Delisted by Search Engines

Why did the Search Engine delisted my website?

As far as Google is concerned, links from rule-bending and pseudo-directory sites may be the cause. Your incoming links may have negative effect on your website if they belong to the category mentioned above. Sites that are short on content but have too many outbound links covering a multitude of topics might be deemed untrusted. Sites where it appears anyone and everyone can get a link are not good candidates for link exchange anymore.

The best links come from so-called trusted sites and on-topic sites. Bear in mind that a link from, say, CNN.com isn't so dependent upon topic. That particular site is so trusted that being on-topic is not as important. However, a link from some less-trusted unknown-site.com better be at least somewhat related to your topic if you expect it to play a role in increasing your link popularity.

Google is aggressively looking to de-spam their search index. Many sites that easily acquired links from low-quality, rule-bending and pseudo-directory sites suffer negative impact over the past few updates.

Unfortunately, whenever Google tries to clear some of the spam out of their index, they end up also whacking sites that probably don't deserve to be penalized. If you feel you've been unfairly handicapped in the rankings - or even if you were fairly penalized but you've cleaned up your act - you can contact Google through their webmaster help pages. Of course, make sure your site conforms with their webmaster guidelines before contacting them.

Side note: If your site has been unfairly banned from Yahoo, you can contact them at the ystfeedback@yahoo.com email address, or use their feedback form. Make sure your site follows their webmaster guidelines first.

The following document where Google spells out the guidelines that its human reviewers use to distinguish quality sites from spam sites: www.searchbistro.com/spamguide.doc.

SEO and Adsense

This is a speculation and may not have any truth about the actual search engine optimization practice and putting up Adsense for Content. The cause for my suspicion arose from not only my own experience but also a joint venture partner's.

Here's the story...

In May 2005, I'd got 2 high ranking websites been removed from Yahoo search database. Together, they pull in more than 10,000 impressions monthly as recorded by Adsense. Initially, I thought it could be due to the use of pseudo-directory. However, after monitoring my other websites for the past two and half months, I still cannot conclude if that was the actual cause.

Here's why...

I have another website which does not have many pages of content but a 200-page pseudo-directory is still at the top of Yahoo SERP for a popular keyword for the past 3 months. I thought Yahoo would have deleted this website too. Anyway, I decided to delete the pseudo-directory and re-organise the website.

While I was working on this website and deciding whether to put up Ads bu Google, my partner's website suddenly cross my mind. It was ranked number 1 out of over 3 millions results for an Internet marketing related keyword for several weeks until last week. It disappeared from the Yahoo search database.

So, I have a website ranked number 1 on Yahoo search which incorporated a pseudo-directory but no Ads by Google remains in position for 3 months. But my freind's website website got bumped off the Y! database within 3 weeks and it has a wide-skyscraper Ads by Google.

Well, well, well... I cannot help but suspect that Y! is penalizing websites that have Ads by Google. Don't believe? Do a search on Yahoo and see what is the percentage of Ads by Google websites in the top 30 listing. When you find such websites, track their ranking and monitor how long they'll stay in Y! search database.

Internet Marketing Trick - Pseudo Directory

One of the Internet Marketing Tricks that has failed recently is pseudo directory. This is a directory consisted of software generated pages with targeted keywords. And because ten of thousands pages flooding the cyberspace and clotting up search engine results, Yahoo has been delisting majoring of these Web sites from its database since April/May 2005.

The page mill programs in question is Traffic Equalizer and/or Directory Generator. If you have any of these software, stop using them if you want to stay in Yahoo search database.

Just like the penalized webmaster, I guess Google may not be happy with Yahoo's move too. I know that many webmasters using this trick derive most of their Adsense income from Yahoo traffic than other search engines. In other words, Yahoo has been "cheated" to list these pseudo directory high in their search results and bring targeted traffic to "Ads by Google". Since these webmasters have no more traffic from Yahoo search, Google Ads don't get clicks which means nomoney for Google too!

To many, the sudden drop in revenue was a crisis. However, to an enterprising Internet marketer - it's another opportunity to make money. Keith Baxter of BeyondAdsense.com charged $97 for a 90 minutes teleseminar to address this crisis - 120 persons times $97 is a lot of money for 90 minutes.

