IS GOOGLE BROKEN?

This is a question that is being asked widely amongst a growing number of internet professionals. However, it is not a question of web site failure, or slow loading, or any of the other annoying problems that beset the internet from time to time. It is an issue of which sites are currently appearing for Google searches.

This is a question that is being asked widely amongst a growing number of internet professionals.

However, it is not a question of web site failure, or slow loading, or any of the other annoying problems that beset the internet from time to time. It is an issue of which sites are appearing for Google searches.

The problem seems to revolve around Google's latest search algorithm. To test it, Google seems to have reverted back to its snapshot of the web as it was in February. New sites are sometimes difficult to find, dead sites are still there, and some current developments are under reported.

Art Saturn, of the search engine blog BurdenOfTruth (http://www.burdenoftruth.com) explains it as follows:

"Google introduced a new algorithm (a new software release) some 4 weeks or so ago. It began to roll out to its 9 data centers. The plan was to use the January/February index as a base, and then presumably to quickly upgrade to use the latest April crawl data. Note that we were on March data at the time, so they were actually taking a step backwards in time."

Unfortunately, we are now in June, and little has changed. Yes, some news sites are updated as Google pays regular attention to high profile rapidly changing web sites. But the "core index actually reflects January/February".

Has anyone noticed?

Those who pay particularly close attention certainly have. However, the message is spreading more widely with each passing day.

How long Google will wait until it introduces a new index is anyone's guess. Only Google can answer that one, and they seem to be staying tight lipped.

Further information and references:

http://www.burdenoftruth.com
http://www.webmasterworld.com