getting tougher.
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    • Profile picture of the author paulgl
      Misleading title. Misleading theory. Completely wrong.

      Google has always relied on google places/maps for
      searches they deem warrant them. I mean seriously.
      If you are in los angeles looking for a dentist...
      why on earth would you want to find a website,
      based on nothing more than SEO? Ridiculous. I want
      that dentist based on location, specialty, location, etc.

      I do not want to find some website EMD, wp, started
      by some knucklehead in India just because they own
      losanegelesdentistsreviews.com.

      Anyone who owns a brick and mortar business, should
      have learned about the ins and outs of google maps a
      long time ago.

      Organic search is still king. The world is not searching
      en masse for a local business. They are searching, oh
      right now for example, for loch ness photos....

      I just don't get it. Nary a bad word for yahoo, FB, MS, et.al.
      who have run their online endeavors into a whole....all the
      while google keeps chugging along....record profits...
      tanning mom....olympic results....

      Google looks out for their searchers. Not for those who wish
      to shmooze "organic" results.

      You got a local business? Get listed in the yellow pages or
      do newspaper advertising.

      Paul
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      • Profile picture of the author Chrisbroholm
        Originally Posted by paulgl View Post

        Misleading title. Misleading theory. Completely wrong.

        Google has always relied on google places/maps for
        searches they deem warrant them. I mean seriously.
        If you are in los angeles looking for a dentist...
        why on earth would you want to find a website,
        based on nothing more than SEO? Ridiculous. I want
        that dentist based on location, specialty, location, etc.

        I do not want to find some website EMD, wp, started
        by some knucklehead in India just because they own
        losanegelesdentistsreviews.com.

        Anyone who owns a brick and mortar business, should
        have learned about the ins and outs of google maps a
        long time ago.

        Organic search is still king. The world is not searching
        en masse for a local business. They are searching, oh
        right now for example, for loch ness photos....

        I just don't get it. Nary a bad word for yahoo, FB, MS, et.al.
        who have run their online endeavors into a whole....all the
        while google keeps chugging along....record profits...
        tanning mom....olympic results....

        Google looks out for their searchers. Not for those who wish
        to shmooze "organic" results.

        You got a local business? Get listed in the yellow pages or
        do newspaper advertising.

        Paul
        Just wanted to chime in and say well f said Paul, my words exactly. The sky isn't falling on google organic serps, just yet.
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        Check out my blog GenuineOnlineMarketing.com where I talk about building Amazon and Adsense Niche Websites.

        Over 800 Amazon Reviews for $1 - No way?

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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    Ever notice how the end of SEO as we know it always pops up when people don't get the SERPs they deserve?

    Couldn't possibly have anything to do with tougher competition.
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  • Profile picture of the author origin
    Some of you are missing the point here.

    Yes, google local / places have been with us for a while, got used to them. But up untill a few days ago they were in ADDITION to the normal serps. You would have a # 1 to maybe # 3 spot for organic serps, then the 7-8 google local / google places listings, then the rest of the organic serps #4 - #10. In quite a few searches there is only # 1 to MAYBE # 2 then the local places, then nothing. If you were ranking # 4 in the organic serp, you are now on page 2.

    There is only 3 or so organic serps on the first page, google local and the rest has moved over to page 2. No one seen this? It is showing in quite a few local searches here by me?
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    • Profile picture of the author yukon
      Banned
      Originally Posted by origin View Post

      Some of you are missing the point here.

      Yes, google local / places have been with us for a while, got used to them. But up untill a few days ago they were in ADDITION to the normal serps. You would have a # 1 to maybe # 3 spot for organic serps, then the 7-8 google local / google places listings, then the rest of the organic serps #4 - #10. In quite a few searches there is only # 1 to MAYBE # 2 then the local places, then nothing. If you were ranking # 4 in the organic serp, you are now on page 2.

      There is only 3 or so organic serps on the first page, google local and the rest has moved over to page 2. No one seen this? It is showing in quite a few local searches here by me?
      It's not necessarily Google, it's people using Google Places doing SEO to rank all those Places listings.

      So rank for #1 in the SERPs, right?
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      • Profile picture of the author origin
        Originally Posted by yukon View Post

        It's not necessarily Google, it's people using Google Places doing SEO to rank all those Places listings.

