Google's latest update March 2008

A lot is stirring over this last Google Dewey update. Read real responses from Google's Matt Cutts and site owners.
http://www.seroundtable.com/archives/016754.html

Google's Cutts Asking for Feedback on March/April '08 Update (The "Dewey" Update)

On the last day of March, I reported on a major Google search index update which seemed to have impacted tons and tons of SEOs, as opposed to just a ton of SEOs (if you know what I mean). Yes, I even noticed changes in the search results and I really don't even look that carefully.

Based on all the feedback at WebmasterWorld, Google's Matt Cutts (yes, he is still at Google) added a post to that thread, asking for feedback. The post number is 3616809.

The way to submit your feedback is to use this form and make sure to mention the word "dewey" in the "Additional details" text area. Matt said you can also point out specific issues with the new index via "blog post, leave specifics on the Google webmaster help group, or whatever way you want to point out specific searches that look different to you." He also added that even if you don't get a reply, it is very likely your details will be reviewed by an engineer. Here is Matt's post:

Hey all, I asked a few people to look into this and they weren't seeing many large differences in rankings between these datacenters. The issue with discussing on this thread is that specific urls/queries aren't allowed. If anyone wants to mention a search where they see large-scale differences, feel free to send feedback to Google in the usual way. I'm going to pick a random-but-pretty-unique keyword so that I can look up reports. Let's use "dewey" as the word. So if you want to mention a search where you think the results are very different at one data center compared to other data centers, use the spam report form at http://www.google.com/contact/spamreport.html and make sure to include the word "dewey" in the "Additional details" text area. Or feel free to point out differences in other ways: do a blog post, leave specifics on the Google webmaster help group, or whatever way you want to point out specific searches that look different to you. The usual rules of thumb apply: you probably won't get a personal reply, but I'll try to get someone to check out reports that get sent in. There shouldn't be much difference between data centers, so I'm curious to find out what queries people seem to be seeing different results on.

So maybe this Google update should be named the "Dewey" update? Why not?

Google did SOMETHING:

1) Old sites that have done nothing wrong suddenly dropped out of Google's index around the end of February, early March

2) Cache data has been inaccurate and appallingly unrefreshed even though the index reports that new content and links are working.

3) New sites take excruciatingly long time frames to be indexed whereas up until late February/early March it was a fairly quick and painless process

4) Your index numbers don't agree in Webmaster Central

5) Site: queries don't match up with inurl: queries

6) Many site: and inurl: queries which normally fluctuate for large content sites became "frozen" and continued to report the same numbers every day for at least the last two weeks

7) Less relevant results have floated to the top of many queries because more relevant pages have either dropped out of the index or (temporarily) lost their inbound links

So you don't have to call it an update but everyone else will. Maybe it's just a data refresh but it smacks of an algorithmic change that is more substantial than the usual daily tweaks.

