Interesting Google Search Result...

[akirk]

I own the domain:
bakingbits.com
currently it is sitting in limbo - with the DNS pointing at one of my servers, but without that domain set up on the server (so the server resolves to the default domain of designtoo.com)
I have done nothing to the domain - and not told Google anything about it...

yet if you search on baking bits you get:

googleResults.jpg

Now, I am never sure how my own search affects the results - though I was not logged in...
so tried it in IE (which I only ever use to test sites - and it comes up no 3 or 2 with pages from the UK...

so presumably Google are putting a lot of influence into domain matches...

interesting

Alasdair

[earnieboyd]

In my corner of the world using Google to search "baking bits" brings up a sight named for baking bites in the #1 spot below the ads from various sites for the M&M products. If I search "baking bits uk" I see the #1 you have pictured.

[sitemaster]

Searching for baking bits on google.co.uk from the US, below is what I get. On google.com, designtoo listing is 6th result on page 4.

[JJMcClure]

This is what SEO discussions need more of, actual examples and evidence. I'm near Manchester and I see designtoo at number 4.

It makes sense to me that on such a non-competitive term (no PPC Ads) an exact match might make the difference. What isn't impressive is that the destination page has been listed when it's not relevant.

Got any other theories as to why it ranks?

[akirk]

interesting - perhaps we need to design a website to get folks to enter search results from their browsers against search terms / known criteria / etc. - reverse engineer Google

forgot to say that my first search was on G.co.uk

I will put in a separate account into the server for bakingbits.com - add a page and see what happens...

If it drops in the SERPS then there must be some significance in our deafult site (designtoo.com)
If it stays the same / climbs - then the domain is more influential...

Alasdair

[mikeb]

Absolutely.

Sad to say it even affects real searches as well as unsearched stuff, ever since this update, a lot of blank domains are ranking.

I mentioned a blank domain rosarybeads.com which ranked top 10 with nothing on, dropped a few places since, and dispaced some very good niche portals to do it which really did give the users what they were looking for.

The fact is, they have replaced one imperfect set of results with another set of imperfect results, and that is about all that can be said for it.

I will grant you one thing! - that domain has not been "over seod" so it fits googles bill perfectly!

Google cannot measure quality , never has been able to.
What google tells you they want, they cant measure.

[akirk]

The fact is, they have replaced one imperfect set of results with another set of imperfect results, and that is about all that can be said for it.

Anything that puts my websites nice and high up must surely be seen as a perfect set of results!

I will grant you one thing! - that domain has not been "over seod" so it fits googles bill perfectly!

Oh I think that it is perfectly SEOd - surely the definition of SEOing must be about optimising to the Search Engines - therefore websites at the top of the results by definition must be ideal SEO balance!
to be pedantic - you can't Over-SEO something - that would be to over-optimise which is impossible optimal is a state of perfection beyond which is not attainable...

Google cannot measure quality

I think they have measured it beautifully!!

Alasdair

[mikeb]

Anything that puts my websites nice and high up must surely be seen as a perfect set of results!



Oh I think that it is perfectly SEOd - surely the definition of SEOing must be about optimising to the Search Engines - therefore websites at the top of the results by definition must be ideal SEO balance!
to be pedantic - you can't Over-SEO something - that would be to over-optimise which is impossible optimal is a state of perfection beyond which is not attainable...



I think they have measured it beautifully!!


Alasdair

Alasdair.
I think is a great forum, provided it keeps its feet firmly on the ground, and stops looking at google through rose tinted glasses.

It does not have the supernatural powers some seem to credit it with.

The kicking / worse still patronising comments I get for saying it is imperfect are completely unwarranted ( quote another thread some one said "do you do SEO, from your remarks I doubt it" - it reality it is BECAUSE I do SEO , I can see how imperfect it is.)

In short when I say I am seeing cr+p results, it is probably because I am!!! Just as you have shown!

Blank domains, big brands ranking for stuff they know nothing about, good sites killed. Google is VERY imperfect.

[akirk]

Mike,

there is no doubt that Google is not perfect, but one person's stand against Google made in a polemic fashion from one small perspective is hardly a balanced view
As I have said several times on a different thread - we do not know the full scope of what Google knows - so how can we draw accurate conclusions from our little view?

One of the values of this forum is that discussion / debate / conclusions take place as far as possible based on evidence / fact / logic...
There is a danger in assuming that a small sub-set of the facts is sufficient to draw conclusions across the whole...

Your logic seems to be:
- Google's algorithms are not good for me as one web owner
- Therefore Google has got it wrong and has failed...



sorry that is to miss two rather obvious facts:
- you as one web owner do not represent all web owners - far from it...
- Google's aim is not to set to the SERPS to suit the web owners - but those searching...

so, sorry - as has been expressed before - the view you expouse is based on assumption - not logic / evidence...
that doesn't mean that I am claiming that Google is perfect - but as a user I find it easy to find what I am looking for, so I believe that they are doing the job they wish to do...


perhaps we could return to discussion a liittle bit more on topic - about the specific example - rather than just reposting your views which are perhaps best placed in the other thread?

thanks

Alasdair

[akirk]

Just to update...

I now have set up a separate website account on our server and uploaded just a holding page...
will be interesting to see if anything changes...

best to not add any links (note none in here...)
of course if Google is reading content as well it might pick up the reference anyway - so by mentioning it we have no doubt skewed the results

regards

Alasdair