Internet Marketing Seminar

There are quite a number of Internet marketing seminars available in Singapore. Some are conducted locally and other in KL, i.e. you travel to KL, stay in a hotel and attend the seminar. One of the reason for the seminar to be conducted in KL instead of Singapore is the lower cost in renting hotel conference room - it is at least 50% less costly in KL.

However, I was told there are at least 2 other Internet marketing gurus conducting workshops in Singapore. And it costs several thousands SingDollars. I am very tempted to visiting their previews and see what they are up to - I may learn a trick or two from them!

Some of the popular names known here are Senze, eOnenet, Wisdomhub, MarketingSphere and etc. For obvious reasons, I am not going to provide links to their websites. Please do a search on Google or Yahoo and you should find them. Otherwise, they should not be coaching people how to do Internet marketing, isn't it?

SEO and Internet marketing

When you add SEO to Internet marketing, you will eventually end up with search marketing. As you are aware that many Internet marketers do not optimize their Web sites for search engines. However, search engine optimization mandatory for effective Internet marketing campaign.

I observed that over the last 6 months or so, more and more webmasters in Singapore are using SEO on their web pages. However, many "developers" - mainly from graphic design background are not concerned about SEO. They are not to be blamed, for their clients just want something nice to show off to their customers and competitive.

Things are changing now, clients now want measureable results from the web sites. And one of the best method to implement for a Internet marketing campaign is search marketing methods. You could use Google's Adwords or Yahoo's Search Marketing. And the startup cost is relatively low. Yahoo Search Marketing ads claims that you can start a campaign for as little as US$20 per month. Most companies run a campaign with a monthly budget between US$100 to US$500.

I tested Google Adwords with my express bus travel Web site for 2 months and my traffic increased by about 1,000 unique visitors per month. My average cost per click was less than $0.08.

Search Engine Algorithm

If you have been trying to optimize your Web site so as to get ranked well in the major search engines, you must have heard about the notoriery of SE changing their algorithm and then the top ranked web sites got kicked and even delisted.

It really happened. And it happened to me just a few months ago. One of my Web site was removed from Yahoo search database and I lost a big chunk of Adsense revenue. I am not really sure what was it that Yahoo spiderbot didn't like about my Web site. What I am sure was that the Web site had things that were not supposed to be there. You may like to refer to this page for reference when you are building and optimizing your Web site - Yahoo Help.

Lucky for me was that it happened after I have been studying Google patent filing and applying it to my new Web sites. Also, I have been revamping older Web site bearing in mind the do's and the dont's. After a couple of months of hard work, some of my sites finally make it to the first 30 results of Google search.

If you are serious about your web site, do not try any thing that promise quick results - the search engines algorithm can detect unusual patterns and will remove your URLs at the slightest suspicion.

SEO and Google Indexing

Just read an article by John Fowler on SEO and Google Indexing. He said that SEO is not easy and getting in the top 10 results of Google search results is not trivial so you should hire an expert to help you.

And I agree with that.

Well, this seems to contradict with what I said in my earlier post on Easy SEO. That was an easy one because I was help my friend to optimize for a keyword that is not so popular that targeted at people who are looking for information on Internet marketing AND Singapore. If it was for the keyword Internet marketing then I would be impossible for me given the resources that I have now.

Let's go back to the article. There are 4 distinct skills that you will need in order to get your web site ranked well in a major search engine like Google.

1. Web Design
2. HTML coding
3. Copy writing
4. Marketing

Go read the article and see what each of these skills entail. And if you are good at more than one of these areas, you will probably do well in optimizing your website for Singapore market. Why do I say that? Because I am only good in 2 of the skills and methink I did marvelously with my websites. And, if you are good in all 4, please hire me - I want to work for you.

Easy Search Engine Optimization

I just realized that SEO is getting easier! I was enlightened by an incident while trying to help fellow forum member to opimize his website for search engine visibility.

One of the best ways to get into GYM search databases is by bloggin. I suggested to my friend to start a blog on Internet marketing since he was trying to put togather a group and help them to start some home-based online business. He acted on it quickly and got his blog up in less than an hour. I think he is a natural blogger even though in Singapore it is not common for a person his age to write blogs. He posted to the blogs everyday. On the fifith day, he told me his blogs was ranked in the top 10 position for the keyword Internet marketing Singapore. It was totally unexpected to be indexed and ranked in so short a time! Honestly, I did not use any secret tricks to help him. I just submitted his blogs to major SE's and blogs directories.

So, there you are - write good content and the SE's will recognise it. It's really that easy!