Revelations from Matt Cutts: BigDaddy Update & Supplemental Index Refresh

Why Your Google Indexed Page Count is Down - BigDaddy Analysis By Matt Cutts

Matt Cutts has provided a detailed timeline related to the BigDaddy update in his blog. He also gives us insights into why certain webmasters might be seeing a reduction in their indexed page count.

Here are some key points from this detailed blog entry by Matt:

• Google is not "running out of space"
• BigDaddy was first deployed for testing in Dec. 2005 & fully deployed on March 29th, 2006 (with tuning).
• Many webmasters are reporting a loss of indexed pages with the BigDaddy update.
• Matt attributes loss in pages to "low trust" for inbound/outbound links:
  • Excessive reciprocal linking
  • Linking to spammy neighborhoods
  • Link buying/selling
• After the BigDaddy update, 2nd phase was refreshing supplemental index (started in early April 2006).
• Problems with "site:" queries (re: supplemental results not showing up; nothing for hyphenated domains) will soon be fixed.

Notes on vBSEO

• vBSEO has special features that configure the use of rel=nofollow attributes for external domains including (1) Adding rel=nofollow to all external domains, (2) a whitelist for allowing external domain links, and (3) a blacklist for disallowing external domain links for specific sites.
• Our vBSEO Conditional Signatures plugin (provided for free at vb.org) also works with rel=nofollow settings to minimize the effect of external links in user signatures (and even allows signatures to be removed - based on certain conditions).
• The vBSEO Team has always urged caution regarding using linkfarms or reciprocal linking networks, etc.

For Discussion

• Are you using a linkfarm? Have you seen a drop in indexed pages? Would you consider ceasing your participation to see if your indexed page count improves?
• How do you actively build inbound links to your site? Do you try to build links only on relevant sites?
• Aside from the fact that your site might not be doing as well, do you feel that Google's BigDaddy crawler is fairly penalizing sites that are building "low trust" links?

Source:
Matt Cutts: Gadgets, Google, and SEO » Indexing timeline

A lot of people on here will probably disagree with me but I think Google needs to seriously look into stopping the Digital Point COOP network from providing such an advantage to sites that use it.

1) It is not natural linking by a long shot
2) Puts links on your site that 99% of the time are not related in anyway to your content.
3) Are sitewide footer links.

That's just me.

I am going to give this natural linking thing a go for awhile. Just to see how full of crap Google really is. I know of one site in the top ten of a keyword that is very very high in traffic that uses the Digital Point COOP network to get there. We will see if my natural link building efforts of submitting to directories, submitting articles and news to places like DIGG and other outlets, among having my members link to my content on other sites help me out any.

Right now my faith in Google is not very good. My site does not rank anywhere in the top50 for any of the keywords in the screen shot below. My site is 3 years old! That is absurd. http://www.vbseo.com/attachments/f4/...f?d=1148416298

As far as the nofollows go, I use the blacklist some and I use the signature hack now to not show signatures if there are not atleast 25 words in the post.

Isnt it just revelations? I must admit i am little annoyed at how Google has not just suddenly decided that link exchange programs such as Digital Coop are now "low trust" links after being in popular existance for years now, the move seems a little desperate.

Typo fixed.

I like that Google is cracking down on such link exchanges. I think (overall) it will help the SERP quality improve. However, I think that link exchanges for *related* sites should not result in penalties.

So, as long as you don't have linked to "carb blocker pills" on your tech support forum, you might be alright (in the future - I hope).

Come on guys.... stop whinging.... this is a good move by google for the web generally and for content relevancy.

Think about it.... what is now the new best way to improve link popularity without link exchange??

I tell you what, write an article about it, shove your bio and link on the end and then go and place it around the articles sites....

Whoops.... the secret's out now

So in other words, linking in general is out. Kinda defeats the purpose of the internet in general.

Well - it seems that low trust/non-relevant linking is going to have reduced effects (and/or penalties). Unfortunately, it looks like the *easy* methods of building links relate specifically linkfarms, co-ops, etc.

FYI It's probably a good idea for SEOs to start looking more closely at Google Co-op.

I am still confused about Google COOP. How is it suppose to benefit webmasters? Who is honestly going to use it? I just don't understand how it works.

Originally Posted by rob

Whoops.... the secret's out now

Its hardly a secret, i meant there are hundreds of articles out there, with the authors biography and homepage on, that discuss the methods of publishing articles with an author biography and homepage :P

Micheal.... you mistake my sarcasm for something else... I know it's no secret.

My point was to just highlight the best SEO technique known to man : build one way, content relevant links.

It's the best way, and probabally will be for years to come

Originally Posted by BamaStangGuy

A lot of people on here will probably disagree with me but I think Google needs to seriously look into stopping the Digital Point COOP network from providing such an advantage to sites that use it.

1) It is not natural linking by a long shot
2) Puts links on your site that 99% of the time are not related in anyway to your content.
3) Are sitewide footer links.

You are using it for the wrong reason. coop is an ad network, just like any site you woudl advertise on, only here people dont charge each other. The benefits it brings me is referrals from the other sites my ads show up on. It is not to be used as and SEO tool, and I think google has had it devalued for quite some time anyway.

Originally Posted by sportsoutlaw

You are using it for the wrong reason. coop is an ad network, just like any site you woudl advertise on, only here people dont charge each other. The benefits it brings me is referrals from the other sites my ads show up on. It is not to be used as and SEO tool, and I think google has had it devalued for quite some time anyway.

I do not think they devalue it. Just from what I have seen though

Well, with my reinstallation of vbseo, I am also removing coop from my site. Figure it wont hurt me much right now, as google being jacked up has the coop weight so low that I am getting virtually nothing from coop in terms of referrals from other sites.

Not sure what the SEO benefit of it is, but I guess I shall soon see.

Originally Posted by sportsoutlaw

Well, with my reinstallation of vbseo, I am also removing coop from my site. Figure it wont hurt me much right now, as google being jacked up has the coop weight so low that I am getting virtually nothing from coop in terms of referrals from other sites.

Not sure what the SEO benefit of it is, but I guess I shall soon see.

That was my reasoning too. My COOP weight was 25,000 one week and 3,000 the next. I got sick of it and removed it. I would rather say I accomplished what I did without "Cheating"

Plus it is only a matter of time before Google has to rank me well lol... I mean there are a lot of Mustang Forums out there but I am right in the middle I believe... continue to grow at a nice pace due to Yahoo and MSN rankings and I have been up for 3 years with the domain mine till 2015....

I constantly use Digg to promote new news on the Mustang, never get frontpaged but the last digg I submitted netted me over 120 uniques in two days which is better than 0.

I am always adding new information to be indexed like the Saleen Mustang.

I never link to my site without using relevant anchor text, I encourage all my users to do the same. I refer them to this page which gives them an easy copy and paste link for web pages and vBulletin forums.

I do my part. I spend most of my free time during the week working on getting new contact. I am not one to like to sit back and wait for things to happen. I try to "push them along"