Google’s new algorithm, code named Caffiene is being rolled out starting today and will come in stages, data center after data center.
On the developer sandbox testing page, is now this message:
We appreciate all the feedback from people who searched on our Caffeine sandbox.
Based on the success we’ve seen, we believe Caffeine is ready for a larger audience. Soon we will activate Caffeine more widely, beginning with one data center. This sandbox is no longer necessary and has been retired, but we appreciate the testing and positive input that webmasters and publishers have given.
Most sites WILL see some fluctuation in the rankings and for some this will be good news and for others, not so good. Don’t be surprised to see your sites’ Google positions go either way. And even if your rankings go down, there’s no need to panic. Just keep on doing good SEO, stick to the best practices as taught here and on high-profile SEO sites such as searchenginejournal.com, searchcowboys.com, searchengineland.com and many others. Bottom line: post good content, keyword focused but not overdone, using related terms, build high quality backlinks – these are still all solid foundations. The grey hat tricks may come and go but basic search principles will endure such changes. Provide what searchers are looking for and optimize your site to get in front of that traffic.
I have heard from Google expert and guru Colin McDougall that the “conversation domination” model, where folks get multiple listings on the front page of Google from related sites, will NOT be as easy to achieve. And video, news and product search may be more prominent in the results, making it all the more important to make it into the top 3 listings to be seen.
I suggest you monitor your sites with a tool called Rank Tracker. You can get a free copy of Rank Tracker and keep an eye on your rankings fluctuations.
Stay tuned and keep doing your SEO work. The SEO Success Plan is still the best bang for your SEO buck anywhere. We guarantee front page results for 10 of your keywords or we keep working for free until we get you there.
