Foil Hat Time Again

Forum Moderators: Robert Charlton & goodroi

Message Too Old, No Replies

Foil Hat Time Again

internetheaven

12:52 am on Jul 11, 2012 (gmt 0)

For the past three years I have had one site ranking #1 for it's main terms. As many people know, I'm getting out the industry and have been selling off my portfolio of domains and websites.

I've exhausted my contact list so have turned to auctions. I posted this particular site up for auction and listed the fact it was #1 on Google for it's main term as an incentive to buy.

48 hours after listing it, it lost it's #1 spot. After 3 years and surviving every Panda and Penguin.

I know we laugh at co-incidences here and see plenty of paranoia. But could listing your site for sale affect rankings?

tedster

11:04 am on Jul 11, 2012 (gmt 0)

Did you mention that the site is for sale on one of your pages?

jackonaplane

1:08 pm on Jul 11, 2012 (gmt 0)

I've long had a suspicion (no solid proof, just a hunch) that sites/domains listed for sale on major online marketplaces might be devalued in some way.

Similarly, I have felt that domains I have bought from such places were harder to get ranked. Possibly being publically listed for sale, even being listed for sale in the past, is general indicator of a lower "quality" site, so Google treats it as such.

Sgt_Kickaxe

1:14 pm on Jul 11, 2012 (gmt 0)

The auction site might indeed cause your ratings to temporarily slip, who knows.

What's the name of the guy who swears that any and all website projects from him are tanked by Google immediately? He's a semi-famous(infamous?) SEO who got into Google's doghouse a few years ago... I forget his name. We could ask him? :)

internetheaven

1:18 pm on Jul 11, 2012 (gmt 0)

Did you mention that the site is for sale on one of your pages?

Yes. I added a bit in the About Us section about the site being for sale. I didn't link to the auction though.

internetheaven

1:20 pm on Jul 11, 2012 (gmt 0)

Similarly, I have felt that domains I have bought from such places were harder to get ranked.

I've not found this. I've bought hundreds of domains at auction and ranked them and sold them on.

aristotle

1:54 pm on Jul 11, 2012 (gmt 0)

I've exhausted my contact list so have turned to auctions

Maybe googlebot crawls the listings in these domain auction sites, and then the algorithm demotes the listed domains.

Jez123

2:24 pm on Jul 11, 2012 (gmt 0)

Seems there may have been a Panda update 3.9. Possible that it could be that?

tedster

3:11 pm on Jul 11, 2012 (gmt 0)

Right now there is just guessing about a Panda update. There is definitely something significant going on with the SERPs, but that's not uncommon. We do not know that it's Panda related.

Jez123

3:26 pm on Jul 11, 2012 (gmt 0)

That's why I said "may have been" :)

I suppose we just wait and see what / if google say.

tedster

3:33 pm on Jul 11, 2012 (gmt 0)

Maybe we'll hear from members who know they are in a Panda situation and they'll report movement. That would also at least provide some evidence.

I apologize for jumping on your post, Jez. I appreciate that you did say "may have". I think I have an issue with how much gets called Panda, as if there were no other algorithm components.

With regard to the conspiracy idea, I asked whether the for-sale information being available on the site itself, because I could see that being more of an issue for Google than an auction site listing. It sort of turns their SERPs into a classified ad.

Jez123

3:43 pm on Jul 11, 2012 (gmt 0)

Don't worry about it. I get vexed with people saying something rude and then putting "Just sayin'" after :)

It sort of turns their SERPs into a classified ad.

I have never heard of this happening but then people don't seem to announce a site / domain for sale actually on their site much these days do they?