Search Engine News: Google Sept 2005 update "Jagger"

Jagger Update 1 

The Jagger 1 update pre-shocks actually started with a string of back-link updates that began in September 2005 and continued into middle of October 2005. In mid October, Google updated its PageRank database for public view. Usually updated once a quarter, the PR update always creates a stir. While most SEO professionals heavily play-down the importance of PR in ranking, the legacy of its importance is so deep-rooted in the minds of most webmasters, that it is difficult to shake it off as an insignificant ranking parameter. Reciprocal linking is still working between equal PR pages unless it is a 3 way link.

Jagger Update 2 

It is believed that the Jagger 2 update is now complete and replicated to all the data centers of Google. However, you may still notice some fluctuations in the rankings as things are yet stabilizing against the update.

From what Ms. SEO team have studied so far, Google has re-engineered several aspects of its algorithm. Amongst other aspects we will know as things roll out, we believe it has altered the impact of the following:-

• Value of incoming links
• Value of anchor text in incoming links
• Content on page of incoming links
• Keyword repetitions in anchor text
• Age of the incoming links
• Nature of sites linking to your domain
• Directory links
• Speed and volume of incoming links created
• Value of reciprocal links
• Impact of outbound links / links page on your website
• Sandbox effect / age of your site, domain registration date
• Size of your site's content
• Addition and frequency of fresh content update
• Canonical / sub domains, sub-sub domains
• Multiple domains on same IP numbers
• Duplicate content on same site or on multiple domains
• Over-optimization, excessive text markup
• Irrational use of CSS

Jagger Update 3 

Jagger3 update is the latest weather report from Matt Cutts (Google Software Engineer), saying that more changes and fixes are on the way, including correcting canonical problems. It has already started from the first week of November. Read more at Matt Cutts blog where he answers several questions.

Ms. Seo Search Engine Consultants are keenly studying various aspects of the Jagger algorithm update and are closely monitoring the impact of changes in each of the above mentioned parameters and many more not mentioned here. We shall be discussing the impact of each of these aspects in the next parts of this article, which are likely to be written once the Jagger3 update and our study of it is complete.

One thing looks pretty sure that value of reciprocal linking is going down and Google spider will be following one way links. Though Google tries to stop Link Buying as well as reciprocal linking, they are actually leading us to higher degrees of uncertainties and looks that the SEO budgets of all NEW sites would be growing more. Sandbox effect has already given the older sites a head start and now this new algo may penalize new domains to wait for more than a year to get rankings. The entire industry is keeping their fingers crossed till the dust settles. 

About the Author:  The author is the lead consultant of Ms. Seo Inc. (a sister firm of Cre8hype Inc. Canada), a leading Internet Marketing, eCommerce, Branding, Web & Application Development services company in Calgary, Canada. He has about 9 years of experience in the field of Web Application Development, Branding and Search Engine Marketing Services. He has spent last 6 years of his career devoted solely in pursuing Search Engine Optimization and has established his mark in the industry.