This is really weird and amazingly all true.
Google updates it's algorithm constantly making minor tweaks to improve it's results and one of it's latest updates it to stop hate sites and arguments appearing in results.
Google tracks how many replies are made to a topic and how often. Random example from a topic in WJunction below.
Now when an argument or drama starts then you get loads of replies to a topic very fast. Google can't tell it's an argument but sees lots of replies to the topic so thinks it must be important and boosts it up the search results.
Lots of webmasters who had sales sites used to be aggressive and insulting to it's members as this created more replies, more organic traffic and more sales. Some may remember I made a mod that replied to random topics a few months back both to increase organic traffic but also to make your site look busier.
Anyway Google has now made adjustments to it's algorithm to prevent this in future although it's a secret to what adjustments they did.
Probably won't affect WJ as the drama and arguements are usually closed within a few hours.
EDIT:
mod I was refering to as requested in replies. NOTE it's pretty old and hasn't being updated but does still work. I was just using it as an example while writing the above topic.
http://www.wjunction.com/showthread.php?t=39131&highlight=forum+activity
Google updates it's algorithm constantly making minor tweaks to improve it's results and one of it's latest updates it to stop hate sites and arguments appearing in results.
Google tracks how many replies are made to a topic and how often. Random example from a topic in WJunction below.
Now when an argument or drama starts then you get loads of replies to a topic very fast. Google can't tell it's an argument but sees lots of replies to the topic so thinks it must be important and boosts it up the search results.
Lots of webmasters who had sales sites used to be aggressive and insulting to it's members as this created more replies, more organic traffic and more sales. Some may remember I made a mod that replied to random topics a few months back both to increase organic traffic but also to make your site look busier.
Anyway Google has now made adjustments to it's algorithm to prevent this in future although it's a secret to what adjustments they did.
Probably won't affect WJ as the drama and arguements are usually closed within a few hours.
EDIT:
mod I was refering to as requested in replies. NOTE it's pretty old and hasn't being updated but does still work. I was just using it as an example while writing the above topic.
http://www.wjunction.com/showthread.php?t=39131&highlight=forum+activity