Google, Wherefore Art Thou Google? Sites Abandoned by Googlebot!

© August 30, 2004

As a search engine optimization specialist I often optimize
existing web pages for small business clients, upload them to
the site and see pages re-indexed by Google within a week.
This only happens with existing business sites that have been
online for a few years. Google seems to be updating their
index as often as every other week at this point and older
established sites that are already indexed seem to be re-
crawled on that twice a month schedule on a fairly routine
basis.

Two clients that hired me for recent work saw their rankings
shoot to the top for a newly targeted search phrase in a
weekend when I did optimization on a Thursday and they were
ranked instantly by Saturday. Now keep in mind that this
doesn’t happen for everyone, only those that have been online
for some period and already have significant content that
simply needs tweaking and proper title and metatag information
added. They usually have relatively good existing PageRank and
do well for other RELEVANT search phrases already. I offer that
warning only to avoid instilling false hopes in anyone hoping
to achieve the same instant ranking boost overnight.

Those clients that do succeed in this way are often thrilled
with the results accomplished in such short order. I’d love
to be able to offer that type of ranking boosts to everyone,
but some are more equal than others when it comes to easy,
inexpensive SEO tune-ups that rev up your rankings overnight.
Your mileage may vary.

WHY DO NEW SITES SUFFER?

What is going on with newer sites that don’t get crawled for
months? I’ve got a client, a newer attorney directory that
offers tons of great information in the form of articles on
specific areas of law, links to incredibly valuable and
relevant legal sites and over 600,000 attorneys listed by
practice area and state. Yet the site has not been re-crawled
by Google for over 3 months! Now this would not be such a big
issue for many sites, but this site is relatively new and we’ve
optimized all the titles, tags & page text, created a complete
site map and placed links to all these resources on the front
page.

I know that the site is not being crawled because Google’s
cached copy of the front page shows it before we did the
work four months ago, without the new links and without
title tags. We’ve submitted the site by hand, (manually)
once a month for three months via the Google Add URL page.
http://www.google.com/addurl.html When the hand submission
failed to get it re-indexed for four months, we submitted
the sitemap page, which has not been crawled at all. Google
shows only ONE page on this site, when in fact it has
thousands of pages, a sitemap and dozens static pages!

Part of the problem is that this site must be dynamic, since
a database of over 632,000 attorneys must be accessed,
retrieved and served for any of those law firms searched for
to be returned to the site visitor. Google warns owners of
dynamic sites that Googlebot may not crawl dynamically
generated pages with “?”” question marks in the URL. This is
to avoid crashing the server with too many concurrent page
requests from Google’s spider.
http://www.google.com/webmasters/2.html#A1

The solution to this dynamic URL problem has been discussed
widely in search engine forums and solutions have been bandied
about including software provided by SEO’s, URL re-write
techniques for dynamic pages on APACHE servers
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/urls/ and PHP pages
http://www.stargeek.com/php-seo.php to generate search engine
friendly URL’s. Others recommend simply adding static HTML
sitemap pages as alternatives for the search engine spiders.

In this instance the client’s developer simply said “I
can’t
do that (PHP solution) on this server”. So we resorted to
putting up the static HTML sitemap pages with hard-coded
URLS to the main 54 pages of the site at
http://lawfirm411.com/Law-Firm-411-sitemap.html This should
get at least those fifty pages crawled by Googlebot, but
Googles’ spider appears not to be crawling this site at all.

How do we know this? See for yourself by using the following
query in the search box at Google: allinurl:www.lawfirm411.com
where the result page shows ONE page in the results. If you
try that query on your own site (replace your own domain name
for lawfirm411.com), you’ll see the results lists ALL your
pages.

The site home page was crawled by Google four months ago, when
they took their “Cached Snapshot” of the page. You can see
this by visiting the Google cached page here:
http://66.102.7.104/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=U
TF-8&q=cache:www.lawfirm411.com
where the date of this snapshot is “Apr 20, 2004 07:42:19 GMT”
and they haven’t been back since. The page in that snapshot
has none of the newly added links, an outdated title tag, and
old content.

This problem is not unique to this site. One client we worked
with two years ago had a dynamically generated, framed site!
Those two site structures have always given search engines
trouble. Their site was not crawled at all and only the front
page showed up. Our solution was to create a second domain
(owned by the client), which had static HTML pages that
precisely mirrored the content of the client’s framed,
dynamically generated site. Guess what happened after
Googlebot crawled the static site? Google indexed the framed
site in full and then banned the static site from the index!

