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Site With Quality Issues Switched Domains, Saw Temporary Google Ranking Boost & Dropped Again

Published

2 years ago

March 19, 2022

Site With Quality Issues Switched Domains, Saw Temporary Google Ranking Boost & Dropped Again

On last Friday’s hangout with Google’s John Mueller, Ankit Dalal, an SEO, asked about a site he is working on and what the issue it has with rankings. In short, the site was not ranking well, so they migrated the site to a new domain and the rankings climbed for a three-day period, then after that, the rankings went back down to where the original domain was ranking.

John Mueller of Google asked a few technical SEO diagnostic question and then suggested that it might be a quality issue with the site. That the old domain had that quality issue, and then when you migrated to a new domain, it took Google a few days to understand the site moved. Once Google figured out the site moved, Google applied the same quality signals to that new domain – resulting in the rankings going down again.

We know that Google algorithms, penalties, etc can follow you, this is not new. We covered this topic many times but here in 2022, it still happens.

Glenn Gabe summed it up nicely in these two tweets:

More: So as the migration unfolded, Google’s algorithms didn’t understand the quality issues for a few days & the homepage ranked higher again. Then once G understood the quality issues, the same drop happened. That’s NOT a solution for improving quality: https://t.co/kJ6jAuP77e pic.twitter.com/FmfOh8HeCj

— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) March 17, 2022

Here is the video embed – starting at 29:38 mark:

Here is the transcript:

ANKIT DALAL: Thank you for your time. Yeah, I have a question. It’s kind of lengthy one. So there is a problem going on with me. I have a new website. So what the issue is going, I have been running this website for three years. So everything was perfect and good. So this month, I also asked you this question on last hangout, but that problem also becomes bigger now. It has grown. So on 1st March, my website home page, it was gone from the search results, completely gone from there. OK, it’s a kind of Google thing. So [INAUDIBLE] everything. I kind of do everything. I tried many things. But the home page was not in the search results. But the interesting thing, in the Google Search Console, for every keyword, Search Console is saying I’m still ranking on first position for every keyword that was ranking before 1st March. But the significant amount of impressions and clicks had gone. About 90% had gone. But the rankings and the CTR is the same. For about one week, I tried everything, but nothing works out for me. I have also gone through Central [INAUDIBLE] forms and everything, but nothing. So I take a bold step. I migrate the website to a whole new domain. So in a couple of hours, everything gets indexed. About 200 pages get indexed in a couple of hours. And the new website, in three hours, was ranking on the first position for those keywords. Everything was good. [INAUDIBLE] but everything else take care of. After three days, the same problem happens with the new website also. Only the home page gone for the search results. But the Search Console is still saying that I am ranking on the first position [INAUDIBLE],, but I can’t find my website in the search. I tried many different devices, IPs, but I can’t find my website on those keywords, especially my own. But Google Search Console is saying I am still ranking on the first position still. But every day, I’m checking. It’s still ranking on the first [INAUDIBLE].. I don’t know. I’m out of options now. I don’t know what I should do.

JOHN MUELLER: What I would do first of all is try to figure out if it’s a technical issue or not. And one way you could try to find out more there is to use the URL inspection tool.

ANKIT DALAL: Yeah, I did the URL inspection tool with the old website also. There is no error in the Search Console. I tried different crawlers, also scanning for everything. Everything is good. And there is no error in everything. Now I also switch to AMP for– and the Core Web Vitals are 100%, for the old website also and for the new one also. There is no error in the technical point of view, nothing like– it’s the home page. I kind of not say it’s a quality issue because– it can happen because it’s a Google thing. But I don’t think it’s a quality thing because Search Console is still saying I’m ranking on the first page but I can’t find my website. And the traffic has also gone like 90% off. I’m still getting the traffic from those keywords, but I can’t find my website. I try different IPs, country, search engine, devices, but I can’t find my website anywhere.

JOHN MUELLER: Yeah. I mean, the check with the URL inspection tool is mostly to determine, is the page indexed or not? And–

ANKIT DALAL: Yeah, it’s indexed.

