AMHD takes a nosedive

J_9 · Mar 10, 2011, 12:21 AM

Well, thanks to Google AMHD has taken a nosedive. Have any of you read this article featuring our own CEO Ram?

Google search, algorithm, results, rank: Google's new search algorithm results in some unhappy websites - latimes.com

shazamataz · Mar 10, 2011, 12:24 AM

Umm, I thought the admins said that traffic had increased.

Which one is lying?

J_9 · Mar 10, 2011, 12:26 AM

Just goes to show what new "algorithms" do. :rolleyes:

Curlyben · Mar 10, 2011, 01:01 AM

The guests hits we are seeing have fallen, but the actual number of new registrations has risen, slightly.
Work that one out..

Other stats such as new posts and threads appear to be unaffected all around the normal amounts.

shazamataz · Mar 10, 2011, 01:18 AM

Oh dear, does that mean a higher percentage of people who visit are actually joining (even though the numbers are less overall)

That's just more ammo for the devs to keep the ruddy horrible GO skin.

J_9 · Mar 10, 2011, 01:23 AM

Does the new thread activity have mostly to do with the fact that it is current members posting new threads?

Ram Prayaga, chief executive of Advizo, says his Woodland Hills company, which runs a question-and-answer service with 800,000 registered members at www. Askmehelpdesk.com, is one of those bystanders. Advizo had just hired its sixth employee when Google made the change to its algorithm, resulting in a 35% nose dive in visits from Google. Google used to send Ask Me Help Desk 80% of its traffic.

So that means we are now only getting 45% of our traffic from Google.

Alty · Mar 10, 2011, 01:31 AM

This quote from the article is very telling:

Ram Prayaga, chief executive of Advizo, says his Woodland Hills company, which runs a question-and-answer service with 800,000 registered members at www. Askmehelpdesk.com, is one of those bystanders. Advizo had just hired its sixth employee when Google made the change to its algorithm, resulting in a 35% nose dive in visits from Google. Google used to send Ask Me Help Desk 80% of its traffic.

Prayaga said his company was determined to win back the traffic it lost. "To be considered a content farm by the world's most respected Internet organization seems very unfair," he said. "It's like being put on the do-not-fly list."

cdad · Mar 10, 2011, 02:27 PM

Sorry but I had to laugh. After seeing this in the article.

"Google won plaudits for promoting original research and analysis and banishing pages littered with second-rate content or overloaded with advertising."

What it translates to is that the new search algorithm doesn't like the "go" skin either and took its suggestion. I can hardly breath from laughing.

Cat1864 · Mar 10, 2011, 08:06 PM

Originally Posted by califdadof3

Sorry but I had to laugh. After seeing this in the article.

"Google won plaudits for promoting original research and analysis and banishing pages littered with second-rate content or overloaded with advertising."

What it translates to is that the new search algorithm doesnt like the "go" skin either and took its suggestion. I can hardly breath from laughing.

I am glad someone else had that thought (and laugh), too. :)

Fr_Chuck · Mar 10, 2011, 08:10 PM

Not sure about everything else, of course I am on here a lot less this law two months, but my Google ad hits are down about 40 percent again this month.

Aurora_Bell · Mar 13, 2011, 07:03 AM

I couldn't open the link that J posted, but I get the idea from the quotes. Very interesting. Had a bit of a chuckle at that one too Dad.

cdad · Mar 13, 2011, 07:20 AM

Originally Posted by Aurora_Bell

I couldn't open the link that J posted, but I get the idea from the quotes. Very interesting. Had a bit of a chuckle at that one too Dad.

The link is still working. You might try again and see if it works. It is an interesting article and it isn't just about AMHD but about the industry and its changes.

Aurora_Bell · Mar 13, 2011, 07:38 AM

Oops I had to turn off my pop up blocker. Interesting article.

excon · Mar 13, 2011, 07:38 AM

Ram Prayaga, chief executive of Advizo, says his Woodland Hills company, which runs a question-and-answer service with 800,000 registered members at www. Askmehelpdesk.com, is one of those bystanders.