COMMENTS

• Would you mind asking around to see what minor little things did change, because a lot of little changes still add up to a huge change in the users' perception?
• People are definitely worried. I have not seen this much traffic on the multiple IP address Google ranking checker at http://www.seocritique.com/datacentertool in ages.
• I keep checking the results and it seems that they've shifted back. If I notice anything out of the ordinary, I'll send a report. Thanks. :)
• Matt, can I have a job? Since google hasn't listed www.tuscl.com in the results for "strip clubs" my traffic has dropped 75%. I know your algorithms are working perfectly, but they are just missing something... PLEASE HELP ME!
• How about we call this the "Screwey" update?
• I also experienced some anomalies when logged in to Google Webmaster Tools when out of our 700+ pages indexed, using a site:domain command it only showed 130 pages. Instantly the thought was a new and improved duplicate content filter that in essence acts like a supplemental filter on the fly. However, upon logging out, the site: from Google worked just fine (and all of the pages were indexed).
• Not to mention, the new social media interface that allowed you to (X) out or promote (up arrow) your pages within your your search results made a debut as well.
• Any thoughts about this, particularly the missing 600 pages while logged in?
• I am not a SEO I am a very worried site owner of www.lastminutevillas.net Since the latest "Dewey" update my site has virtually disappeared fropm the main terms we were aiming at,bearing in mind we have been in the top 5 for "florida villas"orlando villas""florida vacation villas" for the past 7 years and the Google stats nopw show we are not even in the first 100 pages this is totally wrong,Google should understand they are playing (and I use the term literally) with peoples livelihoods. If SEOs and owners listen to Googles marketing and want to be part of the best then Google should reciprocate and ensure the results are not flawed. By all means Google get rid of the c**p but let us honest people survive.
• We have seen a 62% drop since March 2nd. this is the firs time in 9 years our traffic droped from google.
• I have to say that I agree with the comments of Michael Martinez. Sites are not getter spidered as often, new url's are taking longer to get indexed and webmaster tools information and actual search listings are not syncronised.
• We too have been hit badly by the Dewey. Our home page isn't indexed at all. We are not even listed under Izziwizzi Kids (the company name) anymore. This has had a crippling effect on a growing business offering outstanding service to our customers. Agree that Google most definitely needs to consider the livelihoods of the people affected by these uncommunicated updates. The most annoying thing is that I can not put right what is wrong with the site with such a lack of information about the update. I have worked tirelessly in keeping content interesting and useful and Google friendly. Most definitely has affected us more so than a standard upgrade.
• It's affected us too, quite dramatically. I thought I had been de-listed. We used to show up towards the top of the rankings for "mom reviews" and "baby product reviews" and now we are pages and pages back, if at all.
• So with the various comments posted and peoples livelihoods in jeopardy I am interested to know what Mr. Cutts intends to do about it if anything,these are genuine people with genuine businesses that have been affected who have followed Googles rules and demands yet in my case there are sites appearing high for the terms we aim at (and disappeared from) that clearly do not follow the same rules.
• My site is optimized for the term "search engine optimization" and seems to be changing hourly (Datacenters?) between postion 2 to postion 10.
• Google has been playing around since January with mistakes in Caches of sites etc. Any chance that this update will correct all the recent faults.
• All these dozens of BILLIONS of dollars you made thanks to search (with a market valuation of about $100-200 BILLIONS) - I would like to suggest you invest 1% of it into hiring staff that can support honest webmasters who are worried about their jobs when Google decides to swing sites around.
• You may now have all the powers in the world, but the contempt you are showing for webmasters' lives and jobs may some day backfire on you.
• Our site has the best content and interactive tools in our (small) industry, and we've been ranked #1 for 5-6 years. Now for some reason we're down to #10, and I'm under fire at work. We're close to laying off people because sales are down. PS: A Google search for "Google market valuation" brings stories from 2005 and 2006...
• Definitely a downgrade in results as far as I see. For instance. Run a search for "ray ban sunglasses" and the top spot will be for the company, which is a good thing. Problem is the next two results as I have been seeing for the past couple of weeks, are less than quality sites. The one in the #2 position is part of a mini-net. The main page to that domain links to an almost identical site on another domain which again links to an almost identical site on a third domain and so forth.
• The site in the third position has no contact information, phone number, address, nothing but a contact form. Fishy, suspicious at best.
• So, I would say whatever Google's doing, the black hats are getting the benefit of some of it.
• Our traffic from Google is back and the results seem to be back to what it was before the change. I learned a lesson though, don't depend upon one source for traffic!
• All of these posts, and Matt Cutts doesn't even offer any advice or support. Google is the devil in disguise.
• This last Google update has set us way back. It is hard enough to compete online without the, what appears to be, completely random swaying of Google's algorithm. It's a sick feeling to have first page rankings one day, then wake up the next morning and everything is gone. We work tirelessly at SEO, because doing it right takes work, and lots of it. So where's the benefit?