Website was No1 in Google (Chinese Supermarket Edinburgh) for 10 days, why gone?

[DesignPromote.uk]

As above, the website I did was the No1 in Google with keywords: Chinese Supermarket Edinburgh for about 10 days (18-28/July/2012), but it's gone to nowhere now? The google RP is 2/10 (didn't change) and traffic ranking is increasing. I have been advised by other forum it could be QDF: (query deserves freshness), but I don't think it's such complex.

Please don't suggest about cookies or in my google account.

I have opened new browser, for one I have used, I would clear cache, cookies and so on when doing a search test on google. (I nearly did it every time when I coded and tested web pages on serve.) Regarding to No1 in Google, I did the search in my neighbor's house, in my clients office. I don't want to look foolish if I told something not fully tested.

Any suggestions please.

[JeffWalden]

What sort of techniques did you use to get your site to rank in the #1 position for 10 days? If you were doing anything other than honest and natural optimization, then you probably have your answer. Your PageRank is essentially useless and only used as a tiebreaker. Try not to pay much attention to that as it will just mislead you.

What do you mean your traffic rank is increasing? Are you referring to the amount of traffic that you're receiving? If so, where is that traffic coming from?

[DesignPromote.uk]

1. built some links (less than 10) on local business related directory. no spam.
it's a less competitive market, only 7 or 8 chinese supermarket in edinburgh, it's why I can't work out.
2. could you please explain more about PR is useless, if so, what factors should I pay attention to if I do market research.
3. traffic ranking is quoted from Alexa.com, which I found it's useful for me doing market research.
apart from some were from test in the beginning, all were from real person.

[JeffWalden]

Have you checked the ranking of that local business directory? If it was involved in some spammy techniques your links may have fallen with it. 10 links seems like an awful small number to attain a number one ranking, even with relatively weak competition. I would guess that something else was working in your favor.

The idea of PageRank, meaning the network of links back to your site and the relevancy/quality of those links is very much alive. It's been the beating heart of Google since day 1 and likely always will be. However, the numerical expression of PageRank (1-10) is relatively useless to pay attention to. Google only publishes updates to this number on an infrequent basis and this actual number is only used for a tie-breaker for any given position when two sites rank exactly the same. Should you be looking for relevant and high quality sites to link back to you? Yes, of course. But try not to get hung up on the numerical PageRank that you might find available.

So you're getting more and more traffic even though your site is no longer ranking in Google? Where is that traffic coming from?

[Mikl]

How long has the site been live?

The reason I ask is that Google often gives a new site a sort of honeymoon, where they rank well for a short period, and then slip back to a more "natural" level. That might be the case here. Although I have to admit that woulnd't explain it going from no 1 to nowhere.

Just a thought.

Mike

[denysaputra]

Sorry, does your site actually deserves to be in first position?

[Stevie D]

Sorry, does your site actually deserves to be in first position?

This is a good point, and one well worth bearing in mind.

Google's ultimate goal is to give people the best web page there is, relevant to the query they've searched for. Your ultimate strategy should be to (a) make sure that your page is the best, and (b) make sure that Google knows it.

If your web page is knocked off the #1 spot by a page that is better, you've got no grounds for complaint. Sure, it's not nice when it happens, we all like being #1, but that's the way things go.You can play around with link strategies and social media optimisation and everything else all you want, but if your page doesn't deserve to be #1 then any gains you make in ranking are likely to be short-lived and you will find yourself knocked off by better pages.

You might well have had an initial boost for 'freshness', but that's all it is, an initial boost. The whole point about 'freshness' is that it quickly goes stale, and if that's the only reason your page has been ranking well then it will soon be past the sell-by date and you'll fall back down. If that's happening then you need to look for sustainable ways to ensure that your pages remain relevant and are seen as ongoing and long-term, not just something that hits the news today and is gone next week.

[DesignPromote.uk]

Have you checked the ranking of that local business directory? If it was involved in some spammy techniques your links may have fallen with it. 10 links seems like an awful small number to attain a number one ranking, even with relatively weak competition. I would guess that something else was working in your favor.

The idea of PageRank, meaning the network of links back to your site and the relevancy/quality of those links is very much alive. It's been the beating heart of Google since day 1 and likely always will be. However, the numerical expression of PageRank (1-10) is relatively useless to pay attention to. Google only publishes updates to this number on an infrequent basis and this actual number is only used for a tie-breaker for any given position when two sites rank exactly the same. Should you be looking for relevant and high quality sites to link back to you? Yes, of course. But try not to get hung up on the numerical PageRank that you might find available.

So you're getting more and more traffic even though your site is no longer ranking in Google? Where is that traffic coming from?

Thanks for your information.
1. if PR is less accurate, should I check back links, I notice back links in Alexa is more less accurate. Any tools you would like to recommend? I do find higher ranking in Google search, higher PR has a websites.
2. 10 links is not much but comparing to other 5-6 stores did nothing. so no spam, just links to yell, yelp and so on.
2. Traffic comes from people looking for chinese supermarket and my works. the website is still shown in the local business area reserved by google on the first page.
3. I posted my thought to Matt regarding to changes Google made on 27/July (http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blo...=1344296713286), it's about the date the website dropped to nowhere.
"Some my thought about inbound links:
1. Why can't you just distrust spam websites, and leave other websites as where they are now. For the time being, webmaster would stop using useless inbound links when they recognize it isn't working.
2. Don't distrust good websites linked to spam websites. By doing so, you, Google is encouraging spam on another way, before, spam links were used to increase PR, now spam could be used to decrease PR to a website, such as 2 cases mentioned by MJ Flatow and Brett Bumeter."

