Google crackdown on black hat

[belgamo]

Nice read in the local paper today on googles crackdown on black hatter methods.

After punishing JCPenney and overstock.com for gaming their way to top search results, Google last week launched a crackdown on companies trying to trick the dominant Internet search engine in 12 percent of all searches.
read all at -
Tampa Bay SEO companies quake at Google crackdown - St. Petersburg Times

[Adrian-LiveCasinoPartners]

i read about how google has concentrated on removing duplicate content boosts from websites. For example, if you had a website that is soley reprrints of press releases or PLR articles you will find your SERPS decreasing due to the most recent update that has been released in the USA. Other geo data centers will follow.

For those affiliates who rely on these methods you will most likely be affected. This is another example of how important google considers orginal content.

[CaseyM]

I'm so so happy about the latest changes, Hard work getting rewarded!

[lots0]

A lot of google bull shit is what it is.

I see more crap sites climbing in the SERP than before.
More duplicate listings (same site more than one listing on page one) more thin content sites climbing in rankings.

All in all I see is google's results degraded.

This update was about making google more money...
And stomping competitors out...

I saw the update go online the 21st... I couldn't believe my eyes or the numbers.

I lost a little bit of traffic on one site that uses RSS feeds, google maps and video hosted by google... The rest of my sites (that don't use google content) climbed in the SERP and more importantly traffic increased, even for those sites that didn't see a change in rankings.

The lesson I learned is if you uses a lot of google's free content... Your going to lose ranking... No matter how much 'original' content you my have.

[WCD Admin]

Checked stats after the 21st and we are up a few thousand visitors above average.

We use G's new feed, and I just checked the SERP for our news terms - we lost ranks, one as Lots0 pointed out is actually Google itself outranking me now, which I can hardly blame them as I was just using the RSS feed.

[lots0]

Ya it's kinda strange that the majority of sites that carry googles free content seem to have been hurt the worst in this last 'update'.

Odd business plan... Provide free content to webmasters... then penalize them for using it.

[baldidiot]

I'm so so happy about the latest changes, Hard work getting rewarded!

Same! I definitely think it's a step in the right direction [in theory] for google.

[winyourwaykyle]

I agree...
It is a step in the right direction if google keeps things in line.
People and webmasters who put a lot of hard work into their sites will be rewarded.
I am sure it will take some adjusting for all of us, but I think long term it will be good for us, especially in this industry.

[lots0]

What a load of crap.

The sites that are being hit are not spam sites, they are established sites.

I see spam rising in the SERP, sites that steal content rising while established sites are taking the hit.

Google screwed the pooch on this up-date.
I expect to see them back pedal on this update fairly soon... they are already frantically doing hand reinstatements of some high profile sites like the 'Cult of Mac' site, that took a major hit then bitched about it in public yesterday... today their back.

Way to many good established sites took a big hit and way too many crappy spammy content thief's got better rankings...

Also, the idea that google uses it biggest market(the US) as a test bed for these untested algo changes is just flat stupid.

[slotplayer]

my 30 day traffic has more than trippled over the same period last year.
not really seeing in the overall revs though.