What Happened to My Google Ranking?

Google needs no introduction. Begun in 1998 at Stanford, Google's no-nonsense emphasis on fast, relevant results quickly made it synonymous with Internet searching. Today, Google dominates the field, handling 70-80% of all searches. For many small businesses -- including many appraisers -- a good showing in Google has been the key to a productive website.

Florida Dance.
But all that changed last November. The steady flow of visitors sent by Google slowed to a trickle. Appraisers probed Google with discipline-specific keywords -- diamond appraisal, real estate appraiser, etc. -- and found their listings, like the birds of summer, had gone south. Google's monthly algorithm adjustment -- dubbed "the dance" because it shuffles rankings -- had left them cold, holding empty Florida dance cards.

Still Shaking.
Like a seismic upheaval, November's shuffle has been followed by monthly aftershocks. Small, purely commercial websites have disappeared from Google's top results, replaced by those with lots of pages, lots of information, and lots of mentions on other websites. Google spokespeople refuse comment on the changes, except to say rankings depend on relevant content and links.

Pay-per-Click.
Search engine watchers are not so reticent. The buzz, echoed on Wall Street, is that Google is bulking up in preparation for a monster April IPO. No one knows how much, but revenues are growing as harried website owners sign up for AdWords, Google's pay-per-click program, buying the presence they used to get free.

Watchful Waiting.
Besides Adwords, what's a girl to do? Surprisingly, a wait and watch strategy may pay dividends. Later this year, Yahoo! will stop buying search results from Google and start using Inktomi, acquired last year. That will drive Google's search share down to between 40 and 50%, giving commercial sites already listed in Inktomi (through HotBot, MSNSearch, Overture) more visibility.

Fresh Content.
Meanwhile, try shameless self-promotion coupled with lots of fresh content. Fresh means textual material you create about you, your business, your clients, your discipline. And fresh means original tips, newsletters, columns, and articles, not borrowed or syndicated copy. Google and other search engines love change, information, and the links you'll earn from other websites that appreciate your content.

No Cheating.
Like dieting, building a website that works in search engines, including Google, involves hard work and discipline. Quick and clever fixes offered by search engine optimizers are, like diet pills, ineffective and dangerous. They, and the ubiquitous but misguided link exchange programs, are scams that will damage your ranking, sometimes to the point of total exclusion.

Thanks to the American Society of Appraisers for permission to reprint this article written by Lou Bruno for their Newsline newsletter.