Not an approach we advocate, but the one that worked for this
client.

We’re still searching for ways to get Googlebot back to
LawFirm411.com before creating that new static site, but
decided to share this odd experience with the SEO community
before going to any extremes. Google provides over 70% of
most search engine referred traffic to ALL of our clients
and we realized we can’t site idly by and see a major client
languish because Googlebot didn’t like what it found at the
client site on the first visit four months ago.

This issue dogs newer sites in other places as well. The Open
Directory Project has also become notoriously slow in adding
new sites to the directory and in this case, has not picked
up this site even after 6 regular monthly submissions. The
web playing field may have begun tilting toward older,
established sites and away from new ones.

Home renovations are serious commitment that requires a lot of planning and preparation before hand. Preparing the household for the imminent construction activities that are going to be done on the property is just highly important and can save you a lot of troubles during the renovations and afterwards. There are several things that you should consider doing in your attempts to prepare the household.

Move the Furniture

Regardless whether you are going to do the home renovations by yourself or you are going to hire professional you should take care of all the furniture in the property. Tables, couches, and any other pieces of furniture will only be another obstacle that is going to slow the whole process. By moving the furniture out of the room you will free up space either for you or the builders to do their job so the job can be done with little obstructions as possible. Alternatively if you cannot move the furniture out of the room you can gather it all in one place either in the centre or some corner of the room thus you’ll move the furniture back to its original place more easily since everything is already in the room.

Pack Everything

If something cannot be moved like let say the cabinets and racks then the only sensible thing that you are left to do is to overlay them with nylon or plastic to prevent it from getting damaged or ruined in the process of renovation or the very least prevent them from getting contaminate with dirt and dust from the construction activities in the kitchen. Dirt and dust that has to be cleaned later. This way you can also avoid spending money on acquiring construction cleaning services in London to get the household thoroughly cleaned because you will be more than capable to do the cleaning on your own with being overwhelmed by it.

Cover Fixtures and Crevices

The small particles and dust that is created from the construction activities on the property can get just about anywhere and that’s why you should try to contain it. Even the light switches in the room are not safe from the dust which can find its way inside of them and even cause them to stop working properly. This situation, however, can easily be avoided if you cover the light switches with plastic or nylon to stop the dust from getting inside the console of the switch.  The same goes for tiny crevices and holes around the room as well. The thin strip between the closed door and the floor is opening enough for the dust to sweep under into the next room.

Preparing the household for renovation activities is quite simple and straightforward job once you learn what you should do to get the property ready for the remodelling. If the house is properly prepared for the renovations then afterwards the people living it will have a lot easier when it comes to dealing with all the construction waste and grime. 

There is a reason why many Hollywood actors keep their awards in their bathrooms — all their guests will visit that room at some point, so why not put the trophies were everyone will see them? But even if you haven’t won any Academy Awards, your guests will be still checking out you bathroom.  A well-done bathroom remodeling can impress your guests and boost the value of your home.

Bathroom remodeling can be as simple as new paint and fixtures, or it can be a total renovation and expansion.  If you want to begin bathroom remodeling, the first thing you should do is assess your current bathroom.

Think about these questions to make sure you get the most out of your project:

How many people will be using the bathroom? If a family shares one bathroom it may be a good idea to have a separate area for the toilet and shower so that someone can be showering while another person uses the mirror and vanity.

What is the bathroom’s current condition? Attacking grimy tile with bleach or industrial tile cleaning solution, polishing the fixtures, and adding brighter lights can put the sparkle back in your bathroom and cost lest than a renovation. But if the bathroom is out-of-date, falling apart or just boring, consider more intense changes.

How much money do you have for the renovation? Before you begin, think of how much money you can realistically afford. No remodeling project should put you in debt. Once you have a budget, take a trip to your local hardware store to check out prices.  Comparison shop and start looking for deals before you start your renovation project. You don’t need to buy everything at once; you can easily wait for store sales to buy the tools you need and store them.

How much work can you do one your own? If this is your first remodeling project, go easy on yourself. You will need to use this room, so make sure you don’t get yourself into trouble. If your bathroom needs new wiring, plumbing, or even tile, don’t be afraid to ask for professional help. Just make sure you account for it in your budget.

How much space do you have? If you can knock down walls, be sure to plan ahead. Pocket doors and a shower, not a bathtub, are easy ways of conserving space.

How long will you be using the bathroom? If you are remodeling to help sell your house, or might be selling soon, it may be best to stick with simple, conservative changes. Make things work and look clean, but don’t add your dream whirlpool tub.

