Morning folks!!
This is a great day for some and a nightmare for others. I am here to applaud Google’s decision. Taking the CRAP out of results helps everyone. Especially domains with natural type in traffic.
I mean step back and think for a second. Why would Google want to pay for traffic that they gave for free to begin with??? Crappy, washing machine traffic with very little real value other than it went thru the Google Laundromat controlled by the spammer. Google giveth, Google taketh away. Hooray for Google!!!
So I would imagine that when you get rid of the “Ghost traffic” you can replace with more meaningful traffic and you can pay more because you are not wasting all those dollars and getting crappy results.
More than that…..GROUPON is Google’s worst nightmare. Groupon is costing Google a fortune. Groupon is a thorn in the side of Google and finally Google has to satisfy their customers instead of fucking their customers. Why? Because Groupon is giving GREAT value and results business owners see.
Things are tied together.
In turn, we may start seeing payouts stop being strangled because they are talking SOME of the MUD out. They are being forced by Groupon to show their customers that Google is a value. Google forced to compete! Google cleaning up the results.
This is GREAT news for the domainer that has natural type in traffic. It may not be obvious overnight, but this is a huge step in the right direction.
A distinction MUST be made between spammed traffic and real traffic. There IS a difference.
Many of you are not going to be happy with my post. But when you base your business in the control of spamming the engines, what else did you really expect?
I hope they ban eHow. What a crappy experience and I don’t even know if the stuff they print is accurate.
Now most of you won’t even see the Groupon-Google connection. But this is the bigger than you think. There was a reason Google wanted to buy Groupon rather than compete with them. Now you are seeing it manifest itself. Why? Groupon is kicking ass. Business owners love Groupon and so does the consumer. Compare that to how they feel about Google.
No connection??…..keep thinking that. 99% won’t agree. That is why I roll the way I do. But go ahead, take a shot. Tell me why I am wrong. The future will be my proof. I can only hope trademarks are next!
And of course on the other side of the street you have Facebook and they too are aiming at Google. So a 2 front war. And have you noticed that Google is still a long way from their $750 stock prices pre crash? Others have eclipsed where they were. Not Google. They are still off 25% and have gone nowhere recently.
So Google having to react to these challenges is a very good thing for all concerned in the long run. Imagine Google may now worry about actually giving their customers quality results! That can only help domainers with REAL type in traffic. Gold is gold and maybe they can now separate the mud out. JMO.
Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz
-----
Keldon
They sure are moving slow to increase payouts.
Google is still shitting on us, even with the purest direct navigation traffic.
I totally see what you mean though, but it could be some time b/c even though Groupon and Facebook are competition, we can’t move our traffic to them….yet! And they know this, so the dry fucking continues until some dichotomy slaps Google and they have no choice.
Give me a glimmer of hope and I will move my traffic with enthusiasm to any new opportunity that arises.
Paul Bliss
Not only do domainers with”real” traffic benefit, but us pigeon-seo’s (some of us do have quality clients with top level domains btw!) will also reap the rewards as well.
Morgan Linton
Great post Rick and I couldn’t agree more!! We have all suffered too long with terrible sites clogging the search results making it harder to find what we are looking for. Google was supposed to deliver an incredible search experience, one that would allow people to find what they were looking for on the first page, and I haven’t seen that happen yet!
Groupon, Facebook and many others are making a big dent and changing the dynamics of the Internet everyday. As usual there will be those who hang-onto the old ways and as Google goes down, they’ll go down with the ship.
What a major win for Domainers! For anyone who thought all the good opportunities were gone this just goes to show how much the Internet can change and how quickly it can happen. While Google, Facebook and all the major players may shuffle around, at the end of the day there’s one thing that’s not going anywhere but up, Domains.
