Usual search terms no longer working google

[mensgiftshop]

Hi all,

Since August 22nd our best performing search terms "mens gifts" (first page for years) and "gifts for men" (2nd page) have dropped off the map completely. Nothing significant has happened on our website since mid-May when the website finished its major upgrade.

Any experts out there who might be able to recommend something, or see something, that may have caused this problem.

FYI- Yahoo and Bing still have us listed 2nd for "mens gifts".

[Mike Hughes]

This is interesting. "Mens Gifts" is nowhere in the top 100 but "Mens Gift" is at number 5 on the first page. So Google's quite happy with the site.

It looks like it's something to do with Google's algorithm. It could be to do with a change in how they look for plurals or it could be them removing certain keywords such as 'shop' when looking at domain names, urls, etc.

Or maybe it's something else entirely. Perhaps reducing the importance of the domain name in the algorithm.

I can't say I understand it, but it is interesting and worth trying to get a grip on. It appears some more research is needed.

Mike

[pinbrook]

if it is the domain that is causing this it is worth breaking it down and considering how an automated reader sees the words

do you want google to see

mens gift shop or

mens gifts hop

based on this the domain should be mensgiftsshop.com ie

mens gifts shop