Google's Supplemental Pages and other neat things

When I signed off a couple of months ago, I did say I would probably occasionally post something new. I've been working as the Director of Search Strategies for a Seattle-based Internet Marketing firm, and one of my responsibilities is to keep an eye on the SEO community.

While my company is not particularly interested in what most SEO theorists have to say, I do need to stay aware of the community's concerns and current theories.

I have to admit that I was surprised to see hardly anyone react to the apparent update Google rolled out this week. It was breifly mentioned on SERoundtable and maybe a couple of other places, and that was it. Well, I suppose most people were either pre-occupied with the holidays or else they have simply gotten used to see the results change.

But I've noticed an increasing amount of discussion about Google's Supplemental Pages, and to be honest I find the answers being given to the usual questions somewhat inadequate. I feel the inadequacy is due more to boredom than anything else. Forum regulars are simply tired of speculating about the Supplemental Index, so they are now handing out brief, trite responses.

With one exception, who shall go unnamed, although I pretty much consider the guy to be an idiot, that is. The exception suggested one of the most outlandish ideas I've seen from him in quite a while. Well, after rolling my eyes I thought, "I could write a better answer than that in my sleep".

So I challenged myself to do it (while awake, though). And all that is to say that I have now posted a more in-depth discussion of Google's Supplemental Pages on my SEO site. And while I am at it, I might as well point out that I have slightly reorganized the site, moving this new page and a couple others into a new SEO Information section.

The bottom line: if you want to move a page from Supplemental Results to the Main Index, point a few good links at it. The links can come from anywhere, including your own pages, as long as the linking pages are not in the Supplemental Index. So far, that has worked for me, even if I'm wrong to suggest that the links must come from pages in the Main Index.

I met some Googlers at the Seattle MindCamp a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't sure what to say to them. When they asked me what I do, all I could think of was, "I manipulate your search results", which is entirely true. But since they manipulate their own search results (I mean that in a good way), I figured it was a safe response.

So, I hope everyone in the U.S. (or from the U.S.) who celebrates our Thanksgiving holiday has had a good holiday weekend so far, and I wish you all the best.

I may post something here again before the end of the year, but I cannot be sure of that.