Soundly Reasoned
Now this (Rick’s post) I agree with almost 100%
todaro
when google came out in 99 they were a breath of fresh air. you are so right… the porn has just been replaced by shitfarms
Louise
This is good news for developers, who missed the era of easy CPC profits, and who make money the old-fashioned way: earn it! High content, interesting sites will have their 2nd life as they draw the end user, enhance Google, and attract advertiser income.
Keldon
I just talked to a head of one of the major parking companies and I was told that they talked to Facebook about when some kind of solution for the parking market might be available and they were told to expect that”Several years from now”.
That part of the equation is not good for us. The competition for the advertiser side of it is though.
Jeff Schneider
Hello Rick,
The release of Panda 2.0 both internationally and reconfigured again Domestically, changes the landscape more than we all know. These updates supposedly instated within the last couple of daysw are Draconian to say the least. Are you still applauding Google?
We know these recent changes will take months to roll through results that will trickle through design so as to mediate Domainer Rancor. I have a feeling you will be pissed off sooner or later.
Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger)
G
Rick Schwartz
“The release of Panda 2.0 both internationally and reconfigured again Domestically, changes the landscape more than we all know.”
Agreed!
No, not applauding Google. Just pointing out that now they have to react to things and when they did, they may have exposed some of their weaknesses. Long term weaknesses and now that Main Street has alternatives that they can measure, that could put them on their heals.
This moves has all types of ramifications and it upset the status quo. It shows why having type in traffic as a base has value more than some give credit to. How do you build a business dependent on one supplier?
Things are changing and that will create new opportunities.
steve
You are all mad. You sort of had a point with Groupon.
The real problem is Google lacks the creative people to battle Groupon. Google has tried to cultivate all kinds of new ideas and all I see is people leaving Google and starting their own company.
Google must make sure to leverage their search monopoly to drive all these competitors out of business.
Look how Verizon did it. They just cut the lines to Covad and any other competing company, ooops. 200 million fine!!!!!
Ok, but we put them out of business. Now that is just plain illegal, immoral, and unethical. But Google might resort to these tricks when they realize they are up against creative geniuses they can’t beat. Are they going to pay me 20 million a year to save them, I doubt it.
Michael Hallisey
Google is probable just working on something bigger these days they already have enough money! They have some kind of new supercomputer they are building the size of two football fields probable using alien technology and their buying up dark fibers all over the world! They are probable working on a way to upload your entire brain into there main frame so you can Google your own brain! haha
Owen frager
thank you Panda! My search traffic has expanded so that I don’t even need to write anything new to beat last years results
chuck
“I don’t even need to write anything new to beat last years results”
promise?
Nate
I think Groupon’s significance will fade over time. But yes spamming search engines is unethical IMO, and I’ve been waiting for Google to do something about it for a while now. Unfortunately there is not a suitable alternative yet…don’t know why Microsoft can’t get it right.
Diane
I agree, this will clean up/clean out a lot of bullshit sites. Nothing infuriates me more as a web designer than to build a site for a client only to have these fake”link” sites get in the clients way. It’s hard to explain to them why… Now if google can ban the bullshit directories; the web would be an easy experience.
Bill Roy
A very good post, but I think many ‘domainers’ will not get it!
There is (hopefully) only one way for domainers to prosper long term and that is to develop sites that visitors want, and we all know that is not always the easiest thing in the world to do. The simple fact is though that many domainers still only ‘think’ along the lines of what was the rule 5-10 years ago, and most complain that they are not earning anywhere near what they were then.
The ‘Internet Business Park’ (IBP) is open to all, small as well as large entrepreneurs, but just like in the bricks-and-mortar physical world only those who are innovative, hard working, and customer service orientated will generally prosper. Let us hope that Google either does evolve quickly or get replaced just as quickly by a competitor who will give the internet user good results. From here on in it is either type-in traffic or real search relevence that should get visitors to sites.
(Oh, and by the way, I personally am no lover of Google.)
Ramus
Please…give me a break!
