Comments on: Google Caffeine – A Look at Some Winning & Losing Sites http://www.affiliatestuff.co.uk/google/google-caffeine-a-look-at-some-winning-losing-sites/ Affiliate marketing news & articles for newbies and pros by Kirsty McCubbin Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:22:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Kirsty http://www.affiliatestuff.co.uk/google/google-caffeine-a-look-at-some-winning-losing-sites/comment-page-1/#comment-7964 Kirsty Tue, 29 Jun 2010 06:04:01 +0000 http://www.affiliatestuff.co.uk/?p=698#comment-7964 Hi Doug, just found your comment in the spam filter - dunno what you did wrong there! We actually do that part of the sites by hand... manipulate the feed, create template etc. Hi Doug, just found your comment in the spam filter – dunno what you did wrong there!

We actually do that part of the sites by hand… manipulate the feed, create template etc.

]]> By: Kirsty http://www.affiliatestuff.co.uk/google/google-caffeine-a-look-at-some-winning-losing-sites/comment-page-1/#comment-7961 Kirsty Mon, 28 Jun 2010 23:43:04 +0000 http://www.affiliatestuff.co.uk/?p=698#comment-7961 That's the spirit Matt - you have to find a way to fix Google's crimes or you won't be able to move on. Sounds like you have some fun times ahead, but keep on fighting ;) That’s the spirit Matt – you have to find a way to fix Google’s crimes or you won’t be able to move on. Sounds like you have some fun times ahead, but keep on fighting ;)

]]> By: Doug http://www.affiliatestuff.co.uk/google/google-caffeine-a-look-at-some-winning-losing-sites/comment-page-1/#comment-7960 Doug Mon, 28 Jun 2010 21:29:59 +0000 http://www.affiliatestuff.co.uk/?p=698#comment-7960 Hi Kirsty. I couldn't be nosey and ask what plugin/script you use on those Wordpress sites to get the product listings? I don't recognise the format/layout of them so am I right in thinking they're custom? Hi Kirsty. I couldn’t be nosey and ask what plugin/script you use on those WordPress sites to get the product listings?

I don’t recognise the format/layout of them so am I right in thinking they’re custom?

]]> By: Matt http://www.affiliatestuff.co.uk/google/google-caffeine-a-look-at-some-winning-losing-sites/comment-page-1/#comment-7942 Matt Fri, 25 Jun 2010 11:38:48 +0000 http://www.affiliatestuff.co.uk/?p=698#comment-7942 Had a lot of bad news on most of my sites during this update. Was all going so well too, what with going full time mid May, my earnings have almost halved over the last 3 weeks. If anything, I've noticed my thinner sites with less regular updates are doing better whereas the older ones with more content and links are doing worse. Got a lot of ideas in the pipeline to rescue the ailing sites though so I may be battered but I'm certainly not broken. Oh Google, you do love to confuse us all. Had a lot of bad news on most of my sites during this update. Was all going so well too, what with going full time mid May, my earnings have almost halved over the last 3 weeks.

If anything, I’ve noticed my thinner sites with less regular updates are doing better whereas the older ones with more content and links are doing worse.

Got a lot of ideas in the pipeline to rescue the ailing sites though so I may be battered but I’m certainly not broken.

Oh Google, you do love to confuse us all.

]]> By: Kirsty http://www.affiliatestuff.co.uk/google/google-caffeine-a-look-at-some-winning-losing-sites/comment-page-1/#comment-7940 Kirsty Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:03:59 +0000 http://www.affiliatestuff.co.uk/?p=698#comment-7940 @shane - great, thanks for those responses. Very interesting and helpful! @andy -I think if there was a broader issue of targeting thin affiliates we'd have heard about it. Wordpress is used by an awful lot of organisations large and small so I'd be surprised if Google targeted it. The trouble with issues like this is that there are so many facets to changes we can only guess at. Maybe you could try jazzing up your internal linking. How about creating some hub pages around popular topics and seeing if it makes any change? Vanessa Fox recommended this somewhere to help make sure content was more easily accessible and no more than 6 clicks into your site. Google is never dull, that's for sure! @shane – great, thanks for those responses. Very interesting and helpful!

@andy -I think if there was a broader issue of targeting thin affiliates we’d have heard about it. WordPress is used by an awful lot of organisations large and small so I’d be surprised if Google targeted it.

The trouble with issues like this is that there are so many facets to changes we can only guess at.

Maybe you could try jazzing up your internal linking. How about creating some hub pages around popular topics and seeing if it makes any change? Vanessa Fox recommended this somewhere to help make sure content was more easily accessible and no more than 6 clicks into your site.

Google is never dull, that’s for sure!

]]> By: Andy http://www.affiliatestuff.co.uk/google/google-caffeine-a-look-at-some-winning-losing-sites/comment-page-1/#comment-7934 Andy Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:41:37 +0000 http://www.affiliatestuff.co.uk/?p=698#comment-7934 Kirsty, perhaps the tide has turned against WordPress at the Googleplex? Maybe it's now too closely associated with being the platform of choice for throw-them-up-quickly affiliate sites? Which means the quality sites built on it that don't change its core taxonomy might be in danger? Or perhaps the internal linking on my site just sucks... Kirsty, perhaps the tide has turned against WordPress at the Googleplex? Maybe it’s now too closely associated with being the platform of choice for throw-them-up-quickly affiliate sites? Which means the quality sites built on it that don’t change its core taxonomy might be in danger?

