Google targeting mini-sites...

[Timmy]

http://www.thedomains.com/2011/01/21/google-content-farms-mini-sites-we-are-gunning-for-for-you/

While I'm sure they're more targeting blatent black-hat, might be time to brush up some sites and add some new content if they're ranking well and have been neglected for a while.

T

 

[James]

I think this is a good move, but for most people here it is a bad one =( including me...

I mean it really just makes the big boys/girls bigger, most of the content houses will just even gather more traffic now from long tail terms where mini sites have once done well..

But really matt cutts has been on this bandwagon for the last two years, where he dislikes small sites with poor levels of content.

 

[Shane]

I think it's a good move too. I've been vocal on these forums before about the number of rubbish websites out there.

I have my share of rubbish too, but I'm slowly working my way through them and the results are good. Focusing on quality over quantity will benefit both users and developers in my opinion.

 

[WG2010]

All my sites have unique content but I use a truckload of spun and auto generated stuff elsewhere with great results and I doubt they'll stop it any time soon with great effect.

It's just banter to keep confidence in Adwords. When content farms make money, Google makes money and as much as Matt Cutts might want to suggest this isn't a conflict of interest and won't stop them getting rid of content networks, I don't see it changing any time soon due to the large sums of money involved.

 

[James]

I agree with you WorGeneral too much money at stake, but imo it will just mean moving more traffic to the bigger players.

But I can not see Wikipedia and the likes of Facebook who dominate who Serps results getting too much favoritism because Google is not making $$$ from them.

I think Twitter and Myspace for examples two companies who have deep ties with Google are the ones who could potentially benefit..

 

[WG2010]

Plus if you want a good indication of the current state of spam, you need only search for things like buy viagra; half the results on the first page are hacked, full of spam.

I don't see it getting better either, it's far too easy to mimic a valuable website unless they begin to use human editors which just doesn't scale up and I don't see Google allowing us to edit it in the same way you can on Blekko (flagging sites as spam etc).

 

[Chris.C]

All my sites have unique content but I use a truckload of spun and auto generated stuff elsewhere with great results and I doubt they'll stop it any time soon with great effect.

It's just banter to keep confidence in Adwords. When content farms make money, Google makes money and as much as Matt Cutts might want to suggest this isn't a conflict of interest and won't stop them getting rid of content networks, I don't see it changing any time soon due to the large sums of money involved.

I agree for the most part, but let's not forget that Google has still managed to stand by it's convictions for years and put principles above profit by not selling out to the PPP (porn, pills and poker) industries - and that would offer a healthy boost to profit margins.

I'm actually surprised Google boards members and shareholders haven't put more pressure on these issues.

Anyway, my point is we shouldn't underestimate Google's willingness to undermine one part of their company for the sake of another.

 

[James]

I think this change is bigger then many expected... Many big European websites have been hit with loss of serps...many websites across the board have been hit by this serp change...not good at all...I suspect a few of my sites have too been hit and I use 100% unique content arghhh

 

[Lorenzo]

the game will keep changing