Firstly…let me put a few points straight here, Groupon is nothing more than an affiliate spam site with a few major company connections. What does is deliver that is unique? Are you honestly trying to tell me that Groupon is a competitor for Google…don’t make me laugh, Google is as powerful as ever and shows no sign so slowing down, as much as you all prey. Good luck to the boys from Groupon, they managed to porn-off an affiliate website as a going concern…something we are all trying to do.
Secondly….stop with all the sanctimonious nonsense about quality sites. The fact that you are in the domain business proves you don’t do quality sites…how can you produce quality across 200 or 300 domains? Answer me one question…does anybody on this site (knocking the so called spam sites) produce anything that is unique? Do you manufacture original goods? Do you supply qualitative services or products that are certified in anyway? or do you just write the odd article and hope its interesting….didn’t think so.
So let’s cut the crap and enjoy the ride.
R.
Bill Roy
Ramus, some of us actually are producing sites, good quality sites, with content that visitors will want and return too. FYI at the moment I am producing 1,150 US geo sites specifically aimed at local residents, it has taken nearly 2 years so far and they will launch this summer – that is just what you call ‘hard work’. I should say that the service provided will be absolutely of a qualitative nature.
There is no ‘sanctimonious nonsense’ about owning domains, and as for enjoying the ride out of the x,xxx domains I own I only park about 50 of them at Sedo simply for ease, indeed I am vehmently against ‘parking’ as I find it abhorant that parking companies can hide/manipulate/mislead/etc. the owners of the domains and nobody does a damn thing about it! So I do not think ‘I’ can be accused of ‘enjoying the ride’.
Having said the above it is simple, business either evolves or stagnates, in my opinion it is better to evolve than just remain in a stagnant pool.
JB
Thanks, Rick. Garbage in, garbage out.
I am looking forward to the day when:
: We are all no longer de-facto Google employees
: There are economically feasible search options to google (go Groupon, Facebook and anybody else)
: Where one can build a kick-ass quality website with lots of excellent relevant content AND have it rank without the assinine Google-hoops you have to jump through (building thousands or tens of thousand of links to rank is bullshit!)
: Large corporations have a level playing field with the little guy.
My two cents. I could be wrong.
J
Ramus
Bill Roy…do you really think that every site that is allowed in Google must be amazing in content and idea. Of course not, the Internet is fundamentally “all things to all men”, and that is the beauty of it. I’m sure your GEO sites will look wonderful and good luck, I hope they are a big success but you have answered my question perfectly. You have a large portfolio of domains and most of them are parked. You cannot supply quality and quantity but the beauty of being a Domainer is having the spread or variety of names to play with. I have often come up with great ideas for websites just based on domain names I’ve picked up but decided not to invest the time and money into those ideas simply because I cannot spread myself that thin. The cost of running a site like Facebook is massive and it’s still not making serious money…look at its predecessor, MySpace.com…now dead in the water and costing News Corp International $300m a year to maintain, or should I say did.
The other point is…do people really want innovation in certain markets, if I am looking for an sd card for my camcorder for example…do I care about the quality of the articles, the history of secure digital industry or the punctuation, of course not…I want speed and ease of use, nothing that can’t be supplied by a good shopping API affiliate site.
What is business, nothing more than someone selling other peoples goods so don’t knock the API boys they have their place just like the local clothes store or computer shop that sell branded goods, they are just physical affiliate stores and they will always be around.
Bob
I rarely get involved with taking sides in this confusing, fast moving industry. But, I must say, that there are 3 main points to consider. 1. Google Does Give & Take & Control. BUT they are not all powerful, because Website owners are equally important. SO, both should profit in proportion to their effectiveness and value to the end user. Website owners with type in traffic don’t deserve more just for their domain than a domain with no type in traffic – but which website is better. So, here’s the problem. COMPANIES profit from good WEBSITES – WEBSITES profit from GOOD DOMAINS (easy to remember,etc) as well as content (which can be easily copied $ regurgitated these days) So, which comes first ? The search engine or the domain ? and the website is in the middle …..