Hello:

I wonder if the number 800,000 had anything to do the change...

I've mentioned the Beverly Hills Young Democrats before. In terms of active members, it was really no bigger than any other club in the state. But we held a dance every month at the Beverly Hilton that was very popular around town, and we gave "members" a discounted admission. Considering our "members", we were the largest club in the state and wielded much more power than our actual numbers would have dictated.

As that relates to us, in truth, we're not a big website. It's just a few of us hangers on. Maybe we got busted by the new algorithm.

Excon

Cat1864 · Mar 13, 2011, 07:52 AM

Bella, see if this site works better for you: Google’s new search formula results in some unhappy websites | Google | Computer World

It doesn't have a nice pic of Ram, but it does have his quotes.

In a way I am laughing at the thought of algorithms deciding the worth of a website. In another, I want to cry at the irony.

I think I may be a bit hysterical. :rolleyes:

cdad · Mar 13, 2011, 08:09 AM

Originally Posted by excon

Hello:

I wonder if the number 800,000 had anything to do the change...

I've mentioned the Beverly Hills Young Democrats before. In terms of active members, it was really no bigger than any other club in the state. But we held a dance every month at the Beverly Hilton that was very popular around town, and we gave "members" a discounted admission. Considering our "members", we were the largest club in the state and wielded much more power than our actual numbers would have dictated.

As that relates to us, in truth, we're not a big website. It's just a few of us hangers on. Maybe we got busted by the new algorithm.

excon

I believe it was the "go" skin that caused a change in the way the site is seen to others. The bots searching the web look at specific things and if you gear a site to those (as mentioned in the article) then it may be a top site until discovered by humans. I remember a recent thread by yourself that was about not being seen in the search engines as you had been before. I also wonder how many true "active" members there are in this site. If you were to remove those not returning for 3 months and those with duplicate I.P. addresses what would the real numbers be ?

Wondergirl · Mar 13, 2011, 08:42 AM

Originally Posted by califdadof3

If you were to remove those not returning for 3 months and those with duplicate I.P. addresses what would the real numbers be ?

I would love to see statistics showing how long the average stay is after registration, how many questions/posts are made during that stay, how many newbies post only once and are never seen again, and how many newbies are still around after a year of posting. I bet the last number is fewer than 50.

excon · Mar 13, 2011, 08:50 AM

Hello again,

Most business's spend tons of $$$'s attracting new customers, but spend NOTHING to keep them. I have a feeling we could retain more. Has anybody ever ASKED the people who DON'T stick around, WHY?

excon

cdad · Mar 13, 2011, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by Wondergirl

I would love to see statistics showing how long the average stay is after registration, how many questions/posts are made during that stay, how many newbies post only once and are never seen again, and how many newbies are still around after a year of posting. I bet the last number is fewer than 50.

I would also like to see included but no real way of knowing. Just how many turn away because its too confusing to them when entering. There is a "bounce" figure but we have no way of knowing what it represents. But In my opinion the older generation that is still new to the net, those that could become regulers here are turning away because they don't like the looks of the place and find it too confusing. It seems the more recent posters of late seem to be much younger then before and most think its another chat speak site. I have yet to see in the faq's or anywhere that this isn't burger king and no you can't have it your way!!

Wondergirl · Mar 13, 2011, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by excon

Most business's spend tons of $$$'s attracting new customers, but spend NOTHING to keep them. I have a feeling we could retain more. Has anybody ever ASKED the people who DON'T stick around, WHY?

I've tried, but they didn't stick around long enough to answer my question.

I had suggested some months ago that, instead of having the GO skin, the experts and other regular members should improve their customer service skills. ("We're so glad you've chosen AMHD. Please stick around and help us out by answering some questions" -- except I wouldn't allow some of the newbies to dress themselves, much less answer a question.)

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