| How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/13/12 5:57 AM | I have studied the Help Center, read the FAQs and searched for similar questions.My URL is: http://www.carsurvey.org TL;DR Almost 2 years of full-time work could not save a popular car reviews site from the Panda algorithm. My site http://www.carsurv |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Stephen Sherman | 11/13/12 6:48 AM | <This message has been deleted.> |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Ashley | 11/13/12 8:25 AM | Featured by Adsense it totally separate from anything to do with organic rankings - just so we're clear there. |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/13/12 8:30 AM | Hi Stephen, It's interesting to hear a similar story, especially from someone who's been running their site for a similar length of time. We're clearly in this for the long haul, and I feel like we're putting the effort in to do the best by our visit |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Lysis | 11/13/12 8:39 AM | It's probably the user generated content like Ashley said. Do you pay them? Is this just some cheap guy on http://freelancer.com? If it's free stuff submitted by users, you also have to remember that if you aren't paying them, they are probably putting the |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/13/12 9:05 AM | Thanks for the feedback Ashley. Of course you're right about AdSense and search quality being entirely separate at Google, but I was just making the point that at least someone at Google wasn't completely horrified by the content and quality of the s |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/13/12 9:40 AM | Thanks for the feedback Lysis. I agree that it's probably the user generated content, but there's little I can do to change that. Other user generated sites, with more than their fair share of poor quality content, seem to be unaffected though. I hav |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | StevieD_Web | 11/13/12 10:16 AM | What one thinks is not relevant. I think Scarlett Johannson is going to take me up on my offer of a date. Reality is most likely something else. |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/13/12 11:20 AM | Thanks StevieD_Web, Those links weren't important, so they've now been removed from all three sites. I hope it wasn't something as innocent as that, but just in case, they're gone. I don't see the site as competing head-on with Edmunds and the like. |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Marie Haynes | 11/13/12 11:49 AM | Wow. You have worked really hard to rectify this. I'm so sorry that Google is still affecting you. I have a few thoughts. My first thought is that the first couple of pages I see have nothing but a list of links. The home page is simply a list of |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/13/12 2:15 PM | Marie, thanks for your very kind words. The fact that you were actively looking for my site, but couldn't find it, is both gratifying and disappointing. Due to the scale of the site, sensible navigation that's not a hierarchy is hard. I have consider |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | StevieD_Web | 11/13/12 2:44 PM | http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/ford/tourneo/ It reads like a personal blog post..... has flavor and character and uniqueness. It also reads like a big run on sentence. There are no pictures of the car to enhance the post or chapters/headers t |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/13/12 3:53 PM | I agree that user generated content is of variable quality, and even with effective moderation, such content is rarely going to reach the level of the best professional content. It's probably true that Panda doesn't like such content, but many large, |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | StevieD_Web | 11/13/12 5:00 PM | Yes they are. But you missed the one thing those sites have in common versus your own..... They are all branded destinations. The top queries for each of those sites is the brand or "brand+subject" as in "cameras on ebay" or "jobs in New York on Cra |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | devcfc | 11/13/12 6:44 PM | I cant believe you worked on this for 2 years and didnt add any text to the home page, no offence. Completely agree with everything Marie said. I would make priority #1 to add 1000 words to your home page. If you dont want 1000 words dominating the p |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/14/12 4:55 AM | It sounds like we're in agreement, that the big brands get to play by different rules. There maybe some merit in that, in terms of user trust, and I'm sure Google has the metrics to prove it, but if that's the case, the web is now two tier, at least |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Rainer Maurer | 11/14/12 6:12 AM | hi, why he need 1000 words? its a perfect site if i seek for a review. i dont have read mutch and find my carbrand fast. its this not what you want? because the crawler wants 1000 words...not the user! because google suxxs with his algorithm and make |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Stephen Sherman | 11/14/12 6:22 AM | Distantpants, Since you read my comment and we have commiserated briefly, I will delete my post. Because: 1) I don't want to hijack your thread. 