Google/Duck Top Search Results

Well, as I fill in entries to the site I do a lot of searching specifically to help me with the description, because I hate doing it, I don't know what is wanted, and I know many people will look at it >.>. Today as I started after a break I did notice when I started searching the monsters I am looking up d2io is popping up on duck duck go!!! Lets get it to google!!!

isn't the google search based on what website you prefer to use while others might not get the same results?

Udyret wrote: 3 years ago

isn't the google search based on what website you prefer to use while others might not get the same results?

You could easily test this by logging out of chrome and clearing your browsing data, then trying to search.

Side note, I quite literally found this website because I explicitly typed into Google "Diablo 2 Database" and this was I think the third link down. That was a few days ago now.

searching on google for Diablo 2 Database links to diablo2.io in the 2 first links for me.

Udyret wrote: 3 years ago

searching on google for Diablo 2 Database links to diablo2.io in the 2 first links for me.

I just logged out of chrome, cleared everything, then searched for "diablo 2 database". Diablo2.io is the very first result.

Screenshot:

Spoiler

Udyret wrote: 3 years ago

isn't the google search based on what website you prefer to use while others might not get the same results?

Certainly there is some personalisation built into their algorithm. Wouldn't be surprised at all were this the case.

The thing is that we as webmasters still don't really know how Google's ranking algorithm actually works. They release vague statements every now and again, usually chastising people who try to 'cheat' the system, but offer very little in terms of actual straightforward advice to get higher rankings. We know that they take into account a very wide range of factors - speed performance, traffic received, the age of the website, the authority of the Brand, mobile-friendliness has been a big thing for a while, of course backlinks and all that... but at the end of the day, the algo is so sophisticated and smart that really what matters is that there is good content.

Googlebot is smart, like, really smart, and that's why I've been pushing so hard for people to populate the pages with descriptions and comments, as these are what the bot picks up and weighs the rankings on so heavily if you were to ask me. But beyond these intuitions, and the stuff that my analytics tools tell me (mainly about performance etc.), I have little means of 'attempting' to increase search ranking, and I think that really it is just something that is out of my hands altogether. I've done what I can as a developer (93 SEO score on pagespeed insights, 95+ for performance on desktop etc.) and it's now a case of - will this site gain enough traction and enthusiastic users to snowball into something really dense with Wisdom and resources? That my friends is up to you It's definitely going in the right direction at the moment.

Just since we're on the topic, here's a graph showing the site's impressions/clicks on Google, and you can see two 'spikes' when the beta weekends happened:
And here's a pie chart showing where users typically come from:
As you can see, nearly half of the site's traffic is now from searches, which I'm very happy about. But unfortunately I have some very tough competition - completed wikis that have been active for 10+ years simply stomp d2io in terms of 'authority' and I don't think the site will ever overtake them in this respect, at least not for the most searched queries.

Teebling wrote: 3 years ago

As you can see, nearly half of the site's traffic is now from searches, which I'm very happy about. But unfortunately I have some very tough competition - completed wikis that have been active for 10+ years simply stomp d2io in terms of 'authority' and I don't think the site will ever overtake them in this respect, at least not for the most searched queries.

I personally feel as though you're discounting overall presentation, and how much it affects a users choice. The one thing that hooked me into helping d2io was the presentation, and great ui work you did. Yes, there are more complete databases out there, but they aren't very pretty to look at. People are going to want a new d2 database, which matches the new and updated look of D2R.

While it is indeed an uphill battle vs all the sites that have been around for over a decade, there is something to say for having structured data vs it just being part of the blob of data in a wiki page.

- You have greater flexibility to optimize the SEO
- Open graph data can be more easily fine tuned
- You can create json-ld entries that kinda bastardizing maybe the product type. Although, not sure if Google decides to show them for certain search terms, or based on availability for a search term
- It's also easier if you want to offer embeds for people to use on other sites.

I think that will help narrow the gap with established site rather quickly

Noemard wrote: 3 years ago

While it is indeed an uphill battle vs all the sites that have been around for over a decade, there is something to say for having structured data vs it just being part of the blob of data in a wiki page.

Breadcrumbs are already being recognised by Google so that one's covered.

Noemard wrote: 3 years ago

- Open graph data can be more easily fine tuned

I have JSON-LD, OG and Twitter cards generated automatically for each page already, but could do with some refinement.

Noemard wrote: 3 years ago

- You can create json-ld entries that kinda bastardizing maybe the product type. Although, not sure if Google decides to show them for certain search terms, or based on availability for a search term

I've looked at embedding rich/structured content in the HTML but despite schema's best efforts the system I find totally nonsensical and limited. If you can find a way for me to make structured content that fits the site's actual structure I'd be all for it. There just aren't, as you say, the right property types to cover what this site is for.

Let me give you an example - the properties 'in-game item' exist, as do 'video game' or 'object in video game' - but they're designed to go on a FULL page about 1 video game. So they way in which they present it in the schema examples assumes that you're making one page about Diablo 2, and then having everything you know about Diablo 2 on one page. It doesn't take into account that the whole website could be about Diablo 2, and that each individual page could be an in-game object. I really did try hard with this but got very frustrated in the end and gave up.

Sorry didn't mean for that to come off as a list of suggestions. I was just pointing out these are things you can do because you've been collecting data in a structured way. As opposed to all the older sites having done it via a wiki which is just relying on users to have formatted the data into tables. It isn't necessarily consistent nor structured in a way that they could easily use it other than as a blob of content.

I guess my overall point was just that even though there are established databases, you have the advantage of more flexibility with your data.

As far as JSON-LD I wasn't even aware of the game specific schemas. Looking into it, the https://schema.org/Game type can have nested https://schema.org/Thing for characterAttribute, gameItem, and quest & https://schema.org/Place for gameLocation. I'm not sure the expectation is that there is a single page on the website about the game as much as framing the context of the in game object around what game it is for.

@Noemard ah okay got you - sorry sometimes I forget that people just want to think out loud on here I'm very passionate about the site so I take things literally sometimes.

That said, I'll have another crack at some structured data nesting as you pointed out for ingame items, quests, and places, as that would cover a large portion of the data here.

@Teebling understandable, hard not to get into that mindset when you devote so much time to something. I think time will show that having a more purposefully built database will be both impactful in how SE's rank the site as well as provide the superior experience for the d2 community at large.

Also I forgot to mention this in my last post: https://developers.google.com/search/do ... -searchbox.
I didn't realize adding the site search bar to google results was driven by json-ld data, but apparently it is.

I should have known my simple question would open up conversation beyond my knowledge.