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Not Ranking? Blame the Google Aging Delayby Jonathan Hochman Google is the leading search engine, so any effort to use the Internet for marketing and publicity usually starts with getting your site listed in Google. For many sites, Google provides 25% to 50% or more of their inbound traffic. When you create a new web site, or change your site to a new domain name, you may experience an effect where Google does not list your site for any competitive keywords for many months. Google's ranking algorithm often gives new sites good rankings, then suddenly pushes them down to the bottom of the listings. This is a result of the automated logic and mathematics that Google uses to rank sites. If your new site disappears from Google, you have not done anything wrong, but you'll need to be patient until Google reranks your site several times. Eventually, your site will bubble up to the right place in the search rankings. Why does Google do this? Search engines want to present good quality search results. When a site is new, it hasn't been proven, and it may be difficult to judge whether the site is signal or noise. Consequently, Google takes a "wait and see" approach for most new sites. Changing domain names can trigger the same aging delay. There are plenty of good reasons that people, businesses and web sites change their identity, but there are also dodgy reasons. To be safe, Google typically does not immediately recommend rebranded sites. The implications for a business owner are significant. If you are launching a new site, you need to get it out there as fast as possible. Roll out pages when available, rather than waiting to launch everything later on. If you are stuck in the aging delay, links can provide immediate traffic. Some strategies for coping with the aging delay include:
If you are planning to build a web site, consider registering the domain name now, and installing an inexpensive site that says who you are, what you do, and how you can be contacted. Better yet, add a box where visitors can leave their email address so you can notify them of future developments. You should also work on getting other sites to link to yours. If you are thinking about changing your domain name, make sure you have a good business reason, and be prepared for a reduction in natural search traffic for several months, and possibly longer. About the AuthorAfter graduating from Yale with two degrees in Computer Science, Jonathan Hochman set up his own consulting company in 1990. He has been an Internet marketer since 1994. To send feedback, please visit http://www.hochmanconsultants.com/.
For additional information on search engine listings, please contact Hochman Consultants. |
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