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Google Dip

January 29, 2008

In this previous article, I talked about the Google Sandbox Myth and how it does not exist. But, there IS a thing I call the Google Dip that will catch you off guard. Even those "pros" who claim to know everything fall into the dip at times!

What is the Google Dip? The Google Dip is what happens when you start a new site, after a few weeks you see its showing up on some searches on Google with a fairly high ranking... you start to brag about how well it's doing... and then BAM! Your nice new little site that you've been carefully feeding and watering drops from it's page 1 or page 2 ranking for your keywords in Google to say somewhere around #190, if you can find it at all.

You panic! What do I change to fix it? Why has Google done this to me?

This is normal. Google will often rank a new site fairly high at first and then place it at a more natural position in its index rankings. Who knows why they do this? Perhaps it a nice gesture to give some exposure to new sites that they index. Perhaps it's a head-fake to make people THINK they've figured out how Google works and then make them scramble to adjust all their on page ranking factors that they think have made them rank so high. It's kind of like a game of chicken: Google's trying to make you blink! Whatever the reason Google does this, it happens often and is quite normal.

Sometime, if you have an existing site that's been around a while; you'll see a dip before an increase in ranking. I've seen this happen to my own sites after making some changes to them. Maybe this is the same effect as the dip that happens to new sites.

At any rate, remember, before you start bragging about how well your new site is ranking and patting yourself on the back, wait long enough to get past the Google Dip! Maybe it won't happen to your site, but chances are it will.

Sincerely,
Fred

About the Author

Fred Black is an experienced online business operator, programmer, web site developer, father, husband, musician, and songwriter. Visit his Internet Business Blog at: http://www.pqInternet.com.

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Posted by Fred on January 29, 2008 | Printer-Friendly

TrackBack: http://www.pqInternet.com/Blog/mt-tb.cgi/115

Assigned Categories: Search Engines: SEO

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Comments:

From: MicroBalrog

This is a very interesting notice, but I would like to note that a good webmaster should make his website so that you could capitalize on the Google Dip - i.e. have good content on early, make sure that you get the right stuff on, not 'under construction' logos.
Posted by MicroBalrog on January 30, 2008 5:42 AM
From: Stephen Dean

Hi Fred, I'm glad you said this. I've been excited watching my blog climb in the ranks for fairly competitive terms. Suddenly this week I fell to about #120 and it's still falling. I'm hoping it'll turn around soon...
Posted by Stephen Dean on January 30, 2008 3:13 PM
From: Options Strategery

Thanks for explaining this. It totally just happened to me. And in that order too. I bragged and then dipped.
Posted by Options Strategery on January 30, 2008 3:39 PM
From: Mike D

I think they do this so the newer fresher sites are seen easier. Which makes sense for trying to find something current for example.
Posted by Mike D on February 22, 2008 1:05 PM