Something big is happening at Google but we’re not sure what it is. What we do know is that since a major update of Google’s database started on Friday night, the search returns have been extremely buggy with long-term Top10 pages dropping from existence, recorded back links decreasing or disappearing for many sites, and more than the usual amount of spam appearing in the Top10. We have also noted the disapperence of one their major servers (www-sj.google.com).

Google has been delivering questionable returns for several months now with spam and duplicate listings often making it into the Top10. The last time their listings have been this upset was in October 2002 when Google tried introducing Blog entries and news releases into its general listings. Within two weeks, the listings had been restored to a shakey state of “normal” but that marked the beginning of strange and often spammy entries into the Top10. This month’s update is being referred to in the SEO community as the “Florida Update” and has a lot of SEO practicioners scratching their heads. Our current advise is to wait it out for at least two weeks and see what Google does next.

Happy Monday morning folks… DON’T PANIC!

Have y’all taken a look at Google today? Yes, what you are seeing is real. Google is showing totally different listings on the search engine returns pages today. Actually, this weirdness started sometime on Friday night or Saturday morning. Most of our clients have not been affected and the only one we have seen effected has had his rankings rise dramatically. Our site has been affected though, rather badly at that. From the #6 spot under the phrase “Search Engine Placement”, the happy-go-lucky StepForth site has dropped past the fifth page of returns.

I think this is a temporary thing. We last saw such a massive shake-up six months ago and the listings went back to normal after a few days. This sort of shake-up generally indicates that Google is re-ordering their entire database of spidered sites.

Recently we have received a great deal of mail on the subject of SEO Spam, especially as it relates to Google. It seems lots of folk are complaining about the quality of the SERPs (search engine returns pages) at Google and the fact that many (not all) of the Top10 found at Google seem to have gotten there by using Spam tactics. We are getting a number of inquiries asking what a webmaster should do when they find their site(s) pushed out of the Top20 by sites using Spam and if SEOs should start using Spammy techniques on their client’s websites. These questions have raised a number of important ethical and practical discussions amongst the staff here and has generated more than one debate at our quarterly staff/client parties. At the risk of generating even more email, here are some of my thoughts on the issue. Read more…

Google has recently released Google Deskbar, a search tool that allows you to search all of Google’s various databases (Google, Google News, Froogle, Google Groups, etc…), without opening your browser. When installed, Google Deskbar operates in the lower tray and automatically opens an Internet Explorer window to display results. Google has introduced this tool in response to rumours that Microsoft will be bulking search directly into its new operating system Longhorn.

Overture and NBC have signed a deal in which NBC will display paid-results from Overture in returns from the search feature on the TV network’s website. NBC joins other large media outlets such as the New York Post and CNN in introducing sponsored advertisements to search results in a bid to cash in on the growing contextual advertising market. Whenever a site user performs a search from NBC, the results returned will include advertisements that have bid on specific keyword phrases in an auction-like format. Under the two year deal, the top 3 bidded sites at Overture will appear as Sponsored Links above the traditional listings.