Hi Fundoug ~
You're asking a question that gets asked often. If it's any help, you
are not alone.
It is not unusual for Google's "freshbot" to visit your site after it
has been submitted to Google, for it to show up fine, and then to just
seemingly disappear.
Google explains this to some degree in its Webmaster Information,
"Multiple indices":
"We update our index about every four weeks. If you happen
to enter the same query repeatedly while we are in the
process of posting the index at our various data centers
around the country, it might seem like you are seeing
inconsistent results from Google. What is actually happening
is that you are seeing a result from an 'old' version of our
index one time and a result from a 'new' version the next.
Due to the size of our index, we can not simultaneously post
a new index at all of our data centers, which may result in
this behavior for a short period of time"
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/2.html#B2
This same phenomenon has recently been noticed and discussed in
Webmaster World as well. You may be interested in this thread which
pretty much describes what you mention in your question: new site,
shows up well, then seemingly disappears.
- http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum3/16913.htm
=========================
Google-friendly Design
=========================
Google provides information on how to design a Google-friendly website
in its Webmaster Guidelines, which you can find here:
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/guidelines.html
If you pay close attention to and follow the recommendations in the
Design and Content Guidelines, you will find that once you get listed,
it's not too hard to stay listed in Google's index.
CeterisGroup.com adheres pretty closely to most of those guidelines,
with the exception of the use of the ALT tags. Put them to work for
you using rich content to reinforce those terms under which you wish
to be found.
If you want the entire site indexed, you should pay particular
attention to the recommendation to "[t]ry to use text instead of
images to display important names, content, or links. The Google
crawler doesn't recognize text contained in images."
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/guidelines.html
If you want those pages to be included in a search in Google, make it
easy for the Googlebot to find and index them.
=========================
PageRank and Links
=========================
Remember, Google's search results are based on a combination of links
TO your site and relevant page content, not on description or keyword
metatags. Google explains its technology, or at least as much as
they're going to share, in "Our Search: Google Technology":
- ://www.google.com/technology/index.html
and clearly states, "The best way to ensure Google finds your site is
for your page to be linked from lots of pages on other sites. Google's
robots jump from page to page on the Web via hyperlinks, so the more
sites that link to you, the more likely it is that we'll find you
quickly."
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/1.html#A2
This is an excellent time for you to develop links from relevant
sites, which will help once the entire listing/indexing process is
completed.
==========================
What Else Can You Do?
==========================
Notice in "What Else Can I Do" that Google recommends listing your
site with the Open Directory Project and Yahoo!.
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/1.html#B2
Use this time to list CeterisGroup with the other search engines.
This, too, will enhance your listings in Google.
==========================
Search Terms
==========================
You said, "Search terms that it ranked really well on were "Ceteris
Group" and "Michael Heimert""
This should be a natural occurrence once the site is indexed and
permanently in Google's index. You might ask yourself if these are the
terms, though, that you expect searcher to use to find Ceteris Group's
services. I think it might be rare for searchers to use either of
those terms, after all, existing customers or clients already know the
URL, and potential clients or customers wouldn't know that name to
find the site.
Once you have determined the terms and phrases you wish this site to
be found under, make sure those terms are included in the page's
content.
==========================
Good Information from
Google & Other Sources
==========================
You may want to make yourself familiar with all of Google's
information for webmasters.
* Getting Listed - do's, dont's, and link information
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/1.html
* Not Listed after trying - what could be stopping you
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/2.html
* Google's Rank Questions - the basics
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/4.html
* Webmaster Guidelines - make this your bible
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/guidelines.html
* Facts & Fiction - some common misconceptions about Google
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/guidelines.html
* SEOs - determining the good, the bad, and the total waste of
bandwidth
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/seo.html
* Google's FAQs - the nitty gritty for webmasters
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/faq.html
There are other sources which contain information, if only speculation
and anecdotal, about Google and what seems to be happening now.
* Webmaster World
- http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum3/
Watch for any postings from a regular by the name of GoogleGuy - this
poster is actually a Google employee and may be the closest you'll
ever get to any 'official' explanation.
* Search Engine Watch
- http://www.searchenginewatch.com/
Danny Sullivan is considered one of the foremost authorities on search
engine optimization, and if there is informationn you *should* have,
you can find on finding it here.
==========================
Summary
==========================
You haven't really been de-listed so much as going through what often
happens when you are first actually "listed". Watching how you
establish links and following the recommendations and suggestions in
Google's Webmaster Information and Guidelines will help keep you in
good standing and listed in Google.
Search Strategies
=================
Search for CeterisGroup.com on
* DMOZ
- http://www.dmoz.org
* All the Web
- http://alltheweb.com/
* Alta Vista
- http://www.altavista.com
* AOL
- http://search.aol.com/
* HotBot
- http://www.hotbot.com/
* MSN
- http://search.msn.com/
* Yahoo!
- http://search.yahoo.com/
Plus regular bookmarks for search engine optimization and Google
locations for information on Google's search index.
Remember, patience is the name of the game. While it's no immediate
help, you are not alone in what you experienced, and it is common to
appear, disappear and then reappear shortly - although this can take
as long as 8 weeks. You now have to watch and wait.
Good luck and best wishes,
Serenata
Google Answers Researcher |
