Was at #3 for few minutes. Back at page 4.

I was checking some stats at work and felt like searching my keyword and couldn't find my site at its usually page 4 position, then found it on page 1 at #3! But now it's back at page 4? It's a very competitive keyword, so I was expecting a page by page increase.

Do you think this is just a fluke (as if algorithms have flukes...) or did I switch servers when my site was on page 4 on the second search, meaning the other servers will soon have me at #3? I'd like to think that, but it seems strange to jump straight to position 3, right behind Wiki and an authority site.

 

They been doing that to my site also. After a week or so i settled down and i had a 7 placed jump.

 

I would take it as a hopeful sign and keep doing what you're doing. It's when you get sudden drops in the other direction that you start to worry lol

 

Yeah, but I just don't understand why it happened. I checked it in three browsers and I was at #3. No cookies at all because it's a brand new display computer. But then a few minutes later all three browsers had me at page 4. Disheartening.

 

You do get those random fluctuations and you don't necessarily get the same results even if you appear to be checking the same data centre. But the fact that you went up not down momentarily is generally a good sign.

 

I'm thinking it was something to do with your browser cache, it happens all the time with me. Clear your cache and then check or use a web based script to check.

 

How do you check your rankings? Better use a software - Rank Tracker

 

personalized results because you were probably signed into your google account

 

^^What he said
Google is just telling you that you can rank on #3 with a little more effort lol...

Cheers.

 

maybe its google dance. keep doing the link building. you will be back stronger than usual.

 

He is correct. You are not getting hit with sandboxing or anything. Its just a Google Dance man :chicken_w

 

its google method to check ctr for ur site's position, then it calculates where should they put u, and then u get steady position.

 

Not a browser cache or anything...this is one of the first things I did on the computer:

I've been building really high PR backlinks recently...guess I'll just keep doing that. =P

 

same thing happened with my site 3 weeks ago..page 4 to #2 back to page 4 and now it s on the second page.

 

Just google dance. Will settle down soon

 

I use programs (rank tracker, MS) when I need to check the serps for alot of urls, but for individual words that you want to make sure, I HIGHLY recommend using SCROOGLE and PAGEWASH. The serp tracking programs are never 100% though and I always find scroogle is the most accurate of them all. Also, if you didn't see a spike in traffic due to being position #3, it probably means you were in personalized mode.