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eBay Listings Have Disappeared from Google, Yahoo, AND Live Search - What Happened?
By Lisa Suttora | October 2, 2008
First, eBay listings turn up missing in Google.
Now they are all but non-existent in Yahoo and Live (MSN) search!
This problem was first reported to me by several of our WhatDoISell.com members who saw a drop in their Google search traffic (some up to 70%) in mid-Sept.
Now, upon further investigation - I’m finding eBay listings almost non-existent in YAHOO and LIVE (Microsoft Search) natural search results.
For the past two weeks, I’ve been doing searches every day for eBay listings on Google, Yahoo, Live - and they are almost non-existent.
I search both popular keywords and niche specific keywords. And the results are the same every time…
Two months ago if you did a Google search for a product, there would be several search results on the front page of Google. Now, you are lucky if you find one eBay listing buried on page six.
For example:
I did a search in Google for Nintendo Wii. A hot product yes? No eBay listings AT ALL in Google natural search results. Nothing! I quit looking after page 6.
There aren’t even any PPC ads in GOOGLE for eBay.com under those keywords.
Yet an eBay.com search returns 38,000+ products with the keywords Nintendo Wii.
Do the same search in Yahoo. There is an eBay PPC ad in the TOP sponsored search box.
But no natural search results.
Until page SIX:
“eBay Store - Thumbmonkey Video Games: Nintendo Wii: Need For Speed … Thumbmonkey Video Games: Nintendo Wii - Need For Speed Carbon, Super”
Now do the same search at http://live.com
The FIRST sponsored AD is an eBay ad.
But no natural search results for eBay stores, eBay listings etc. until page EIGHT:
Nintendo Wii - Game console: items on eBay.com
Find Nintendo Wii - Game console and a huge selection of other items on eBay.com. About Nintendo Wii - Game console: Featuring a compact design that makes it a natural addition to … product.ebay.com/Nintendo-Wii-Game-console_W0QQfvcsZ1452QQsoprZ56833153 ·
You can try this with other keywords too - American Girl Doll, Coach Handbag, I’ve even tested products that are listed on eBay’s home page - but they are nowhere to be found in the search engines.
So this begs the question - where have all the eBay listings gone in the search engine’s natural search results?
Is it Google, MSN & Yahoo? Or is it eBay?
Do eBay pages no longer meet the search engine algorithms for all THREE major search engines? I doubt it.
Are eBay listings being disadvantaged in the Search Engines?
Why does eBay have more sponsored Ads on Yahoo & MSN but not Google?
Competition, cheaper ad costs?
Has eBay been “slapped” by the search engines?
I DID find that eBay HAS ramped up their PPC ads for some keywords on Google in the past week or so.
And they are currently running a special with Microsoft Live Search Cashback program.
Two months ago, eBay listings and eBay stores dominated the search engines.
Now they are barely visible in those all important first pages.
How about your listings? Have you noticed a drop in search engine traffic from Google, Yahoo, Live Search (Please Microsoft change the name!).
Check your eBay Store Traffic Reports compared to last month - and let me know if your traffic is down.
Topics: eBay 2008 Changes |