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Here's a list of things you won't find in this article: * A description of what SEO actually is * Any mention of how SEO came to exist * Even a hint that fig

Here's a list of things you won't find in this article: * A description of what SEO actually is * Any mention of how SEO came to exist * Even a hint that figuring out which search result to return might be hard to do, or that the process might be game-able If I only read this article, I would be pretty justified in walking away from it wondering why search engines or the government don't just "ban SEO" and call it a day. When you get past the cats eating blueberries and anal beads parts, the article is mostly a high level recount of the ways SEO has evolved over time and how Google has made changes to its search algorithm to fight spammy websites. The author then concludes that there is still hope, because the EU has fined Google a few times. What?

ceejayoz 6y ago
The second paragraph starts with: > The acronym SEO stands for “search engine optimization,” which translates into the vernacular as “tricks marketers use to make certain articles appear at the top of Google’s search results.” That's the description you're looking for; the "why" is fairly self-explanatory from the description. Anyone looking for more information on the term and its history can presumably Google the term.
te_chris 6y ago
Your comment is taking nit picking to a high art. Are you an SEO? "When you get past the cats eating blueberries and anal beads parts, the article is mostly a high level recount of the ways SEO has evolved over time and how Google has made changes to its search algorithm to fight spammy websites. The author then concludes that there is still hope, because the EU has fined Google a few times. What?" So the article does in fact explain SEO? But you disagree with the ideas on corporate power?
SPBS 6y ago
The author assumes that the reader has some familiarity with the term SEO. Even if they did not describe it well enough, it is not out of malice. If the reader does know what SEO is then the author is stating their point very clearly, unlike the SEO-gamed articles that the author is railing against.

ceejayoz 6y ago

The second paragraph starts with: > The acronym SEO stands for “search engine optimization,” which translates into the vernacular as “tricks marketers use to make certain articles appear at the top of Google’s search results.” That's the description you're looking for; the "why" is fairly self-explanatory from the description. Anyone looking for more information on the term and its history can presumably Google the term.

te_chris 6y ago

Your comment is taking nit picking to a high art. Are you an SEO? "When you get past the cats eating blueberries and anal beads parts, the article is mostly a high level recount of the ways SEO has evolved over time and how Google has made changes to its search algorithm to fight spammy websites. The author then concludes that there is still hope, because the EU has fined Google a few times. What?" So the article does in fact explain SEO? But you disagree with the ideas on corporate power?

SPBS 6y ago

The author assumes that the reader has some familiarity with the term SEO. Even if they did not describe it well enough, it is not out of malice. If the reader does know what SEO is then the author is stating their point very clearly, unlike the SEO-gamed articles that the author is railing against.