5 ms·
An SEO consultant complaining about Google's frequent algo changes is like a mechanic complaining that cars break down too often.
by hornbaker 14y ago
An SEO consultant complaining about Google's frequent algo changes is like a mechanic complaining that cars break down too often.
- RyanMcGreal 14y agoIf I was feeling uncharitable, I would say it's a bit like a burglar complaining that the homeowner keeps installing better locks.
- devcpp 14y agoAnd the house would be the White House (in the sense that SEOs aren't just working against Google but against its billion users).
- aidenn0 14y agoMore like an arsonist complaining about updates to building code.
- cryowaffle 14y agoBingo
- explicitlyme 14y agoActually you are more right than you think. Frankly I would rather do something else than SEO. Like real marketing. (I am the author of said site)
- tlrobinson 14y agoIt's more like new cars being introduced without service manuals, forcing the mechanic to continually figure out how to fix them.
- drzaiusapelord 14y agoExcept SEO isn't a typical use case. It like complaining that newer tires made for better grip in the wet aren't as good as cutting people off during rush hour.
- mixedbit 14y agoI don't think this is a good analogy. Google's job is to make sure good content is ranked high and crap is ranked low. You should just create content that is useful to others and let Google figure out how to discover it and rank it high (they are good at it). To create useful content, you don't need to know Google internals.
- dohertyjf 14y agoAnd we would just do this if Google actually made good on their promises to do this, but I see an awful lot of crap still ranking in the SERPs especially because of hacked sites and link networks. Full disclosure - I work in SEO.
- illuminate 14y agoThe solution to no-content black hattery is not to promote your no-content site with black hat techniques. Nobody here is criticizing site tuning and at the same time defending content farms. Why defend misbehavior as a justification for misbehavior? Note that I am not saying that you yourself perform any of this in your role. Our anger is not at site tuning and placement but the techniques used to do so, which you appear to be unnecessarily defending as essential for any site's survival.
- dohertyjf 14y agoYour comment doesn't make any sense. Of course the solution to something bad isn't promoting it with something bad. That's just ridiculous and I would never argue that. You're automatically assuming that SEO is bad, or is all blackhat, or is just about promoting crap. I would argue vehemently that good SEOs only want to promote good content. I turn down many freelance gigs because the company is shit. I think you're confusing legitimate SEO with crap affiliate marketing. Big difference there, buddy.
- drzaiusapelord 14y agoOr whining about "too many computers in cars nowadays." Thanks but no thanks. I'll take the improved efficiency and reliability over your laziness to retrain.
- illuminate 14y agoA legit complaint would be the miniaturization making it difficult to work on your own car without a more complete disassembly, engine removal, etc, I rarely hear "too many computers" from actual mechanics or people who used to do self-repairs in the past. I tend to hear these complaints from less-knowledgeable consumers rationalizing why their cars are breaking down.
- bunderbunder 14y agoNot entirely - after all, to his clients an SEO consultant isn't just a black hole they throw money into. They do expect to see results in the form of higher search ranking, and Google's algorithm changes make it harder to deliver on that. I think I'd mirror others' analogies. It's more that the complaint is futile - and kind of sad. One comes away with the impression that the author is naive enough about the nature of his profession to genuinely believe that, on this subject, he and Google should be buddies and not adversaries.
- illuminate 14y ago"to his clients an SEO consultant isn't just a black hole they throw money into. They do expect to see results in the form of higher search ranking, and Google's algorithm changes make it harder to deliver on that." Wouldn't it then be harder to demonstrate objective returns if Google's algorithms are so obfuscated? If they're not afraid to game Google for their customer's benefit, they're certainly not going to be afraid to game customer expectations and fudge their results for a living.
- mattmaroon 14y agoNot at all. It's like complaining they don't break down enough.