2) I might start a new thread with my own website and tale of woe. You seem to have gotten some good feed |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | devcfc | 11/14/12 6:41 AM | He doesn't "need" 1000 words. It was a personal recommendation, perhaps 500 or 350 might be sufficient. I dont work for Google. Why do I recommend he adds 1000 words? Because he has identified the problem as being Panda which is about Thin Content. T |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/14/12 6:43 AM | Thanks for the feedback. I did try adding more text, but my A/B testing indicated that the users preferred the more simple link table. Showing excerpts of some of the better quality reviews is a possibility. I'd stayed away from this, due to worries |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/14/12 6:47 AM | No problem Stephen. I hope you either receive some helpful advice, or attract the attention of a friendly Googler, who can perhaps bring it to the attention of someone in the Search Quality team. |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/14/12 7:00 AM | I understand the point you're both making. More content is better, but Google also say you should make your content with users in mind. The reviews pages are full of content, but the navigation pages are pretty minimalist. I think that makes sense fo |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | devcfc | 11/14/12 7:02 AM | Well I think you need to make a decision on what is more important you: a: having a site that complies with Google, Panda and Penguin etc.b: having a site that complies with only you and your users best interests For me regardless of what A/B testing |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Free2Write | 11/14/12 7:15 AM | Poor ad-layout, lack of control of user content, and thin content, is not likely to attract new users or retain users. Bluechip sites get to use blatant ad layouts primarily because they already have an established huge following of user traffic; ei |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | devcfc | 11/14/12 7:20 AM | Well, here is an update on that. Make your website with your users in mind. Then if/when you get hit by Panda or Penguin, make your website with Panda and Penguin in mind. |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | lostB | 11/14/12 7:51 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Ryan Clark | 11/14/12 8:08 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Free2Write | 11/14/12 8:14 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Michael Martinez | 11/14/12 8:37 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Free2Write | 11/14/12 8:50 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Michael Martinez | 11/14/12 9:36 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Free2Write | 11/14/12 9:48 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | lostB | 11/14/12 10:02 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Lysis | 11/14/12 10:57 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/14/12 11:13 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/14/12 11:30 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Free2Write | 11/14/12 12:02 PM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Ashley | 11/14/12 12:12 PM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Michael Martinez | 11/14/12 3:45 PM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Michael Martinez | 11/14/12 3:59 PM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Steve - | 11/14/12 11:43 PM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/15/12 2:57 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/15/12 3:27 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/15/12 4:23 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Seppo Puusa | 11/15/12 5:54 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Honest_Stan | 11/15/12 7:37 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/15/12 7:42 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Steven Lockey | 11/15/12 8:33 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Ashley | 11/15/12 8:40 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/15/12 9:25 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | eyepaq | 11/15/12 1:31 PM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | RalphSlate | 11/17/12 10:38 PM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | StevieD_Web | 11/17/12 11:13 PM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/18/12 7:57 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | wcspaulding | 11/18/12 1:19 PM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | ShopSafe | 11/18/12 2:40 PM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | RalphSlate | 11/18/12 5:08 PM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | devcfc | 11/18/12 5:19 PM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/19/12 6:49 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/19/12 6:56 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | KiwiSi | 11/19/12 3:04 PM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/20/12 2:28 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Alex_in_HK | 11/20/12 3:29 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | RalphSlate | 11/20/12 4:32 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/20/12 6:21 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 11/20/12 6:22 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | mark munroe | 12/7/12 10:58 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Alex_in_HK | 12/9/12 4:12 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 12/9/12 6:21 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 12/9/12 6:41 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | Steve - | 12/9/12 9:19 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 12/10/12 10:19 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | TimKoster | 12/12/12 9:54 AM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | distantparts | 12/12/12 12:45 PM | |
| Re: How I failed to save my 15 year old site from Google's Panda (long) | TimKoster | 12/12/12 5:32 PM |