I hope you would agree with it.

[DesignPromote.uk]

How long has the site been live?

The reason I ask is that Google often gives a new site a sort of honeymoon, where they rank well for a short period, and then slip back to a more "natural" level. That might be the case here. Although I have to admit that woulnd't explain it going from no 1 to nowhere.

Just a thought.

Mike

It a very new site by the time at No1 on Google, just about 3 weeks. It could be the case, would it only happen to less competitive market, or saying for a new B&B, it would never happen. Could you please give me a reference link regarding to honeymoon for a new site?

[DesignPromote.uk]

Sorry, does your site actually deserves to be in first position?

I think so. if someone types in "chinese supermarket edinburgh", in my opinion, it's most likely the person would like see where she/he can find a place to buy, and this site provide the information. again, only 7 or 8 chinese supermarket in edinburgh, what would you expect to come?

[Mikl]

Google's ultimate goal is to give people the best web page there is, relevant to the query they've searched for. Your ultimate strategy should be to (a) make sure that your page is the best, and (b) make sure that Google knows it.

I completely agree with Stevie D's point (above), and - if he hadn't made that post - I might have said something similar myself.

However ...

if someone types in "chinese supermarket edinburgh", in my opinion, it's most likely the person would like see where she/he can find a place to buy,

DesignPromote, you are completely correct. I just tried that search term. Almost the entire first page of search results - including the top three entries - were for directories which happen to contain listings for Chinese supermarkets in Edinburgh - among many thousands of other things. I only saw two actual businesses listed. And only one of those would I describe as a supermarket (I know whereof I speak, because I often shop in Chinese shops in this city and am familiar with both establishments).

I think I can guess which of the two supermarkets is yours. If I'm right, I must point out that it has very little content - nothing more than a single page with not a lot of text. Maybe you are showing all that a prospective customer needs to see, but it's not a lot for Google to get its teeth into.

Mike

[DesignPromote.uk]

I completely agree with Stevie D's point (above), and - if he hadn't made that post - I might have said something similar myself.

However ...



DesignPromote, you are completely correct. I just tried that search term. Almost the entire first page of search results - including the top three entries - were for directories which happen to contain listings for Chinese supermarkets in Edinburgh - among many thousands of other things. I only saw two actual businesses listed. And only one of those would I describe as a supermarket (I know whereof I speak, because I often shop in Chinese shops in this city and am familiar with both establishments).

I think I can guess which of the two supermarkets is yours. If I'm right, I must point out that it has very little content - nothing more than a single page with not a lot of text. Maybe you are showing all that a prospective customer needs to see, but it's not a lot for Google to get its teeth into.

Mike

I think the website give the information what people's looking for. In my opinions, I don't think potential customers would look at more web pages or contents to decide to buy here or other places. Even with more contents, the website wouldn't compete with online directories and yell.com. It's about the website I created better than other chinese supermarkets' in Edinburgh for google, it was in No1 for 10 days and went to nowhere now.

I noticed on 27th July 2012, it's about the time it happened to the website, google announced: "http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/new-notifications-about-inbound-links.html".

I presume it's what happened:
1. it could be because of inbound links i built or google boost a new site, the chinese supermarket website was on No1 for 10 days
2. then because google contacted some web masters for the change, either websites with inbound link to mine changed policies (saying with noflow for all links) or Google changed algorithm.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

[Mikl]

I think the website give the information what people's looking for.

I completely agree. After all, if you want to buy Chinese ingredients, all you really need is the address of somewhere that sells them, and perhaps the opening hours. Personally, that's all I would expect. What I'm saying is that Google will favour sites that have a larger amount of content than yours does, which might explain the lower ranking.

As far as the inbound link notification is concerned, have you actually seen the relevant message in your Google Webmaster Tools console? If not, you can assume it doesn't apply to you.

I think it's more likely that you are suffering from the honeymoon effect I mentioned earlier.

If I were you, I'd stop worrying about why it suddenly dropped, and concentrate instead on making sure the site is as well optimised as it could be.

Mike

[DesignPromote.uk]

I completely agree. After all, if you want to buy Chinese ingredients, all you really need is the address of somewhere that sells them, and perhaps the opening hours. Personally, that's all I would expect. What I'm saying is that Google will favour sites that have a larger amount of content than yours does, which might explain the lower ranking.

As far as the inbound link notification is concerned, have you actually seen the relevant message in your Google Webmaster Tools console? If not, you can assume it doesn't apply to you.

I think it's more likely that you are suffering from the honeymoon effect I mentioned earlier.

If I were you, I'd stop worrying about why it suddenly dropped, and concentrate instead on making sure the site is as well optimised as it could be.

Mike

I will google for new website honeymoon effect for more information. I do appreciate if you can give some reference links for me to learn.

I am going to change title and description as suggested by Goldie Shaman, have added some rich snippets to see how it will affect it on google.

Again, thank you very much for your information. it's very helpful.

[Mikl]

"Honeymoon effect" is just the term I used for what I was trying to explain. Don't bother to google it. You'll probably find references to all kinds of interesting things that have got nothing to do with websites.

You'd do better to study Google's Search Engien Optimization Guide, and their Webmaster's Blog. There's also a lot of useful information in the stickies here on Sitepoint.

The main point is to stop worrying about the past. Focus on optimising the site so that it will perform better in the future.

Mike