bitcointalk.org not found on google?

[NothinG]

Doesn't explain why robots.txt is still broken?

The server is configured to return 500 errors whenever there is any error, including 404s.

So, you are using .htaccess tricks to force robots.txt? or...you just don't have the file there so you show an error instead?

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[theymos]

So, you are using .htaccess tricks to force robots.txt? or...you just don't have the file there so you show an error instead?

There is no robots.txt.

[froggy]

Doesn't explain why robots.txt is still broken?

The server is configured to return 500 errors whenever there is any error, including 404s.

I'm intrigued - is this on purpose or just a misconfiguration?

There is no robots.txt.

Why not just quickly create one with no rules if reconfiguring isn't an option?  

[theymos]

I don't think it should matter what the error code is, but I created an empty one anyway.

[error]

I don't think it should matter what the error code is, but I created an empty one anyway.

Maybe, but returning a 500 error is probably not the best choice, especially for a file that's served specifically to search engines, especially since the error is commonly interpreted as 500 Idiot Webmaster Error.

[froggy]

Yay, seems to have worked.  Back at number 1 on google (at least here on my pc in the UK) now. :-)

[cruikshank]

Search results on Google are influenced by other sites linking to a given site. Which is why the first result when looking up 'Santorum' isn't a campaign site or a .gov:

http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&q=santorum
a.k.a. Google Bombing.

Also: if you have an account on Google and are normally logged into it when running any kind of search, the results can be different based on other things you have searched for before and didn't opt-out of the tracking they use.

[BitcoinPorn]

This forum is the de-facto archive of all old bitcoin posts and community events since 2009.
This is also the only forum where Satoshi has posted hundreds of times.

I find it immature for the admins 'distance' themselves from this place just because of some trolls on the economics/speculation board.

As a result, clicking on 'bitcoin forum' on the front page lists Google results, of which none in the top 10 are related to bitcointalk.org.

You basically just give free money to SEO vultures capitalizing on the fact you use the words 'bitcoin forums'.
Now there's a site called bitcoinforums.net which has the first place.

Nevermind the fact they have 200 members (and had way under 50 before you started linking to them)
& bitcointalk.org has 40,000 members.

My post on /r/Bitcoin from a month ago Reddit could be the official "Bitcoin Forums" - Bitcoin.org link now redirects to Google Search - SEO Time?


Also a post right here on Bitcointalk speaking of this exact situation https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=33657.0

Good job to BitcoinForums.net for winning this round.   I am surprised Vlad's forums didn't grab that spot, but it's hard to beat the keywords as the domain and them putting effort into it.

[Transisto]

Could we at least fix our internal link to reflect the change

I wouldn't expect from all users to go back in time, editing their post, changing bitcoin.org/smf/ references.