JOHN MUELLER: From what you’re explaining, it’s indexed but it’s not ranking, at least when you search. And the thing with, I think, the performance report in Search Console, especially the position number there, that is based on what people actually saw. And it can be the case that a small number of people saw your website, but when they did see it, it was ranking really well. And in those cases, we would say, well, that ranking is what we saw. It doesn’t mean that it will always be ranking that high when people search. It might be that, for a short period of time, it’s ranking at number one, and then, for a longer period of time, its ranking at position 200, for example. And if nobody goes to number 200, then the only thing we see is that number-one ranking. And that’s what we would show in Search Console, then, because we just essentially report on what people actually saw.

And the history that you said there with regards to, I moved to a new domain, for a brief time it was very good, and then it disappeared again, to me, that hints very much at a bigger quality issue, where, when Google systems was able to understand your website again, it was like, well, we’re not convinced. And kind of that period in between, when Google says, well, we don’t know much about this website yet, we will try to treat it as something reasonable, that’s kind of that time when Google wasn’t even able to understand your website that well.

So to me, without knowing your website, that sounds a lot like a quality issue and sounds like something where it might help to have multiple people who are not associated with the website to also give you some tips and kind of say, here’s what you should be doing differently or what you could be doing differently. And I think, as a site owner, when you’re running the website, you’re making the website, it’s sometimes really hard to take this kind of feedback. But I think it’s important, especially if you care about the bigger picture in the search traffic side of things.

Forum discussion at Twitter.

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Daily Search Forum Recap: September 12, 2024

Published

14 hours ago

September 13, 2024

Entireweb News Bot

Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.

I covered some old statements from former Googlers on Navboost from Hacker News. Google replaced the cache link with links to the Wayback Machine, but they are deep inside. Google says it doesn’t use Exif data for ranking. Google updated its Indexing API docs warning not to abuse the API or else. Google has had this get definitions box for a while.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

Ex-Googler Forum Statements On Google Navboost

In my interview with Danny Sullivan, the Google Search Liaison, I tried to get more details on Navboost and how it plays a roll in core updates and general rankings. I was pretty much shot down (I am a good loser). That being said, here are some old posts from ex-Googlers (from what I can tell) on the topic of Navboost from the Hacker News forums.

Google Indexing API: Submissions Go Undergo Rigorous Spam Detection

Google has updated its Indexing API documentation to add a few things but the largest update talks about how “all submissions through the Indexing API undergo rigorous spam detection.” Plus, it says that attempts to abuse the Indexing API “may result in access being revoked.”

Google Replaced Cache Link With Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine

After Google has angered tons of SEOs and searchers over removing the cache link from the search result snippets, Google decided several months later to add links to Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine. This will give you snapshots in time of what that webpage looked like, but it is not powered by Google.

Google’s Martin Splitt: We Do Not Use Exif Data For Ranking

Over the years Google has been wishy-washy on if they use or do not use Exif (Exchangeable image file format) data for rankings. In 2014, Google’s Matt Cutts said Google can parse the data and reserves the right to use it. But in 2019, Gary Illyes from Google said it was not used for rankings. Now in 2024, Martin Splitt of Google said it is not used for rankings.

Google: Get Definitions & Translations As You Search

Google is now notifying some searchers of a translation feature within the search results. It says, “Get definitions and translations as you search. Select words to get definitions & translations without leaving the page.”
Google Silence Phone Boxes

We saw the Google silence box before, but it was one box. Now here are photos of many of them, also in the Google Paris, France office.

Other Great Search Threads:

Search Engine Land Stories:

Feedback:

Have feedback on this daily recap; let me know on Twitter @rustybrick or @seroundtable, on Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky and you can follow us on Facebook and on Google News and make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or just contact us the old fashion way.

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Daily Search Forum Recap: September 11, 2024

Published

2 days ago

September 11, 2024

Entireweb News Bot

Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.

Google is testing a new ad label header, it makes the ads stick out more. Google Search ranking volatility is still incredibly heated, even over a week after the core update finished. Google is sending out verification notices to Local Service Ads advertisers. Bing is testing a local pack with review source icons. Google AdSense is expanding auto ads to more languages. Google Search has a new video property for ineligible regions.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

Google Search Ranking Volatility Still Heated A Week After Core Update

I sound like a broken record, but the Google Search ranking volatility is still incredibly heated and has not let down, even over a week after the Google August 2024 core update was completed on September 3rd.

Google Tests New Ad Label / Design That Makes Ads Stand Out

Google is testing a new ad label and interface that really make the ads way more noticeable in the Google Search results. The ad label still is a black sponsored label, but Google is testing it on a tall gray background, with subtitles like “promoted products” and “promoted results.”

