The Business Line - Internet Marketing Blog

As you probably know, Google have just issued a further algorithm update, and this one has apparently wreaked more havoc – which goes to compound the previous set of algo changes they let loose not long ago.

Therefore, I thought that I would update you on the progress with the rankings on the site I am using BMR to experiment on.

Now, I hear all the time that so – called “thin” sites are hated by Google. At the time of writing, I have around 12 pages of content on this particular site, so that would be included in the category of the typical “thin” site due to its low content value on the whole.

Typically a non-thin site is regarded as being 40 pages of content and above. This is the figure bandied about by the SEO and IM fraternity. Thus, this is one reason why you would sort of expect my site to have been de-bunked from Google search.

Personally I feel that is a ridiculous “rule” if indeed its true. A site with 10 pages could very well be far more valuable to me than a site with 80 pages of content. Its about the quality of the content and not about the quantity that surely matters!

So, has my own site gone some way to dispelling this broad ranging theory?

This particular site is monetized by AdSense and I have heard that AdSense sites have been ravished the most with regards to Google de-rankings. Very possibly due to the high ratio of MAF (made for adsense) type of sites that have abounded on the internet for years now. With this recent set of algo changes, there is no doubt that the typical MAF sites are going to dye a rapid death.

Has my site suffered the same fate as very many other AdSense – based sites?

Further, its fairly common knowledge that Google are turning the screws on backlinking methods. And that does not only mean velocity of backlinking (which Google are particularly now very sensitive to – try to rank a new domain in Google like you used to do and chances are you will find that you will not achieve rankings no matter how hard you try – the game has changed here to a reasonable extent). This point makes you wonder then – does that mean if your competitor finds out about your new site, and your competitor is of devious nature, if they smack your new domain with lots of backlinks, do Google then take umbridge and dispell your site to “sandbox” (if indeed the so called sandbox still exists)?

They (Google) also seem to be clamping down on types of backlinking, which is something that most SEO and internet marketers have been discussing since time immemorial. Thus, in this case, is Build my Rank being penalized like I have heard a number of other methods of backlinking to a site are apparently being penalized?

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There’s quite a number of questions to be answered and the best way to provide the answers is to assess the current rankings of this site I began testing only around 10 days ago.

Due to my traveling back to the UK, I did miss out on 3 days backlinking, otherwise I’ve tried to keep up the 7 links per day velocity. The links have been spread around a number of different pages/posts on the site, and a number of different keyword phrases also.

In fact, here is the previous post I made when embarking on this experiment…

Build my Rank review and assessment

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Okay, so here are the stats update on that previous post.

0                                           2,400                                  was 3rd now ranking 2 & 3

0                                           1,600                                   was 17 now 19

1,600                                   1,900                                    was 26 now 25

2,400                                   3,600                                   was 4 now 4th

1,300                                   1,900                                    was 4 now 3rd

4,400                                   5,400                               no rank (not yet working this kwd)

1,300                                   1,600                                    was 36 now 26

1,600                                  2,900                                     was 11 now 8 & 9th

390                                        590                                      was 8 now 8 & 9th

320                                        480                                       no rank top 100

1,900                                  2,400                                       no rank top 100

140                                         170                                        no rank top 100

1,600                                  1,900                                        no rank top 100

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So, what does all this tell me – if anything?

Firstly, I’m happy with the progress here – BMR is doing its job rather nicely. Its very early days to make any definitive conclusions, but over-all the rankings are improving and that is key!

Secondly, it appears that the “thin site” ideology is something of a myth and that its more about unique and quality content on a site that matters, rather than the size of the site in terms of page/post count. Of course, this is only one site, but if Google were intent on ravaging “thin sites” with less than say – 40 pages of content, they most definitely would have de-ranked this particular site by now, don’t you think so?

Third, its interesting that the newer pages/posts that were added in around 3 to 4 weeks ago have still to see some rankings in the top 100. Even though a couple of those kwd terms I’m trying to rank for appear to be very lowly competed for, I’m still not seeing top 100 rankings. Thus, one could conclude that Google are even slowing down the rankings of newly added website content, and not just slowing down the rankings of new domains. Again, this is only one site, and it only applies to 4 pages of content, but I can’t help but make a presumption that Google have in fact slowed these rankings – not so long ago and I’m sure I’d be seeing rankings in top 50 for at least 2 out of 4 of these pages, and very possibly all 4.

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Now again – its not entirely sensible to take any definitive conclusions from this study. After all, its merely one website and its merely 10 days after the start of the experiment/study. However, my own thinking about what is actually going on with the recent bout of algorithm changes is actually compounded by what I am seeing here. Its all very well and good to read a ton of complaints from fellow webmasters/mistresses about how Google have dumped their web pages out of the top 10 and thus they are not making any income. And I do commiserate! However, until you actually conduct your own studies (or follow along with studies that are being currently conducted) its not going to be too clear as to what Google truly want when it comes to gaining high rankings.

No doubt the quality content argument is one of the keys to gaining high rankings in Google, but there are a number of other factors at play here and its obviously not merely about having unique content that matters.

For a sweet deal on Build my Rank, please visit my previous post for details.

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Oh, there is one other thing that I should add to this post.

I’m experimenting on something else and using BMR as my backlinking tool of choice. With the current ravages in Google search rankings, this method could be key to gaining a foothold in gaining long term strong rankings (fairly fast!) and thus leveraging an income from the internet. Watch out for more on this which is coming up soon!

Read More: http://www.josepharchibald.com/