There's a new "Google Jail" for independent wikis
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
Google's 2024 update traps new wiki domains in a 'jail' that blocks all but the main search result.
Since March 2024, Google's core update has caused brand-new domains to show only their main page in search results, affecting roughly 90% of recently launched independent wikis. This impacts 85% of video game wiki traffic from Google. Subdomains of established domains (like overwatch.weirdgloop.org) are unaffected. Weird Gloop now uses its own domain as a temporary subdomain for new wikis, planning to 301-redirect to the intended root domain after Google 'jail' lifts, typically after 6-12 months.
What commenters are saying
Commenters sympathize but question scope: some report new wikis in non-competitive niches index fine, suggesting Google targets only those competing with established domains like Fandom. Others critique Weird Gloop's domain name as suboptimal and note wiki.gg, run by former Gamepedia founders now owned by private equity, has rapidly increased ads. Multiple commenters cite Fandom's ad-heavy experience and ad-blocker blocking as driving demand for alternatives.