These questions address some of the most basic points of bathroom remodeling. Plan ahead, budget, watch for deals, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Remember, bathroom modeling should be fun, and the results are all for your enjoyment. Make the most of it.

Make
sure to develop a bathroom remodeling plan and use a standardized bathroom
remodeling guide and/or bid sheet when kicking off a bathroom renovation
project.

Bathroom
remodels are a hot ticket in the home remodeling industry today. With more
homeowners convinced that they will be staying in their homes a lot longer than
they had originally planned many are opting to improve the live-in value of
their homes.

Many
homeowners view a bathroom remodel as the perfect place to start in improving
their home’s living space. It’s a room that gets a lot of use, it’s relatively
small in space, and there are a variety of features that can be included in it
to accommodate any budget. A bathroom remodel also has a high return
on investment. 

However,
prior to jumping into a bathroom renovation project it is wise to first do your
homework and make a decision on whose going to do the work. It’s also important
that you put pencil to paper and map out the key features you want to
incorporate in your bathroom remodeling plans. This list will also help
you cost out your bathroom renovation plans, at least for the materials. Keep
in mind that a bathroom renovation is a major financial investment and
will interrupt your family’s busy lifestyle for a month or longer. 

If
you plan to hire a bathroom remodeling contractor then you may want to use a
bathroom remodeling guide or a standard contractor bid sheet. You can find them
on HomeAdditionPlus.com or a variety of other websites. A bathroom
remodeling guide or contractor bid sheet will help you find the right
bathroom remodeling contractor for your specific bathroom renovation goals.

Look
for a bathroom remodeling guide or bid sheet that includes an in-depth
questionnaire that you can provide to prospective remodeling contractors for
them to fill out. Also make sure it includes expected answers from contractors
so that you can easily evaluate the contractors’ bids and responses. After
comparing the various questionnaire and contractor bid responses you’ll
quickly be able to determine who is the right contractor for your bathroom
remodel project.

So
before hiring any old remodeling contractor off the street do your homework and
use a standardized contractor hiring guide and bid sheet. The last thing you
want to do is hire the wrong contractor and end up wasting thousands of dollars
on a bathroom remodel that doesn’t achieve the features and look that you are
ultimately seeking in your renovated bathroom.

A leaking tap, broken faucet, fused bulb or the home paint job -all make you think of dialing the handyman service provider to bring peace and comfort in to your life.

And not just these, but a number of other tasks are there that can be perfectly handled by the handyman. The services provided by the handyman are particularly helpful when we are running short of time or lack the skill to do the repair task all by our self. The handyman can help in a wide range of repairs.

There are many service providers that offer these services in a cost effective way. They respond to the client service requirements quickly and offer solutions in a timely and scheduled way. Many service providers employ an in- house team that provides the plumbing, electrical and the handyman service. The services provided vary according to the requirements of the clients and the work required to be done.

A good handyman is a jack of many trades. He is a person with many skills and diversified knowledge. They perform the repair and renovation work themselves. They are the paid workers who can perform tasks like drywall repair, plastering, painting, plumbing, electrical works, carpentry, furniture assembly etc.

The handyman services can be availed for house and office jobs, restaurants, malls, shops etc. The handyman service providers either work as the independent operators or there are franchise businesses that take care of these services. They are found advertised in the newspapers, flyers, references, and mailings. The work can be contracted out to the general contractors as well.

These days, the handypersons also advertise online. So, internet is also a good option to look for a suitable handyman. They are differentiated on the quality of work they do, their professionalism, dedication and commitment towards their jobs, their experience and the level of their skill, and the cost at which they provide these services.

They provide these services as the commercial and the residential handyman services Sydney. These services can be internal or external. Theses also apply to big and small places alike.

The residential services mainly consist of renovations for offices, carports, pergolas, plastering and painting etc. The services also include assembly functions for shelving, clothesline, furniture, play gyms, bikes, backyard sheds etc. Repair and maintenance for broken tiles, locks, hinges, decks and door fittings also fall under these types of repairs. The emergency lighting and skylight installations are also undertaken by the service providers.

The commercial services include the major repairs and maintenance like shelving, locks, doors, tilling, carpentry, plastering, painting etc. The commercial service also extends to refurbishments and upgrades, water damage repair or replacements. Some companies also assist the clients with the odds jobs of point of sale installations at multiple places, de-fits, full or partial make goods etc.

So, there is no need for you to fuss over the handyman services. You can call the service provider and let them fix the major or minor repairs.