Google seems to have done some big changes

[dirtydog]

Noticed over the last few days stuff I have been searching for on google isn't the normal results I get, seems they have implimented some real big changes in the way they rank stuff, I'm not sure if it is good or bad though.

[StrontiumDog]

They've got this new fangled real time search feature running too now...lots of changes afoot.

[dirtydog]

lots of changes afoot.

Yes, this is where we know we done the right things or not, should be interesting.

[dirtydog]

Pretty sure we done it right as we served 4.5 million pages last month, but hell, you never know.

[lysander]

Maybe this:

Webmasters fume as Google profiles signed-out searchers ? The Register

[dirtydog]

Thats a year old news item, well what they were doing, lets hope we got it right

[dirtydog]

2 million page views to 4.5 million this month makes me think we got it right

[dirtydog]

From the google blog

Personalized Search for everyone

12/04/2009 0300 PM
Today we're helping people get better search results by extending Personalized Search to signed-out users worldwide, and in more than forty languages. Now when you search using Google, we will be able to better provide you with the most relevant results possible. For example, since I always search for [recipes] and often click on results from epicurious.com, Google might rank epicurious.com higher on the results page the next time I look for recipes. Other times, when I'm looking for news about Cornell University's sports teams, I search for [big red]. Because I frequently click on www.cornellbigred.com, Google might show me this result first, instead of the Big Red soda company or others.

Previously, we only offered Personalized Search for signed-in users, and only when they had Web History enabled on their Google Accounts. What we're doing today is expanding Personalized Search so that we can provide it to signed-out users as well. This addition enables us to customize search results for you based upon 180 days of search activity linked to an anonymous cookie in your browser. It's completely separate from your Google Account and Web History (which are only available to signed-in users). You'll know when we customize results because a "View customizations" link will appear on the top right of the search results page. Clicking the link will let you see how we've customized your results and also let you turn off this type of customization.

Check out our help center for more details on personalized search, how we customize results and how you can turn off personalization. Learn more by watching our video:

[Spin]

Seems like google are sniffing for user trends, I've gone into my google account and put web history on pause.

[dirtydog]

I have always had web history turned off, several times I have had to turn it off and I don't turn it on, but now even with it off it still gives you results based on your web history, as I'm generally looking to see how something is placed in google and don't bother clicking the links it now is giving me new versions of results, only way round it is to use a new browser and delete history and cookies everyday

[dirtydog]

Yesterday I was searching for a Thai recipe, instead of getting the normal recipe sites I was getting restaurants home pages from New Zealand, Africa and other places, I use one of the American based google servers.

[Mid]

For example, since I always search for [recipes] and often click on results from epicurious.com, Google might rank epicurious.com higher on the results page the next time I look for recipes.

take that all the way and google will become next to useless for me ............

[Butterfly]

told you DD, you can't beat the Google beast

it was a question of time, with all your ridiculous SEO tricks, you got oWNED like everyone else at the end

[dirtydog]

I think for the forum it is actually better, ie if someone visits the forum once per month and googles for something we are more likely to come out higher than a site they haven't visited that has similar content, of course the stats will reveal the truth in that next month.
Luckily google has an opt out Opt-out completed successfully