This post over on Scottish Sceptic’s website (below) points to a problem that WUWT has with search engines. One big issue he raises is that I can’t edit meta tags in the website header, but then again, I’ve had a clue that hasn’t mattered for a couple of years now, from the WordPress forum:
It’s not possible to edit meta tags on WordPress.com blogs.
…
Moreover Google does not use the keywords meta tag in web ranking – Monday, September 21, 2009
http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2009/09/google-does-not-use-keywords-meta-tag.html
=================================================================
WUWT – page 35 when searching for “global warming”
Following some comments on WUWT about the “+1″ scheme to boost ratings, I first joined the scheme, then decided to do it the old fashioned way and click on the WUWT link when searching for “global warming”.
So, imagine my surprise when I found WUWT on …
PAGE 35
Yes, that is right! WUWT was on page 35 … I had to double check to make sure it was right because it was behind the GWPF, behind climate audit, behind unrealclimate, behind the IPCC behind sites that none of us have ever heard of.
- So, why was it on page 35 of the google results?
- Why having clicked on it just once, did it move (via another PC on another URL) to page 34?
- And, why when I checked the page, was there not a single meta-tag telling the google search engine this site had anything or wanted anything to do with global warming?
The simple answer given the ease by which I escalated the ranking by a single click is that no one ever clicks on a WUWT page when they search for global warming. And before everyone starts point to google bias, obviously, no one trusts the top ranking sites (they are mostly paid for … or promoted due to google’s own politics) but whilst it is quite possible WUWT has a lower ranking than it should, I think there is much more to this and quite a lot has nothing to do with Google and so I have a few suggestions:
- I have to be honest, and say that I don’t think Anthony Watts has a clue about publicising his site particularly for search engines. E.g. he doesn’t even mention global warming as a search term in the meta tabs telling search engines which words and phrases characterise the site. That just screams out that he doesn’t exactly make his site google friendly and it’s not surprising that it is so lowly rated.
- Sceptics most probably do not use Google to find the site. If we don’t search on google, how is google supposed to know that people want to find that site when they search?
- And yes, Google hates WUWT … and more than likely is actively trying to repress the site. OK, we have to accept that, so we have to work together to try to reverse this.
What can be done
1. Search for global warming and click on the WUWT site.
Go to google and enter “global warming”. Then click the last number at the bottom to go to pages 10, then 19, etc. until you reach page 35 3435.
(Addendum: the next WUWT page is around page 70 of google results!!)
Then start going backwards until you find an entry for any page linked to wattsupwiththat.com and then click it.
Repeat prescription every day!
2. Add a link to wattsupwiththat.com
Where ever and when ever add a link.
3. Join the “+1 scheme“
Join the scheme and then find the WUWT pages and press the +1 button
==================================================================
He makes some good points that would make a good new year’s resolution – help spread the word. There is one thing I can do, and that is make a change to the header image to remove the masthead statement and place it into the first lines of text. I’ve made that change today to see if it helps.
As always, my sincerest thanks in advance to everyone who helps support this website in words and deeds.
Discover more from Watts Up With That?
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I Googled Global Warming and, amid all the crap, I found JoNova on page 5. I never found WUWT which shows how corrupt their system is. I like the new heading to the WUWT Page.
Anthony,
just googled “global warming” and found WUWT on p32.
Just as Mick reports above, when I first found WUWT it also contained the line:
“Block all wattsupwiththat.com results”
When I went back to the listing a second time, that line had disappeared, so it looks like it only pops up on the first hit.
This is starting to get into legal territory I think.
Despite the giggle search (or lack thereof), WUWT will probably hit the hundred million mark sometime on Monday, 9 January.
Google has got it right. By searching for “climate skeptic”, Google puts WUWT on page 2. Higher relevance to the search criteria puts WUWT higher in the returned dataset. I would never think of using global warming when searching for this site. But then, I limit my search criteria to facts.
