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Rap Genius Traffic Has Dropped By Over 80%

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Re: Rap Genius Traffic Has Dropped By Over 80%

#161

Post by Zarel »

redthrowaway wrote: post #132
aliakbarkhan wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you actually knew how to use Google this wouldn't be a problem. The `site:` filter is your friend.

Or just set up a custom search engine in Chrome, eg: chrome://settings/searchEngines search engine: rapgenius.com keyword: rg url: http://rapgenius.com/search?q=%s Then just type rg in the omnibox and search for whatever you want, and get taken to rg's serp.

For most sites, Chrome should do this by default and the default keyword is just the site's URL. So simply:

    rapgenius.comsearch terms
autocomplete is supported so you can also just do

    rasearch terms
if rapgenius.com is your first autocomplete result for "ra"

Re: Rap Genius Traffic Has Dropped By Over 80%

#162

Post by trycatch »

pfranz wrote: post #157
ddw wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I consider myself sophisticated and I still use Google for something like Rap Genius: "rap genius kendrick lamar swimming pools" would get me there quicker than any other way. It's incredible that now that search string sends me to other pages that link to RG's lyrics but not directly to theirs.

That's why I /really/ like Chromes "tab to search" feature. When I visit a site with a search field Chrome remembers it. When I start typing the domain the URL bar says "Press TAB to search X", then you type in your search terms. We're switching from Chrome to Firefox at work and their site-search is incredibly clunky in comparison.

It's pretty easy to manage site searches in Firefox -- go to rapgenius.com, click on dropdown in the FF search box, click on add "rap genius", and that's it. Also, you are able to set keyword to it in "manage search engines" dialog in the same dropdown, for example "rg" -- so you will be able to write just "rg song" in the address bar to search on rapgenius.

Re: Rap Genius Traffic Has Dropped By Over 80%

#163

Post by redthrowaway »

Zarel wrote: post #161
redthrowaway wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or just set up a custom search engine in Chrome, eg: chrome://settings/searchEngines search engine: rapgenius.com keyword: rg url: http://rapgenius.com/search?q=%s Then just type rg in the omnibox and search for whatever you want, and get taken to rg's serp.

For most sites, Chrome should do this by default and the default keyword is just the site's URL. So simply: rapgenius.com search terms autocomplete is supported so you can also just do ra search terms if rapgenius.com is your first autocomplete result for "ra"

This feels like a bit of a regression. I used to be able to just use the automatic search, but it seems to be breaking for more and more sites recently. Even sites it used to pick up automatically, like tpb, now need to be manually specified.

And there's still no damned excuse for them not being able to search maps.google.com from the omnibox.

Re: Rap Genius Traffic Has Dropped By Over 80%

#164

Post by ddw »

aliakbarkhan wrote: post #119
ddw wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I consider myself sophisticated and I still use Google for something like Rap Genius: "rap genius kendrick lamar swimming pools" would get me there quicker than any other way. It's incredible that now that search string sends me to other pages that link to RG's lyrics but not directly to theirs.

If you actually knew how to use Google this wouldn't be a problem. The `site:` filter is your friend.

It's not a "problem." I'm just incredibly lazy when it comes to looking up rap lyrics and it works for me.

Re: Rap Genius Traffic Has Dropped By Over 80%

#165

Post by V-2 »

grey-area wrote: post #109
V-2 wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> but pressing the a "death button" for a website is not a solution. What is a solution then? It seems like a good deterrent. It has to hurt. In Poland (where I'm from) they similarly punished Ceneo, Skąpiec, Nokaut (all most popular price comparator services) and even Tesco. See http://www.seoportal.pl/ceneo-skapiec-tesco-ukarane-przez-go... (Polish) or http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&pre...…

Should Google have that sort of power over almost every business in the world?

I agree that this is troubling in its own right. I just don't think that this power was abused in this particular case.

Re: Rap Genius Traffic Has Dropped By Over 80%

#166

Post by rf1331 »

redthrowaway wrote: post #132
aliakbarkhan wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you actually knew how to use Google this wouldn't be a problem. The `site:` filter is your friend.

Or just set up a custom search engine in Chrome, eg: chrome://settings/searchEngines search engine: rapgenius.com keyword: rg url: http://rapgenius.com/search?q=%s Then just type rg in the omnibox and search for whatever you want, and get taken to rg's serp.

aren't we overthinking this a little much?

Re: Rap Genius Traffic Has Dropped By Over 80%

#167

Post by sprobertson »

ZoFreX wrote: post #146
jonknee wrote: post #62

An interesting side effect of this is the phenomenon of less sophisticated users who use Google as their address bar. If you run a decently well-known website you see this in your analytics reports (at least back when you could see Google search keywords)--repeat visitors coming to your site from Google after searching for your site by name. This is why "facebook" is the top Google search. Since you can't find RapGen…

This is a ridiculous practical weakness to the web we have created. At a technical level it is designed to be relatively decentralised and fault tolerant, but what we have built on top is anything but :(

Is it really the web's weakness? Seems like user error to me.

Re: Rap Genius Traffic Has Dropped By Over 80%

#168

Post by sprobertson »

001sky wrote: post #104
tptacek wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By people who are not fans of Rap Genius, of which there are many. (I like the site, for what it's worth).

Right, but this is a link to a piece of data. Calling it "emotive" is odd.

If the data didn't stir some emotion, it wouldn't have been updated to the front page.

Re: Rap Genius Traffic Has Dropped By Over 80%

#169

Post by blakeley »

sejje wrote: post #73
drig wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My feeling is that Google is acting like a monopoly. It's wrong that a private company is able to exert this much power over others, even if the others are being shady.

That's only the case because this company has built its model with Google as a primary player. I understand the facts of the situation--a rap lyrics website HAS to build around Google to achieve optimal success. But if you aren't willing to give away that much control, build a less-successful version or just find another business.

No, this company has built its model with search engine results as a primary player.

Google just happens to be the monopolist (and, furthermore, the cartel) in search.

Re: Rap Genius Traffic Has Dropped By Over 80%

#170

Post by 001sky »

sprobertson wrote: post #168
001sky wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right, but this is a link to a piece of data. Calling it "emotive" is odd.

If the data didn't stir some emotion, it wouldn't have been updated to the front page.

If the data didn't stir some [curiosity], it wouldn't have been updated to the front page.

=/=

If the data didn't stir some [shit], it wouldn't have been updated to the front page.

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