Or perhaps the internal linking on my site just sucks…

]]> By: Shane http://www.affiliatestuff.co.uk/google/google-caffeine-a-look-at-some-winning-losing-sites/comment-page-1/#comment-7931 Shane Thu, 24 Jun 2010 07:59:22 +0000 http://www.affiliatestuff.co.uk/?p=698#comment-7931 Well the main keyword for each site is a match on the domain, however the site I mentioned that was being outranked by which/amazon is now ranking top for "widget" but also top 2 or 3 for "brand name widget", "large widget", and several other longtail terms which it wasnt ranking for (or I hadnt been receiving any traffic from anyway). My personal blog has also seen a massive increase in traffic (around 50%), but this may be down to the fact I have been writing quite a bit recently. Well the main keyword for each site is a match on the domain, however the site I mentioned that was being outranked by which/amazon is now ranking top for “widget” but also top 2 or 3 for “brand name widget”, “large widget”, and several other longtail terms which it wasnt ranking for (or I hadnt been receiving any traffic from anyway).

My personal blog has also seen a massive increase in traffic (around 50%), but this may be down to the fact I have been writing quite a bit recently.

]]> By: Kirsty http://www.affiliatestuff.co.uk/google/google-caffeine-a-look-at-some-winning-losing-sites/comment-page-1/#comment-7925 Kirsty Wed, 23 Jun 2010 22:39:33 +0000 http://www.affiliatestuff.co.uk/?p=698#comment-7925 @shane very interesting - it seems your niche sites are benefitting from the issues suffered by larger, stronger sites. Are most of your search phrases aligned with your domain name or are there others? Sorry for all the questions, just interested in how Google is treating niche sites. I know my own niche sites have been slapped, but they ranked for a lot of terms beyond those directly related to the domain. So for search terms that are core to the site topic I'm either A-OK or sightly better, but the rest have vanished! @Andy - I sincerely hope you see some sort of improvement in the coming weeks. I really hate hearing stories like yours. I had a quick look at your site and note it's in a traditional blog type format. I know at least one other person who has a similar site structure, all unique etc who has also been hit. Not sure if this is related. Good luck :) @shane very interesting – it seems your niche sites are benefitting from the issues suffered by larger, stronger sites. Are most of your search phrases aligned with your domain name or are there others? Sorry for all the questions, just interested in how Google is treating niche sites. I know my own niche sites have been slapped, but they ranked for a lot of terms beyond those directly related to the domain. So for search terms that are core to the site topic I’m either A-OK or sightly better, but the rest have vanished!

@Andy – I sincerely hope you see some sort of improvement in the coming weeks. I really hate hearing stories like yours.

I had a quick look at your site and note it’s in a traditional blog type format. I know at least one other person who has a similar site structure, all unique etc who has also been hit. Not sure if this is related.

Good luck :)

]]> By: Andy http://www.affiliatestuff.co.uk/google/google-caffeine-a-look-at-some-winning-losing-sites/comment-page-1/#comment-7923 Andy Wed, 23 Jun 2010 11:40:01 +0000 http://www.affiliatestuff.co.uk/?p=698#comment-7923 Thanks for your good wishes Kirsty. We've left both there but won't be updating. Announced the decision about the bigger one to general dismay (http://www.facebook.com/britsonpole) but the ridiculous workload with declining traffic and no payoff made the decision unavoidable. The other site was more a personal hobby, updated twice daily, that might have grown and now won't. Thanks for your good wishes Kirsty. We’ve left both there but won’t be updating. Announced the decision about the bigger one to general dismay (http://www.facebook.com/britsonpole) but the ridiculous workload with declining traffic and no payoff made the decision unavoidable. The other site was more a personal hobby, updated twice daily, that might have grown and now won’t.

]]> By: Shane http://www.affiliatestuff.co.uk/google/google-caffeine-a-look-at-some-winning-losing-sites/comment-page-1/#comment-7922 Shane Wed, 23 Jun 2010 05:50:56 +0000 http://www.affiliatestuff.co.uk/?p=698#comment-7922 Most of the sites I mentions are small, 4/5 page sites that were put in place and usually landed on the first page based purely on onsite SEO. I've then chucked a few (less than ideal) links at them and most have gone to the top. A few were sitting at around 3rd/4th though. Since the update from 7 sites, all are number 1 for a variety of keyterms and have seen a traffic increase or between 10 and 50%. Now im not competing in any highly competitive keyterms for any of the terms, however, one site for example was stuck at 5th. Being outranked by a massive article/review section on the Which website (they had 3rd & 4th) and Amazon who had the top two nailed. My site is now top and making at least a sale a day now, compared to 1 a week at 5th (I need to optomise the site now though). Most of the sites I mentions are small, 4/5 page sites that were put in place and usually landed on the first page based purely on onsite SEO. I’ve then chucked a few (less than ideal) links at them and most have gone to the top. A few were sitting at around 3rd/4th though. Since the update from 7 sites, all are number 1 for a variety of keyterms and have seen a traffic increase or between 10 and 50%.

Now im not competing in any highly competitive keyterms for any of the terms, however, one site for example was stuck at 5th. Being outranked by a massive article/review section on the Which website (they had 3rd & 4th) and Amazon who had the top two nailed. My site is now top and making at least a sale a day now, compared to 1 a week at 5th (I need to optomise the site now though).

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