Google tweaking rankings once again before the holidays? Some people are crying foul at the disruptions going on this holiday season. How could they!? Members on Webmasterworld are talking about some recent changes over yesterday and today that have occured recently to change search rankings. Some are wondering if it has to do with a penalty or just some general reshuffling going on? I had a new client call me a few minutes ago that overnight lost its rankings for a relatively uncompetitive term and wanted to know why all the sites changed in the top 10. Call it an early christmas present from Google maybe?
A senior member on WMW said "Looks like some kind of data refresh to me. I'm seeing lots of movement in what's normally a quiet sector." Whether he is right or not, I am not sure, but I don't think it has to do with any penalties and is more the normal flux we usually see. People are just a bit hyped and sensitive right about now to what is happening with their traffic. Any disruptions seem to be cause for panic. I would recommend those webmasters effected to have a nice frothy egg nog and wait it out.
Continued discussion on Webmaster World - 20 Dec 2006 - Data Refresh or Penalty?