As it happens, WUWT has had a fairly high Google Rank 5 the last couple of years. I just checked it and was returned a Google Rank of 0. WUWT?
http://www.googlerankings.com/prindex.php
DJA & total denier
I think this could be more ‘interesting’ to supporters of another point of view….especially if they know the way to generate the opportunity to block WUWT. After all, Google would surely have to take note if a ‘serious’ number of people kept on blocking WUWT.com?
ps I’ve just tried to ‘blitz’ a pro site in the same way but I was unable to generate the effect.
Google personalises search results by your location, your search history and probably what you had for breakfast. Search results will vary from user to user.
Yet when you Google “Watts up” it comes in as the second link on page 1 of Googles Search results.
Page 38. Weird.
For me it’s on page 28, with the option to block.
It is also deeply buried on Bing.
I use Bing. Since Google seems to think the lolllipop’s birthday (or some such) is more worthy of special recognition than American holidays, screw them.
Why do I get “Block all wattsupwiththat.com results” link on Google entries?
While discovering that WUWT still first appears on page 37 when I search for “global warming”
I saw that DeSmogBlog has “An extensive database of individuals involved in the global warming denial industry.”
Is there are similar database of warmists anywhere, and if not, why doesn’t somebody make one?
It is quite important that “WUWT” ranks highly in Google.
That’s how many of us stumbled across this site. I know I followed a cryptic reference in another site to “WUWT” and that’s how I landed here. Google gives it #1 and gives separate page references.
So long as we continue to refer to the site as WUWT in other places, people will find it easily enough.
If it’s any consolation:
when I type in “sea cucumber”
you come up on page 3.
You must be renowned on the internet for sea cukes…. wtf?
Now on page 31 for “global warming” and “climate change” searches (11:00 am, 1/1/12 in Australia ).
Happy New Year to all you Yanks, Poms, and other miscellaneous geniuses.
RealClimate was on page 31, “SkepticalScience” was on page 9, and Roy Spencer was on page 6.
page 39 on my search,12/31/2011 at 8.30pm
Search “Spaceballs”
WUWT is also on page 3…
Something seems off with these rankings….
now “global warming” and WUWT has vanished for me…
maybe email “The Tallbloke”, he has some lawyers I hear….
Page 39 at 6:42 MST 12/31
I also see that Google offers a click option on the WUWT link
“Block all wattsupwiththat.com results”
I have not seen this feature before?
TheGoodLocust says:
December 31, 2011 at 1:37 pm
I like how searching for “global warming skepticism” doesn’t actually bring you to sites that teach you about GW skepticism.
Yeah I did that too ie putting up “global warming sceptics.” WUWT appears on p 4 only due to an article “Reasons to be a Global Warming Skeptic”
Otherwise more than half the references Google produces under “global warming sceptics” are actually alarmist sites telling you how to defeat a sceptics argument rather than giving the sceptics side of the story.
“Climate change sceptics” – much the same. No sign of WUWT.
Seems like the alarmists have Google well and truly worked out and are cleverly using it as one of their prime weapons in their propaganda war of shutting down or belittling any opposition. Makes you wonder how scepticism survives – guess they haven’t worked out how to control the weather yet.
I have observed how people use their web browser. And it’s not pretty.
One prevalent mis-use is for people to enter the URL (often including the http://) as search string for the default search engine. That default search engine is often Google. Some users believe that they must have Google to use the Internet.
Another, as yet unidentified culprit (probably a web-authoring tool) embeds links in a Google search string.
That sort of use seriously skews any statistics based on real searches.
@Ric Werme & wiseguy moderator:
Website consultants are anywhere from cheap to expensive. You can probably get advice for free from someone who likes you. So, “hire” may mean paying significantly under market rate. Nevertheless, you should consider searching the couch for change to hire someone to find ways to improve your google rank. It’s what others sites are doing. It’s not my thing, or, I’d offer to help. Just don’t break any of the google rules against gaming the system or you end up on their naughty list which, unbelievably, will further depress your score.