Google just completed an update and they implemented a couple of new filters designed to eliminate the small players from competitive commercial categories - including real estate. These filters are not applied to all real estate markets - only in the larger more competitive markets. Essentially, Google believes that the search results should be top heavy in "authority sites" - directories basically.

Whether they reverse these changes remains to be seen. There has been a large uproar because results returned are largely irrelevant in these categories - so that may force them to back down.

If they don't back down, the good news is that soon Google will no longer be the "one and only" in many consumer's minds as Yahoo is giving them the boot and MSN's results will be getting better in January when they dump LookSmart - so traffic will improve from other engines to help make up losses in Google.

Doug

Yes, indeed, the Google changes are a real bummer. I hang around the Search Engine Forums.com message board, and you can see the uproar among SEO'ers.

A major downside to the recent Google changes is that (from what I'm seeing in my markets) it's coming up with inferior search results for the surfer. In some industries, there's an appearance of more spam at the top of the listings. That certainly can't do the surfers any good.

I would like to see the other SEs do well and be more competitive with Google, but Google has just been outright dominant recently from the standpoint of traffic.

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Ruperto Elpusan Jr.
Bankers Realty
Beverly Hills-Malibu-Palos Verdes Real Estate
Torrance/South Bay Real Estate

There have been other "kings" before Google and soon after their search results turned poor, word-of-mouth caused their demise in relatively short order.

As the public realizes that search results are not that great anymore they will be go elsewhere and tell all their friends about it too.

And then we will all not be so reliant on every twitch Google makes. It was the "buzz" that made Google and the same "buzz" can unmake it just as quick. That is what history has taught us

My research indicates that how Google's changes affect a Realtor's website depends a lot on how that website is linked to other websites on the net.

If you check keywords "my city real estate" and find that one lonely Realtor site is ranking well while the rest of the results are newspaper, weather sites and the like - which is common after Google's recent change - a pattern begins to emerge.

You will find that while the Realtor has been busy for the past couple of years exchanging links with others - their own links pages are either not actually indexed by Google or their links pages are hosted off site.

What Google sees is a web site with a lot of links coming in with relatively few links going out - making the site an "authority" site.

So, if you have been exchanging links and Google sees one link coming in and one link going out - they basically cancel each other out except there is a Page Rank benefit.

If you have been exchanging links and your links pages are listed in Google but the majority of sites that your exchanged with do not have their pages listed in Google - then Google sees lots of links going out and few links coming in and devalues your site.

If you are the "cheater" that has been exchanging links with Realtor sites whose links pages ARE included in Google while your links pages are not - then Google sees few links leaving your site and tons of links coming in - and values your site as an "authority" site and moves you to the top of the rankings.

Who says cheaters never prosper?

Realtors should check the reciprocal links they have leaving their website and make sure that the links page of the Realtor reciprocating is actually listed in Google and is hosted in the same domain as their website. If it is not - remove the link as it is probably hurting you.

Instructions on how to do this can be found in Issue 70 of the Leaders Post Real Estate Newsletter at http://www.leaderspost.com/lp_70.html

Exchanging links can still have a benefit by helping to boost your Page Rank - but only if all links pages on both sides are actually indexed by Google.

Unfortunately this is not the case with most template and database sites - which is why you see so many of them at the top of the heap right now. Those are the sites I would check first when doing a link purge on your own site.

If an agent is working in a competitive market area that is affected by these Google changes - and that agent's website is now doing extremely well - it is either because they are a reciprocal links "cheater" or their site is a part of a larger web site that really is seen as an authority site - i.e. their website does not have a unique domain name but is located in a subdomain or sub directory of a larger site.


[This message has been edited by doug (edited 12-15-2003).]

Wow, it looks like some of my rankings are back! I don't know what happened, as I was bummed out when I lost a lot of my top positions from the "Florida update" and I stopped hanging around search engine forums.

Now, I have a lot of my #1 positions again. I notice it from the traffic and number of leads I'm getting again. Great stuff!

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Ruperto Elpusan, MBA, e-Pro
Broker/Officer
Beverly Hills-Malibu-Palos Verdes Real Estate
Torrance/South Bay Real Estate

Google seems to be flip flopping back and forth between the new algo we first say with "Florida" and a new version that lets some real estate sites back in the index. Who knows what it will look like tomorrow!

Do you like the new Yahoo? You should as results look a lot like pre "Florida" Google

As at this AM, we are number 4 on both Yahoo.com and Google.com - when searching Brampton Real Estate. Since day one in 1997 we were always in the top half dozen, often even number one for months on end - until just recently. It was very upsetting when suddenly we appeared to have vanished altogether. I am hoping of course that this new effort continues. I was in a serious slip and fall accident two and a half years ago, and am just getting back to work full time after therapy three times per week - so I had relied heavily on folks contacting me using the web, and as a result, I have collected a few hundred contacts who will be moving over the next couple of years, enabling me to enlarge my data base of contacts; I have kept in good contact with them; many had indicated they would move in 2-3 years - I didn't ignore them. Although I understand the web contacts are largely buyers, it is my hope to pick out the ones who want to move sooner than later, but more especially the ones who also have a house to sell, since that is my real priority. During my recovery time, I had difficulty driving for extended periods of time, as the steering wheel in parking and unparking the car kept reinjuring my ribs. So, when I saw the "missing" information on Yahoo and Google searches that produced weird results, often nothing to do with real estate at all, I wondered if the web world had turned completely upsidedown. I don't even pretend to understand all the "engine" philosophies, but the results are what matters. For me, it enabled me to enlarge my data base that hopefully will help me reconstruct my business over time. Other than that I was relying totally on past clients, since I had nearly no income at all for a sixteen month period. Now it's catch up time. Perhaps Yahoo and Google need to know how much we appreciate them? - Carolyne

Yup, right now both the Yahoo and Google results are working for me. Lots of paid sponsor sites in Yahoo, though.

I'm sorry to hear about your injury, Carolyne. Good thing about the Internet leads! And it's good you've been at it long enough to have a large base of prospects to farm. So that way, you can still farm them during any Google meltdowns.

Yeah, a lot of the Internet leads are buyers. But, hey, over the long term, buyers are sellers. So, if we do a good job with them, keep them in our farm, then we can get listings from them, too!

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Ruperto Elpusan, MBA, e-Pro
Broker/Officer
Beverly Hills-Malibu-Palos Verdes Real Estate
Torrance/South Bay Real Estate

PR updated a couple of days ago. I did very well BUT I haven't seen the usual increase in traffic.

I miss the old google days .. Yahoo is doing very well though

Yes, PR does not mean as much as it used to. There are lots of high PR sites buried in the index and lots of low PR sites on page 1.

Strategies that build PR no longer also build rank.