THE DOMAIN IS MORE IMPORTANT – because you can’t copy it. it’s your telephone number ! nothing works without it. THE WEBSITE IS LIKE YOUR PHONE (and everything else) and the search engine is nothing but a phone book or DIRECTORY… WHO WANTS TO PAY FOR A PHONE BOOK THAT HAS z names listed under the a page section, or cars advertised in the health section ? NO ONE. the advertisers and the consumer or browser are both affected negatively and both waste time and money. SO, A GREAT WAY OF SEEK AND FIND will be made better and websites will come and go and be changed (but a great domain name or good type in’s which they will ALWAYS depend on will be the true value FOR a thousand search engines with a trillion websites (only one domain though or a few that get you there) so, I say the domain is the MOST important. WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT is second. SEARCH is third (as far as value and intelligence as well.)
SO, domain owners should be able to say NO to any search engine that doesn’t pay them FIRST. YOU WANT MY BUSINESS TO KEEP YOUR BUSINESS ALIVE PAY ME FIRST ! The search engines would only be able to use the domains they lease (which means they would have to actually look and see and bid on the best relevant sites. and consumers would then be able to choose the best search engines for different areas of life. OK, ENOUGH SAID. Things now are ass backwards. Pay me, the domainer first. Then use my website to play your games. or be a great search engine.
Bob
DOMAINERS with good domains and websites, or companies with great websites, or educators, etc. with good content ARE gettng screwed.
Website owners – pay the domain owner – Search engines pay the website owners BEFORE it goes public. WHY ? BECAUSE. They are nothing without websites with good content to include in their search results.
This is not something that would hurt the search engines… because the bidding process (lease for a term) would ensure some real human
research and only the best would survive. no ppc. set fees only.
for the domainer, and then, the advertisers pay (set fee only for a term to be included on these sites which are already GREAT. everyone would win, be happy, and get to the info much faster. the domains and websites which were not bid on, can be in another catagory. or just personal use. ppc is never fair. people who advertise on signs alongside highways pay the company (who pays the farmer) a set fee only…. can you imagine ppc for other types of advertising ! not possible. and just because it is possible doesn’t mean is should be used. AFFILIATE SITES for actual sales would be the only way to profit from a website where you sell products for others. PERIOD. keep it simple. keep it fair. NO MORE BUYING AND SELLING. only LEASING. pay the domainer first, the website second, the search engine third. sorry if this is confusing. but it is a possible solution to a complicated problem.
Bill Roy
Ramus, please re-read my previious post (# 18 above).
Out of x,xxx domains I own I have 50 (fifty) parked – and that is solely because out of all my domains these are the ones I might consider selling if the price was right. How on Earth do you calculate that 50 domains out of x,xxx domains ‘is most of them are parked’? I think you have not understood my post at all.
Now I am not knocking the small store at all – indeed what I can say is that is exactly the opposite of what my sites will do. ;)
As I say it is generally a question of evolve or suffocate in the oxygen deprived slime filled pond of stagnation. This is a choice businesses face every day, of course the trick is to evolve in such a way as it brings you advantages for growth and expansion and not to an evolutionary dead-end.
Steve
It will definitely benefit greater type-in and keyword domain traffic as long as you build new innovative sites instead of parking. I myself am trying to move from parking to building up decent web properties plus for my development clients.
I also will say this PANDA update has made Millions for SEO companies doing content rebuilding. A big thing I have see since inception was ecommerce sites taking a hit by just using the exact copy the manufacturer supplies them.
Joseph Slabaugh
Well I for one am EXTREMELY happy with the results, my youtube revenue from the Partner program just went up 10 times what I was getting before. My ads have been getting clicked a higher percentage of the time, and more traffic.
steve cheatham
Google can’t be King of the Hill forever. When there was no one on the hill it was easy. Now they have some real competition.