        So rank for #1 in the SERPs, right?
        The local listings were showing in ADDITION to the normal organic serps. There are now only 1- 4 organic results left on the first page. Sometimes I see there is a # 1 and then google local, maybe 1 more organic then page two.

        Google used to have a # 1 listing, then the google places results then continue with #3 - #10 normal results. The # 3 - #10 are GONE now (moved over to page 2), it only shows google places on the first page with just 1 - 3 normal organic listings.

        Google normaly lists the 10 organic results + the google pages in addition mixed in. Now it shows only 1 - 4 organic listings + the places results. The rest of the organic serps have moved over to page 2.

        This is however not true for ALL local searches, but for quite a number that I am testing. For some google is still showing the old format. This is why I am asking, is anyone else seeing this? Normal serps being removed to page 2 and only Google places left on the first page?
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  • Profile picture of the author Martin Pupke
    From my experience when I do a search where I require local services, the places results are overwhelmingly better than the organic ones.
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    "The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool" - Richard Feynman

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  • Profile picture of the author MikeFriedman
    For local searches, I really don't see a problem here. If Google decides to move non-Places listings to page 2, that probably serves the searchers better.

    If someone is searching for "real estate agents in lake placid", they probably don't want to find some IM'ers page about picking out the best real estate agent, tips on buying a home, or whatever other kind of junk someone decided to rank locally. They want to find a list of agents in Lake Placid.

    So yeah, I really do not see an issue with this.
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  • Profile picture of the author WebProPlus
    I had to chime in here. I do a lot of local SEO and Map Optimization for lead gen sites and also client sites. On many of the searches in Arizona especially smaller cities around Phoenix, Az for example I have been noticing a lot of searches only displaying 3 local organic results and the 7 pack google places.

    There are many businesses that are not in the map section that are legitimate businesses that rank organically well and should be displayed on the first page, but because of the new change on some searches anything after the 3rd organic is going to be kicked to the second page.

    Some people that done see a problem with that need to take a better look, it is also happening with national search as well and the number of organic serp placements is also being cut down.

    I think it is just some beta testing for local because on one computer same search renders new 3 organic and on another computer renders the old serps. Either way will more people move to Bing, Yahoo or will more users go to the second page to get more results.

    In some cases it’s not the easiest to get multiple high competition local search keywords in the top 3, but if you do, your site is worth a lot more..
    Either way, I think it’s a bad change and it will affect a lot of business and will it force more companies to do PPC instead? Who knows..
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  • Profile picture of the author WebProPlus
    Ohh and not to mention how many business that are ranking organically that have been kicked out of the maps by "We Do Not Support Your Location" BS. There are some that are months later trying to get their map listings fixed due to this error. I wonder how many of them have now turned to Pay Per Click, Convenient?
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  • Profile picture of the author brettb
    Google can cherry pick the best niches. I think they'll buy a watercooler business next - that's one of the highest CPC niches I've seen, and it must be brutally hard to get to #1.

    I am however making some good money from Bing and Yahoo - I really wish some folk would focus on how we should SEO for these.
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  • Profile picture of the author seofirst8
    Had the same question from one of our client, asking why our website is ranking on second page?

    Our website was ranking on 8th position, but after the inclusion of Google places its been ranking on second page. First page shows 10 Google place listing and 7 organic result pushing my website on second page.

    Also, we have Google place listing but it is not showing in top 10, do you have any idea on how to come ahead/ optimize Google place listings?

    Any help is appreciated.
    Thank you,


    Originally Posted by origin View Post

    Seems like what was suspected all along is now starting to happen. (at least in my market)

    In my local market Google has removed almost ALL organic listings in the SERPS par 1 - 3.

    In the past the Google places listings were in addition to the organic SERPS. Now the top 10 has been replaced with google places almost entirely. I get 2 - 3 organic listings for certain searches, the rest is ONLY google places on the first page. So if you were ranking #4 in the past organicly, you are now on page 2. On the first page results are only google places listings and one or two normal search results.

    I am seeing this on google.co.za , I am not sure if they are just testing and if you guys can see it as well?

    Just another step to replace all organic listings with Google's own properties entirely.... They are almost there, they might as well kill the last two or three sites on there as well.
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    SEO Money Back Guarantee Offer #SEO Services India
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