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They're being rightly trashed because it's a SEO tactic and nothing more. Between the preamble ranking them higher and Adsense requiring "substance" in order to

They're being rightly trashed because it's a SEO tactic and nothing more. Between the preamble ranking them higher and Adsense requiring "substance" in order to monetise the page, there is a systematic issue that's leading to what is essentially useless information to what I would say is the majority of people. They're very welcome to write their life story, but I bet if google changed their algorithm slightly you'd see it disappear - and I'd say that would be a good thing.

hombre_fatal 6y ago
My god this level of cynicism is such an eyeroll. HNers writhing over each other to be the most cynical and dismissive. For fun, can you link me to a highly ranked recipe page with a bullshit SEO story on it in line with "the camping trip in North Dakota when Susan's husband first discovered his love of homemade sour cream"?
- sethammons 6y ago
  Searched Beef Stroganoff Recipe. Result 1 from Betty Crocker was good. Here is the 2nd result: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/easy-beef-stroganoff-recipe/ https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/easy-beef-stroganoff-recipe/ You have to scroll halfway down to get your ingredients list after learning that her husband is a vegetarian, getting a history of the author cooking mostly plants before anyway, getting a lesson on what egg noodles are and, finally, the ingredients.
- scrollaway 6y ago
  A few comment above yours is this link talking about the healing power of cooking after 9/11: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017089-maple-shortbread-bars https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017089-maple-shortbread... Two days ago, I made this absolutely delicious "5 minute tiramisu": https://wishesndishes.com/5-minute-tiramasu-dip/ https://wishesndishes.com/5-minute-tiramasu-dip/ - That page doubles as a sponsored article, too (see disclaimer). But just to prove your point and make you happy, and also because I'm hungry, I googled "sushi recipe idea" and clicked the first link that, without fail, talks about the very special valentine's day Tom^Wthe author and her husband spent years ago and how sushi is now a tradition. https://www.fifteenspatulas.com/homemade-sushi/ https://www.fifteenspatulas.com/homemade-sushi/ This isn't a cynical thing. Go to fiverr.com and search for "write recipes". Here's the first result that comes up when doing that: https://www.fiverr.com/francosalzillo/write-text-around-a-recipe https://www.fiverr.com/francosalzillo/write-text-around-a-re... That's the more professional version of it. The guy's highly rated and it looks like it's his actual job.
  - jefftk 6y ago
    Your first link is a recipe from 2001-09-19, which seems like strong evidence that it being written around 9/11 wasn't motivated by modern recipe SEO?
    - scrollaway 6y ago
      What did I claim?
      - jefftk 6y ago
        Your parent asked "can you link me to a highly ranked recipe page with a bullshit SEO story". I was showing how your first link wasn't an SEO story.
- tmountain 6y ago
  https://www.garlicandzest.com/julia-childs-boeuf-bourguignon/ https://www.garlicandzest.com/julia-childs-boeuf-bourguignon... "When I woke up that Sunday morning, it was a crisp 68°. I opened every window in the house (the first time we’d aired it out since April) and put on a pair of jeans and a light long-sleeved shirt. While Scott was busy appraising his fantasy football rosters, I was searing beef and taking pictures."

hombre_fatal 6y ago

My god this level of cynicism is such an eyeroll. HNers writhing over each other to be the most cynical and dismissive. For fun, can you link me to a highly ranked recipe page with a bullshit SEO story on it in line with "the camping trip in North Dakota when Susan's husband first discovered his love of homemade sour cream"?

sethammons 6y ago
Searched Beef Stroganoff Recipe. Result 1 from Betty Crocker was good. Here is the 2nd result: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/easy-beef-stroganoff-recipe/ https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/easy-beef-stroganoff-recipe/ You have to scroll halfway down to get your ingredients list after learning that her husband is a vegetarian, getting a history of the author cooking mostly plants before anyway, getting a lesson on what egg noodles are and, finally, the ingredients.
scrollaway 6y ago
A few comment above yours is this link talking about the healing power of cooking after 9/11: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017089-maple-shortbread-bars https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017089-maple-shortbread... Two days ago, I made this absolutely delicious "5 minute tiramisu": https://wishesndishes.com/5-minute-tiramasu-dip/ https://wishesndishes.com/5-minute-tiramasu-dip/ - That page doubles as a sponsored article, too (see disclaimer). But just to prove your point and make you happy, and also because I'm hungry, I googled "sushi recipe idea" and clicked the first link that, without fail, talks about the very special valentine's day Tom^Wthe author and her husband spent years ago and how sushi is now a tradition. https://www.fifteenspatulas.com/homemade-sushi/ https://www.fifteenspatulas.com/homemade-sushi/ This isn't a cynical thing. Go to fiverr.com and search for "write recipes". Here's the first result that comes up when doing that: https://www.fiverr.com/francosalzillo/write-text-around-a-recipe https://www.fiverr.com/francosalzillo/write-text-around-a-re... That's the more professional version of it. The guy's highly rated and it looks like it's his actual job.
- jefftk 6y ago
  Your first link is a recipe from 2001-09-19, which seems like strong evidence that it being written around 9/11 wasn't motivated by modern recipe SEO?
  - scrollaway 6y ago
    What did I claim?
    - jefftk 6y ago
      Your parent asked "can you link me to a highly ranked recipe page with a bullshit SEO story". I was showing how your first link wasn't an SEO story.
tmountain 6y ago
https://www.garlicandzest.com/julia-childs-boeuf-bourguignon/ https://www.garlicandzest.com/julia-childs-boeuf-bourguignon... "When I woke up that Sunday morning, it was a crisp 68°. I opened every window in the house (the first time we’d aired it out since April) and put on a pair of jeans and a light long-sleeved shirt. While Scott was busy appraising his fantasy football rosters, I was searing beef and taking pictures."