Google Emails Advertisers On Local Services Ads Verification Requirements

In March, Google announced a new verification process for its Local Service Ads program. Well, now, Google has started to email advertisers that need to take the steps to verify their advertising accounts.

Bing Local Pack Tests Review Source Icons Instead Of Review Stars

Microsoft is testing adding the source of the reviews in the Bing Search local pack, instead of showing review stars. So if the Bing Search local pack is showing reviews from Yelp, it would show the Yelp logo, and if it is showing them from Facebook, it would show the Facebook logo.

Google Expands AdSense Auto Ads To French, Spanish, and Japanese

Google is expanding AdSense’s Auto ads to support French, Spanish, and Japanese languages. Previously, Auto ads were worked for English and German languages only.

Google Search Supports Ineligible Regions Property For Videos

Google Search now supports specifying where (which regions) a video is not allowed to be viewed in its video structured data and video SEO documentation. A new ineligibleRegion property was added to the Google video structured data documentation.

Google Chelsea Market Tile Backsplash

At the Google office in New York City, the Chelsea Market location, they have this kitchen area that has the old Google logo, with the location, Chelsea Market, tiled into the wall.

Other Great Search Threads:

Check scores on perplexity!, Aravind Srinivas on X

Data suggests that if Google does not recrawl a URL after 129 days URL it falls out of the index, Mic King on X

Google Loses €2.4bn Appeal In E.U. Over Market Dominance, WebmasterWorld

Looking at your URL placement in Google’s AI Overview’s isn’t just for SEOs… It’s for anyone trying to gauge brand presence and brand power Run your site vs your competitors in @semrush & see the relative level of URL placement, Mordy Oberstein on X

On the video from O’Keefe Media Group: The claims here are completely false — they were made by a junior sales rep, secretly filmed while on a date, who has never worked on these topics. As we’ve shared before, we do not manipulate our products or m, Google Communications on X

The time has come (after being replaced by INP as a CWV) -> Chrome ends support for First Input Delay (FID) “In January, Chrome announced its intention to officially end support for FID. Well, that time has finally come, and as of to, Glenn Gabe on X

GSC Issue, Reddit

You randomly stumble across a new website crawler / scraper service – it turns any website into a CSV file (just for sake of something to discuss, I don’t have one for you). Isn’t that cool?, John Mueller on LinkedIn

Search Engine Land Stories:

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Daily Search Forum Recap: September 10, 2024

Published

3 days ago

September 10, 2024

Entireweb News Bot

Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.

Apple Visual Intelligence is Apple’s version of Google Lens but it uses Google, ChatGPT, Yelp and others. Google AI Overviews are showing for commercial queries again, showing product and shopping results. A new report on AI Overviews says about half of the links in the AI Overviews overlap with the traditional organic results. Google is showing Business Profile photos on its review sentiments. And Bing Search has a footer message to search again.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

Apple Visual Intelligence – Local, Shopping & More

Apple had its big event yesterday, and during the iPhone talk, they announced Apple Visual Intelligence. Where you can take photos of anything, and it will use Apple Intelligence for local search, shopping, homework help, and more.
Google AI Overviews Show Shopping Results For Commercial Queries Again

Google is bringing back shopping and product results in the AI Overviews for commercial queries. I’ll be honest, I don’t remember them going away but I am told they have now returned. Maybe they went away with the Ray update, when Google restricted how often AI Overviews showed.
Report: Half Google AI Overviews Links Overlap With Top Search Results

A new Google AI Overview study says that about half of the links displayed in the AI Overviews overlap with the links shown in the traditional Google Search results. Plus, the most linked to sources are YouTube and Wikipedia, according to the new report.
Google Maps Showing Business Photos On Review Sentiments

Google is now showing business submitted photos from Google Business Profiles in the Google Local and Maps review sentiments section. So above the reviews, Google may show photos submitted by the business, related to those reviews.
Bing Search Footer Message To Encourage More Searches

Microsoft is testing, showing a notice at the bottom of the Bing search results that says, “Search by typing anything on the keyboard.” This happens when you reach the footer of the Bing Search results. When you start typing, your characters appear in the search box for a new Bing Search session.

Google Flying Dutchman Cafe In Netherlands Office

Here is a photo from the Google Netherlands office, they have a cafe there named the Flying Dutchman cafe. This is the salad station in that cafe and you can see the art on the walls.