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Is Google the Bermuda Triangle for eBay Listings?
By Lisa Suttora | September 30, 2008
Something’s wrong.
eBay listings seem to be missing from Google.
Now mind you, I have no hard data on this from either eBay or Google.
But I do have two weeks of late nights spent at my computer searching for eBay listings on Google.
And answering questions from people who are no longer finding their eBay listings in Google. And talking to our WhatDoISell.com members about this issue in our Discussion Forum.
Something’s amiss.
Ever since our members started reporting a loss of visibility in Google search results (around Sept 16th) I’ve been checking random product listings every day.
It used to be that the first several listings on Google(in natural search) for any given product were all eBay search results.
They are virtually gone now. We’re seeing people’s Google traffic to their eBay store drop from 70% to 10% overall.
Tonight, I went through some of the products that eBay has featured in the eBay.com home page and only found a few related eBay sponsored ads on Google.
Even the shopping results that Google displays with multiple shopping sites are frequently not including eBay products.
Even newcomer Bonanzle is getting more air time!
It’s very odd - at first I thought it might be some sort of re-indexing issue due to the 9/16 eBay Search changes - but it shouldn’t be taking this long.
Something is going on… I’ve never seen anything like this. Even when eBay & Google were fighting in Boston at eBay Live ‘07 - there was not a significant drop in search visibility for eBay listings.
I’m having to dig to page 3 to find some eBay listings.
Google is like the Bermuda triangle for eBay listings these days.
Or is it just that eBay listings aren’t being allowed to show up to the party?
Are your eBay listings being displayed in Google search? Is this disappearance category specific?
Share your feedback in the comments below and let’s see if we can’t unravel this mystery!
Topics: eBay 2008 Changes |
October 23rd, 2008 at 12:35 am
Yes, I totally AGREE that something is “amiss” for the listings.
Good article and keep up the good work.
God bless and take care.
October 23rd, 2008 at 12:36 am
Not a “conspiracy”…just the facts.
Thanks for the info.