December 05, 2003

In the Google Dog-House

Google, in its wisdom, has decreed that my Nettle site should not be in the top-10 searches for the word "nettle". No, instead of being something like #5 as of a month ago, now it is #681.

Google says there are 1,140 links to www.nettle.com. That's more links than all of Google's top 10 search results for "nettle" combined. I.e., if you go see how many links to the URLs identified by Google as being the top 10 URLs for the term "nettle", and add up the total number of links for those ten URLs, it is way lower than my 1,140.

Despite the fact that result Google can find no other websites that link to the URL in #680 (sorry, I'm not going to be the first), and that no other websites link to the URL in result #682, it dumps me at #681.

I wonder if Google is punishing me for being recently blogrolled at Doc's blog? (Interestingly, if you search for the word "doc" in Google, Doc's blog is search result #2. Surely that can't be right, Google! Quick, go move it to #681!)

If you like the Nettle blog and would like to see it return to its rightful place on the top-10 list of "nettle" search results, please post something in your own blog, a full sentence that includes the word "nettle" as a link to nettle.com. Maybe we can get Google to wake up and correct its error.

Posted by brian at December 5, 2003 06:34 AM

Comments

I have a feeling that this sort of Googlebombing technique is what Google is trying to compensate for in the algorithm, which is probably why you were dropped in the first place. In an attempt to defeat weblog comment/guestbook link spammers, I think Google may have thrown out the baby (e.g. ranking results using inbound links) with the bathwater.

Posted by: Andy Baio at December 5, 2003 03:36 PM

Read More in the Archives:
December 2005 | November 2005 | October 2005 | September 2005 | August 2005 | July 2005 | June 2005 | May 2005 | April 2005 | March 2005 | February 2005 | January 2005 | December 2004 | November 2004 | October 2004 | September 2004 | August 2004 | July 2004 | June 2004 | May 2004 | April 2004 | March 2004 | February 2004 | January 2004 | December 2003 | November 2003 | October 2003 | September 2003 | August 2003 | July 2003 | June 2003 | May 2003 | April 2003 | March 2003 | February 2003 | January 2003 | December 2002 | November 2002 | October 2002 | September 2002 | August 2002 | July 2002 | June 2002 | May 2002 | April 2002 | March 2002 | February 2002 |

brianstorms is Brian Dear's weblog. Non-spam email:

Be sure to take a look at these other fine websites:

Copyright 2002-2003 Birdrock Ventures. brianstorms is a trademark of Birdrock Ventures.