Checking my stats, I discovered a major falloff in the last week or so in the percentage of people reaching this site through google. So I tried some google searches, and we seem to have almost vanished. This site used to appear, for example, on the front page for searches on “Uzbekistan” and the second for “Jack Straw”. It is now not on the first twenty or so pages. We only hit the front page on a very specific search, like “Craig Murray” or “Murder in Samarkand”. Broadly the same thing is true on Yahoo.
Yet a random check shows links to this site from other sites still working, and Technorati’s “Authority” ranking continues to mount, now to 499. This search engine drop does seem to have been caused by a sudden event, not a gradual decline. Can anybody offer an explanation?
Craig
It's paranoid me again. Having publicly demonstrated their willingness to bow to the censorship requirements of China (for example), accompanied by florid displays of angst and weasel 'assurances', I have little doubt that Google are susceptible to other, rather more subtle and hidden machinations at the behest of powerful interests. After all they are now very much part of the mega-corporation club and they must therefore play by the (unwritten) rules – or else. Google rankings are also fast becoming the benchmark for vast advertising cash flows too – which also carries the seeds of inevitable corruption
Having said all that, if anyone can dig up convincing evidence of this sort of abuse, Google would have another big 'China' problem – but one which I'm sure they have already addressed, deconstructed and are ready for, in their own very clever fashion.
The thing is, in the West, the most vigorous and acrimonious debate on any subject is allowed – even encouraged; but always within clearly defined, but unwritten boundaries. Step outside those boundaries and, to the extent that you are listened to, you become a threat to the establishment and are made to suffer the consequences in all manner of subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways.
Hey Ho. Welcome to the outcast's club – where earning a living can be (made) difficult unless and until you get back in line
This happened to my site in Feb/March, cost maybe 200-300 hits a day. I went to Google Webmaster tools and submitted my .xml page. Seemed to work, but perhaps they simply got their shit in order.
I feel like a broken record (but only to myself since the iNet is so fragmented nobody else might have noticed):
Seth Finkelstein on sudden drop of google ranking:
http://sethf.com/infothought/blog/archives/001120…
the site even has a link to a google engineer one could contact in those cases.
Google might have redone their index or maybe 'Uzbekistan' hasn't appeared as much on your blog as it did before.
Are you searching in Google itself or Google blogsearch?
Bob,
Google itself. I just gave "Uzbekistan" as an example. It's a very general drop in ranking.
Suggest you leave a note on Matts Blog at http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/ He is in charge of google quality. Very helpful guy by all accounts. His blog is a good read with lots of tips.
Geoff,
Thanks. I've tried that now.
It didn't work. Plainly, Matt Cutts isn't feeling as helpful as usual.